American Airlines to Offer Passengers Free Wi-Fi in 2026

Starting January 2026, American Airlines will give free Wi-Fi to AAdvantage members through its team-up with AT&T. The service will be available on almost all domestic flights, covering 90% of their planes.

Wi-Fi will work on planes equipped with Viasat and Intelsat satellite tech. By late 2025, over 500 smaller planes will get upgraded with high-speed 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," said Heather Garboden, Chief Customer Officer at American Airlines, to news.aa.com.

AT&T executive Jenifer Robertson shared her thoughts on staying connected. "People want to be connected. Everywhere. All the time...connectivity brings people a world of possibilities," she stated.

This marks a big change in service. Passengers used to pay up to $20 per flight to get online. Early testing on some routes has shown customers like it.

The move makes American the biggest U.S. airline to offer free internet. Delta, JetBlue, and Hawaiian Airlines already give this perk to their flyers.

Long-distance international flights using Panasonic systems won't get free Wi-Fi yet because of technical limits. These routes will keep paid internet until future upgrades happen.

Joining AAdvantage gets you the free Wi-Fi perk. This plan matches what other airlines do to get more loyalty program members.

The launch kicks off Garboden's first big project since becoming Chief Customer Officer two months ago, showing the airline wants to make flying better for passengers.