Delta Air Lines has begun rolling out free, high-speed Wi-Fi provided by T-Mobile on select long-haul international routes, a major milestone in the airline’s efforts to provide free, reliable, streaming-quality connections on all of its aircraft worldwide, with free Wi-Fi expected to be available on most transatlantic flights by the end of the summer.
Delta’s industry-leading Wi-Fi rollout is also expanding internationally: Starting this summer, customers on select long-haul international flights equipped with Viasat will be able to access fast, free Wi-Fi provided by T-Mobile, bringing Delta one step closer to its goal of offering free Wi-Fi on every aircraft worldwide.
The free streaming-quality connection is currently available on approximately 700 aircraft across more than 90 percent of Delta’s domestic mainline routes, and the airline expects the majority of its customers will have access to the product by the end of the year.
“As we continue to roll out fast, free Wi-Fi and the in-flight experiences it enables, we’re delivering new, time-sensitive services to our customers as they travel domestically and internationally,” said Ranjan Goswami, senior vice president, Customer Experience Design. “The scale of providing free Wi-Fi to our customers is unmatched in the airline industry and is a testament to the incredible efforts of teams across Delta’s business who navigated an incredibly complex rollout.”
What’s next?
To ensure Delta delivers the premium service customers expect, it is rolling out fast, free Wi-Fi on its Viasat-powered wide-body aircraft on a route-by-route basis, with additional routes gradually rolling it out as high-quality, reliable service becomes available. This strategy mirrors the approach Delta took to domestic routes in 2022.
As the free Wi-Fi rolls out internationally, the international Wi-Fi portal will initially not require a SkyMiles login. Later this year, all aircraft equipped with Viasat Wi-Fi will officially transition to a personalized Delta Sync Wi-Fi experience unlocked by a customer’s SkyMiles membership status, giving them access to exclusive in-flight experiences and rewards.
Timeline
Last month, the airline rolled out free high-speed Wi-Fi to and from all U.S. airports on most flights to and from France (CDG and NCE). Going forward, the airline has the following timeline in mind:1:
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Viasat-equipped routes |
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UK, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Italy |
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Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland |
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South America (Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru), followed by Hawaii |
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December 2024/January 2025 |
Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal |
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Pacific (including Asia, Australia, New Zealand) and South Africa2 |
1This is an expected timeline and is subject to change based on testing and satellite availability.
2Projected timeline based on aircraft installation schedule.
Delta Air Lines’ regional routes will follow a similar process, with some routes operated by Boeing 717 aircraft expected to begin service by 2025.
Find out what Wi-Fi service you can expect on your next flight
During the airline Wi-Fi transition period, unfortunately there will be some coverage gaps where Wi-Fi is not available until additional satellites are installed to provide complete coverage. On some aircraft, paid Intelsat Wi-Fi will be available until these additional satellites are operational and these aircraft are equipped with upgraded satellite Wi-Fi. To find out if free Wi-Fi is available on your flight, you can:
- Check pre-flight emails, app notifications, and in-flight announcements from cabin crew
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