The passenger cabin of a Delta Boeing 737-900ER is shown landing in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Mike Blake | Portal
Delta Air Lines will offer travelers free WiFi starting February 1, CEO Ed Bastian said Thursday.
Most U.S. flights will roll out the service next month, but it will be available on more each week, Bastian said during a presentation at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Delta’s plan to make Wi-Fi free after years of exploring the possibility comes as airlines compete for customers in the travel downturn after the pandemic slump nearly three years ago.
“It’s free. There is no fine print,” said Bastian on Thursday. “We’ve invested over $1 billion to make this happen.”
Travelers can access the free internet service by logging in with their Delta SkyMiles frequent flyer account information, Bastian added.
Delta announced last March that it would be adding fast Wi-Fi from Viasat to more of its planes and making it available for a flat fee of $5. The carrier already offers free messages.
Most airlines charge for Wi-Fi: United Airlines charges $8 for members of its frequent flyer program and $10 for other customers, and Southwest Airlines charges $8. It’s free with JetBlue, which has some corporate sponsors for the service, and Hawaiian Airlines plans to offer free internet with SpaceX’s Starlink this year.
Some airline executives have hesitated to roll out the free service until the service becomes more reliable.