Starting today, Jan. 6, 2026, American Airlines passengers can enjoy free Wi-Fi while in the air, a long time coming for many. Free connectivity is sponsored by AT&T and requires passengers to sign up for an AAdvantage account.
“Free high-speed Wi-Fi isn’t just a perk — it’s essential for today’s travelers,” said Heather Garboden, American’s Chief Customer Officer. “We’re proud to begin rolling out this new offering, sponsored by AT&T, across the majority of our fleet.”
Free Wi-Fi will be available on the airline’s aircraft equipped with Viasat and Intelsat’s high-speed satellite connectivity, which covers approximately 90% of the carrier’s fleet. Aircraft equipped with Panasonic Wi-Fi, which covers most of the widebodies, will not see free connectivity. The Panasonic system lacks adequate bandwidth to handle the increased number of users that come with complimentary access, unlike ones powered by Viasat and Intelsat.
The rollout will take place throughout this month, meaning it may take a couple of weeks for free Wi-Fi to be available on all eligible aircraft. Additionally, the few widebody aircraft with Viasat will see free Wi-Fi starting in the spring.
American claims that it will have free Wi-Fi on more aircraft than any other airline in the world once the rollout is complete.
Although the airline was quick to adopt Wi-Fi across its fleet over the past decade, the cost of onboard connectivity had remained high relative to other carriers in the country. American would routinely charge over $20 for short domestic segments, while rivaling carriers had been charging $8, if not free.
American had long refused to change its ways of onboard connectivity. As recently as early 2025, CEO Robert Isom specifically stated that the airline had no plans to roll out free Wi-Fi. This all changed when the carrier suddenly began testing free access on select flights in spring 2025 and made the big announcement in April.
Moving forward, the airline will be phasing out the slower Panasonic Wi-Fi on some of its widebody aircraft. The Boeing 777-300ERs will swap to Viasat during the ongoing Project Olympus retrofits, and the Boeing 777-200s will swap to Viasat starting in fall of 2026.
The airline has also expressed interest in Amazon’s Leo inflight Wi-Fi for its low-Earth-orbit satellite internet, and Isom has stated that American has held discussions with Amazon.
This is all exciting news for American Airlines passengers, who were on the outside looking in at many other U.S. carriers launch free connectivity for several years. While free Wi-Fi may slightly slow down speeds, the airline claims that its testings have “exceeded expectations.”
I have several American Airlines flights scheduled in the coming weeks, both on aircraft equipped with Viasat and Intelsat. I’ll be looking forward to seeing how both systems perform compared to the pre-complimentary days, and will report back.
All photos taken by the author.
