Staying connected when flying American Airlines just got a little easier.
The Fort Worth-based airline on Wednesday announced several updates to its in-flight Wi-Fi service, including the ability to redeem AAdvantage miles for internet packages.
This new mileage redemption option will be officially introduced on select aircraft in the coming weeks. After a short beta period, nearly all airlines’ domestic aircraft will offer this feature.
The domestic rollout is expected to be completed by the start of the summer travel season. Please note that this redemption option is only available on aircraft with Viasat connectivity, including all Boeing 737 and some Airbus A319 aircraft.
American Airlines first announced that AAdvantage members could redeem miles for Wi-Fi in late February as part of a larger announcement of enhanced benefits for AAdvantage members.
It wasn’t immediately clear how American plans to price its Wi-Fi packages per mile, and a spokesperson for the carrier declined to provide further details.
United Airlines has long offered the ability to redeem MileagePlus miles for Wi-Fi service. The redemption rate is typically less than TPG’s valuation of 1.4 cents per MileagePlus mile. So I typically purchase United Wi-Fi with a co-branded credit card and earn miles for award tickets.
To enhance American Airlines’ new service, the airline will be rolling out a new landing page on aainflight.com on board its jets. This updated landing page has started popping up on some flights in recent days as airlines test the new service.
This new landing page is expected to feature a new design and the ability to log into your AAdvantage account to redeem miles.
daily newsletter
Get rewarded in your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers and get breaking news, in-depth guides, and exclusive deals from TPG experts.
American Airlines is making Wi-Fi more accessible with a new mileage redemption option, but it hasn’t gone as far as lowering the price of Wi-Fi or making it completely free, like Delta Air Lines and JetBlue. .
American Airlines consistently offers the most expensive Wi-Fi plans of any major U.S. airline, with flights from New York to Los Angeles costing as much as $35. (On the same route, Alaska Airlines and United Airlines charge an $8 fee, while Delta Air Lines and JetBlue Airways offer the connection for free.)
That said, American Airlines is rolling out limited free Wi-Fi service on all Viasat-powered flights. This timed service gives you 20 minutes instead of watching a 15 or 30 second ad.
This ad-supported free Wi-Fi option was first introduced in 2022, but until now it was only available on select flights. This will now be operated by 100% of American Airlines’ Viasat domestic narrowbody aircraft. Please note that you can only get one free Wi-Fi package per device per flight.
If you want to save money on your in-flight connectivity, be sure to check out our guide to getting free and discounted in-flight Wi-Fi with your credit card.
In addition to the aforementioned upgrades, American Airlines reiterated its plans to upgrade connectivity systems on its regional jets. Starting this summer, the airline plans to install high-speed Wi-Fi on about 500 dual-class regional aircraft.
While Wednesday’s announcement is certainly noteworthy, it’s disappointing that American Airlines still hasn’t made good on its 2017 promise to make in-flight messaging free for everyone.
In 2017, Delta Air Lines became the first of the “big three” U.S. airlines to offer free messaging to all travelers. This allows flyers to connect to the internet and use apps like iMessage and WhatsApp without paying for a full Wi-Fi pass.
American Airlines announced the next day that it would match Delta’s move “in the near future,” but did not provide a specific timeline. But seven years later, American still hasn’t enabled the service.
Even Southwest Airlines and United Airlines, which have more planes with slower and less reliable Wi-Fi than American Airlines, now offer free messaging. So it’s a shame that American Airlines still hasn’t delivered on this promise.
Related books:
