Delta is rolling out free Wi-Fi on around 80 percent of its domestic flights to the U.S. beginning February 1, 2023, confirming rumors from late last year. The service, available through a T-Mobile sponsorship, will be available on 700 aircraft by the end of the year and on regional and international aircraft by the end of 2024. “It will be free. It will be quick. And it’s going to be available to everyone,” said Delta CEO Ed Bastian at CES 2023.
Travelers must use their Delta SkyMiles information for access, but creating an account is free. The company announced last year that it would upgrade more aircraft with Viasat as the provider. Previously there was a flat fee of $5 for WiFi.
Profit motives aside, airlines have been reluctant to roll out free Wi-Fi, fearing the systems aren’t fast enough to serve hundreds of people at once. Delta has been working on the system since 2018, with the eventual goal of offering free Wi-Fi.
“We didn’t just want free Wi-Fi to be a basic service — we wanted it to transform the entire onboard experience,” he said. “It is imperative that all customers can enjoy their favorite content on board just as they would at home and we have carefully tested this system to make that possible.”
Jetblue also offers free Wi-Fi through corporate sponsorships, but Southwest, United, American, and other airlines charge fees that typically range from $8 to $10. American recently tested free WiFi for certain customers.
Delta also announced that starting this summer it will be introducing new in-flight entertainment systems where user preferences continue from “flight to flight…even where you left off a movie,” according to the press release.
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