American Airlines to make Wi-Fi free on most of its fleet in 2026

An American Airlines aircraft will soon provide free Wi-Fi to its AAdvantage loyalty program members, starting in January. The airline’s decision follows the trend of more carriers offering complimentary internet services to their frequent flyer members. AT&T will sponsor the free Wi-Fi service for American Airlines.

JetBlue Airways has been providing free inflight internet for a while, while Delta Air Lines introduced free Wi-Fi for its SkyMiles program members in 2023. United Airlines is equipping its fleet with SpaceX’s Starlink satellite Wi-Fi, which will also be complimentary for its MileagePlus loyalty program members.

American Airlines currently charges over $20 for inflight Wi-Fi, but starting in January, the service will be free on planes equipped with Intelsat and Viasat satellite Wi-Fi, covering about 90% of its fleet by next year. Older Boeing wide-body planes in American’s fleet will not offer free Wi-Fi but will still have the service available. The airline has been testing the service on select routes and plans to install high-speed internet on 500 regional planes by the end of next year.

Southwest Airlines, a notable exception in the industry, has not indicated whether it will introduce free Wi-Fi onboard.