American Airlines to trial free wifi on 3 domestic routes next week

American Airlines is reportedly set to test a free inflight WiFi service on three domestic routes starting next week. The news comes as airlines across the world increasingly offer this service free of charge.

Tests on select domestic routes

According to a report by The Points Guy, the airline will be testing free WiFi service on just three select domestic routes, including:

• Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) and Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU)
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) and Jacksonville International Airport (JAX)
• Miami International Airport (MIA) and Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)

American Airlines aims to evaluate customer satisfaction and bandwidth usage, with plans for a broader rollout based on the trial results.

Earlier, inflight WiFi services were only free for business or first class customers, while internet service in economy class was either a paid service or nonexistent.

Now, offering free WiFi at 35,000 feet is becoming increasingly popular, and airlines worldwide are adopting the trend to stay competitive.

More US airlines offering free WiFi onboard

US carriers like Delta Air Lines and JetBlue Airways have been more proactive than others in providing free WiFi services across their fleets.

For example, JetBlue has offered free high-speed WiFi, known as "Fly-Fi," on all flights since 2013, allowing passengers to stream content and browse the internet without charge.

Indeed, the carrier was the first and only major US airline to offer free WiFi on all flights for such a long time. Commenting on the service, Mariya Stoyanova, JetBlue's Director of Product Development, said in 2023:

"JetBlue has been a disruptor to legacy carriers and a trailblazer in onboard technology since its inception with seatback entertainment at every seat, and we have continued to raise the standard with our unparalleled inflight Wi-Fi. ecently, we've seen other airlines adopt products and services that JetBlue has had onboard for years—legacy carriers realize that when we're in-market, they can't offer bare-bones service. We're pushing the entire U.S. airline industry to provide a better inflight experience for travelers."

Meanwhile, Delta Air Lines began providing SkyMiles members with free WiFi on most domestic flights in 2023. Since then, the Atlanta-based carrier has rolled out complementary WiFi on select international flights.

The airline has been hard at work equipping select long-haul aircraft with high-speed internet connectivity thanks to global communications company Viasat.

United Airlines, which currently offers free messaging and access to its website and app for all passengers, will enter the free WiFi space in 2025.

Testing of the service will begin in early 2025, with the first passenger flights being deployed later during the year. United's CEO Scott Kirby said in a statement in September 2024:

"Everything you can do on the ground, you'll soon be able to do onboard a United plane at 35,000 feet, just about anywhere in the world. This connectivity opens the door for an even better inflight entertainment experience, in every seatback – more content, that's more personalized. United's culture of innovation is, once again, delivering big for our customers."