American Airlines to offer free high-speed Wi-Fi through AT&T partnership

American Airlines will soon offer free high-speed Wi-Fi on flights after partnering with AT&T, the companies said. The service will cover more than 2 million American flights a year, and passengers will log in to the in-flight portal with an AAdvantage number and password; nonmembers can sign up for free.

AT&T said the rollout starts this month and will proceed in phases, with narrowbody and dual-class regional fleets used for shorter flights receiving free connectivity first. By early spring, free internet will be available for every plane in that fleet and nearly every other flight. American said the internet will be provided by Viasat and Intelsat, and Heather Garboden, chief customer officer at American Airlines, said that "free high-speed Wi-Fi isn't just a perk" anymore.

American did not specify exact speeds for the service. A recent Ookla performance test showed Intelsat's median download speed at about 60 Mbps, which the outlet suggested is a reasonable estimate. The rollout timeline is clear, but the airline has not detailed precise speeds or performance for all aircraft yet.

Key Topics

Tech, American Airlines, At&t, Aadvantage, Viasat, Intelsat