Does American Airlines have WiFi? How much does it cost?

Before we talk about American Airlines and the cost of connecting to their WiFi network, have you ever wondered how planes are able to connect to the internet while cruising at nearly 40,000 feet? Today’s fast-paced world In a world where it is inconvenient to turn off electronic devices or put them in airplane mode, especially when you need to get in touch with the office or get some work done before a business meeting.

The good news is that more and more airlines, including American Airlines, are offering in-flight WiFi to their passengers. To connect their aircraft to the Internet, airlines use one of two options:

• air to ground
• From aviation to satellite

Photo: American Airlines

Air-to-ground connectivity works similar to how your cell phone connects to the internet when using data. The aircraft has an antenna on the underside of the fuselage that connects to a cell phone tower on the ground. As the plane moves across the sky, it simply connects to the nearest cell tower on a rolling basis. This system works fine when you’re flying over land, but once you’re out at sea, there’s no tower to connect to.

Aircraft connect to satellites as they fly over the ocean

To solve this problem, the aircraft uses an antenna on its upper fuselage to connect with an orbiting satellite. Similar to cell phone towers on the ground, aircraft connect to the nearest satellite, which then links the aircraft and ground stations to relay signals.

Photo: Gaudi Lab | Shutterstock.

Unfortunately, connectivity and bandwidth are not as good as using fiber over the ground, but they are improving all the time.

As for American Airlines, the world’s largest airline by fleet size, nearly all American Airlines planes and its regional partner American Eagle offer WiFi to passengers on board. The exception to the rule is that when flying in an American Eagle Embraer ERJ-145 he has no WiFi available. ERJ-170, or Bombardier CRJ-200.

American Airlines narrowbody planes use Viasat WiFi

American’s narrowbody Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 family aircraft are equipped with high-speed gate-to-gate connectivity via Viasat WiFi. American Airlines uses Panasonic connectivity on its widebody Boeing 787s and 777s. It is slower than Viasat, but provides WiFi connectivity immediately after takeoff and before landing.

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How much does American Airlines WiFi cost?

Internet access fees on American Airlines flights vary by route. The shorter your flight, the cheaper your Wi-Fi will be. American Airlines offers subscription services for frequent fliers at the following rates:

• 1 device for $49.95 per month or $599 per year
• $59.95 per month or $699 per year for 2 devices

If you travel a lot each year, it may be best to pay for a subscription. However, the downside is that this subscription is only valid on American Airlines flights within North America and not on American Airlines long-haul international flights.

Image: Viasat

For those who want to avoid paying subscription fees, American Airlines sells Internet access through a variety of passes. One provides limited time access for one to two hours, and the other provides Internet access for the entire flight.

American Airlines charges vary depending on market and length of flight, but domestic flights within the U.S. typically cost between $15 and $35.

American Airlines improves WiFi on long-haul flights

Unlike some airlines that offer free WiFi to premium customers and credit card holders, American Airlines does not. On some flights of American Airlines, if a passenger watches a paid advertisement, for example, he gets 20-30 minutes of free WiFi.

Photo: American Airlines

Overall, American Airlines offers a decent WiFi package on its narrowbody aircraft, and starting in 2024, its new Boeing 787 aircraft will be equipped with Viasat WiFi to improve long-range WiFi.