American Airlines makes change almost everyone will appreciate

American Airlines follows Delta and United in making a key service free.

Apr 16, 2025 - 15:18

American Airlines makes change almost everyone will appreciate

Although Lufthansa (DLAKF) was the first major airline to offer its passengers internet on certain flights all the way back in 2003, it took nearly two decades for in-flight Wi-Fi to reach workable speeds and become widely available.

Delta Air Lines (DAL) first announced that it would make Wi-Fi on its flights free at the end of 2023, while United Airlines (UAL) followed with the same promise a few months later in 2024. United offers free Wi-Fi on flights that are equipped to support it, but it is still in the process of outfitting certain planes with Starlink.

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American says travelers 'greatly value staying connected in the air'

On April 15, the last "big three" airline American Airlines (AAL) finally made the leap, committing to making Wi-Fi free on 90% of its planes by the start of 2026 through a partnership with AT&T (T) .

American also said it will be outfitting 500 of its planes to support an internet connection before the change is made next January. That said, some of the older Boeing (BA) aircraft that are on track toward retirement but are still being used on certain flights may not always be equipped for internet.

"Our customers greatly value staying connected while in the air, whether communicating with friends, getting work done, checking in on social media or streaming their favorite subscription services,” American Chief Customer Officer Heather Garboden said in a statement. "We've been working diligently to outfit our aircraft with best-in-class high-speed Wi-Fi and together with AT&T are proud to offer those services at no cost to our most loyal customers."

American Airlines will also be outfitting 500 of its older planes to support an internet connection.
Image source: Shutterstock

Want to connect on that American flight? Here's what you need to do

To take advantage, travelers will need to click on the AA connection that pops up among the networks during the flight and log into their AAdvantage loyalty program to activate it. While one needs to be a member to participate, signing up is as simple as putting in contact details and emails — points or frequent flyer status are not needed to get Wi-Fi.

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At the moment, American offers free Wi-Fi on certain routes from its hubs in Charlotte and Miami but charges up to $20 for it on other domestic flights and $40 for the duration of some long-haul international ones. It also has frequent flyer plans that allow travelers to pay $49.95 per month or $599 per year to have Wi-Fi on any flight they take. American has not commented on what will happen to these plans once free access is rolled out (Delta and United both currently offer faster speeds for a price).

AT&T Executive Vice President and GM, Mass Markets Jenifer Robertson said because travelers now want to and expect to be "connected everywhere all the time," the telecommunications provider jumped on the chance to partner with American in providing the service.

Both companies are based in Texas — Fort Worth and Dallas, respectively — which Garboden also said made it a "natural partnership in every aspect."