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Air Canada announced today that it will begin offering fast, free Wi-Fi in May 2025. Complimentary service will be available to Aeroplan Members on Wi-Fi equipped flights within North American and Sun markets. This will be expanded to include long-haul international routes in 2026.
Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge, and most Air Canada Express aircraft will all begin to offer passengers the ability to stay connected at no charge next year. This initiative builds on the free Wi-Fi that has been granted to Premium Rouge passengers since 2022 and the texting service (sponsored by Bell) that was rolled out in May 2023 for Aeroplan Members.
The Air Canada Express regional fleet of De Havilland Canada Q400 also known as “Dash 8,” turboprop aircraft will also include Wi-Fi. This will be the first fast, free Wi-Fi offering on Q400 aircraft.
Mark Nasr, Air Canada’s EVP of Marketing and Digital, and President of Aeroplan, said:
Reliable access to streaming-quality Wi-Fi is becoming essential for both business and leisure travelers. That’s why we’re upgrading our fleet with the latest technologies. We’re excited to offer fast, free Wi-Fi to all Aeroplan Members, with a customer-focused rollout plan that includes installation of service on the Air Canada Express Q400s, including those that fly from Toronto’s Billy Bishop Airport. Although other Canadian airlines have announced free Wi-Fi services, not all have accelerated installation across their fleets or committed to offering the service comprehensively. Air Canada plans to offer fast, free Wi-Fi across its entire fleet and will begin rolling out this service in early Spring. What’s more, over 85% of aircraft will be connected from day one, with the remaining installations being a priority throughout 2025.”
Delta Air Lines has been offering free Wi-Fi to its SkyMiles members for some time now. It grants Delta access to these passengers’ profiles, which they then sell to advertisers with messages that pop up as specially curated by American Express and other partners. There is more value in being able to secure this marketing spend than charging passengers for Wi-Fi. Some will never pay, but when it’s free almost everyone will opt in.
United Airlines announced back in September that Starlink will be installed on all United aircraft (more than 1,000 planes) over the next few years and that it will be free. While paying $8 as a MileagePlus member is not a big deal, the Wi-Fi is iffy. Sometimes it works and many times it does not. This will be an upgrade to the passenger experience and one that won’t cost customers anything in Wi-Fi fees.
Anthony’s Take: Free Wi-Fi is the route that all of the airlines will eventually go. American Airlines has said it’s not planning to drop its fees, but I assume it will eventually have to when it’s the last carrier still charging. This is exciting news for Air Canada fliers.
(Image Credits: Air Canada and United Airlines.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
