Airlines with in-flight Wi-Fi: How to stay connected in the air

Camryn Smith
CS
Camryn Smith

Jul 21, 2023 — 3 min read

Can you expect to stay connected after departure? Will it cost you? Here's what you need to know.

  • Wi-Fi is becoming increasingly available on major airliners but can add to the cost of flying.
  • Gogo is the largest airline Wi-Fi provider in the U.S. with service on American Airlines, Delta, United Airways and others.
  • JetBlue is one of the only U.S. airline carriers that offers free Wi-Fi to all passengers.

Wi-Fi is everywhere — in your home, at the local coffee shop, maybe even in your car — so why shouldn’t it be on your next flight as well? Depending on your airline and destination, it could be.

Most major airlines in the U.S. offer Wi-Fi service on their flights, often for an added charge. The price varies by airline, as does the availability, speed and quality of connection.

Will in-flight Wi-Fi service be available on your next plane ride? Here’s a look at which airliners offer free in-flight Wi-Fi, as well as what to expect from major airlines in the U.S.

Airlines with free in-flight Wi-Fi

  • Air China
  • China Eastern
  • Emirates
  • JetBlue Airways
  • Nok Air
  • Norwegian
  • Qatar Airways
  • Turkish Airlines

In-flight Wi-Fi service details by airline

American Airlines

American Airlines claims Wi-Fi is available on almost every American Airlines flight, excluding some American Eagle flights.

Delta Airlines

Delta offers free messaging over Wi-Fi for passengers using iMessenger, Facebook Messaging or WhatsApp.
Wi-Fi is available on nearly all domestic and international flights. Delta now offers free Wi-Fi for Delta SkyMiles members (you can create a SkyMiles account for free). 

Southwest Airlines

SouthWest began a new partnership with Viasat in 2023. All new aircraft will be equipped with Viasat’s high-speed Ka-band connectivity.

Spirit Airlines

 Spirit offers Wi-Fi across its entire network on most of its aircraft.

United Airlines

Most of United’s aircraft are equipped with one of their Wi-Fi options. Domestic flights are likely to have service from Gogo or Thales, while international flights are likely to have ViaSat (on flights to Europe or Central America) or Panasonic. The price and service quality may vary widely by provider.

Virgin Atlantic

*Pricing and availability subject to change. Last updated 07/21/23.

Other airlines with Wi-Fi service

Aeromexico

Aeromexico offers free messaging over Wi-Fi for passengers using iMessenger, Facebook Messaging or WhatsApp. Aeromexico was also the first airline to implement Gogo 2Ku, which offers a stronger connection and faster speeds.

Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines offers free messaging over Wi-Fi for passengers using iMessenger, Facebook Messaging or WhatsApp. Satellite Wi-Fi is available almost everywhere Alaska Airlines flies, excluding the Arctic Circle. All Boeing 737 MAX, 737-900ERs and all Airbus aircraft have streaming-fast internet. All Embraer E175s and Boeing 737-700s are equipped with basic Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi service may not be available on flights to Mexico, Hawaii or Puerto Rico.

Air Canada

Air Canada now offers free in-flight messaging and Live TV on select flights for airline members.

JetBlue Airways

JetBlue and Delta are currently the only carriers based in the U.S. to offer free in-flight Wi-Fi service to all passengers at no additional charge.

Lufthansa

Lufthansa offers three in-flight Wi-Fi tiers for long-haul routes, starting at €3 for FlyNet Chat, €5 – €7 for Mail and Surf or €10 – €12 for Stream. Miles & More members can redeem miles to pay for Wi-Fi service.

Airlines without Wi-Fi service

  • Frontier Airlines
  • Allegiant Airlines
  • Sun Country Airlines
  • Hawaiian Airlines

In-flight Wi-Fi FAQs

Can you use miles/points to purchase in-flight Wi-Fi?

Some airlines and credit cards allow you to use miles or points to pay for special airline services such as Wi-Fi. Remember, though, those points/miles aren’t always easy to come by, so you may want to think twice before using them on Wi-Fi service that would only cost a few bucks otherwise.

Editor-At-Large for The Points Guy and self-proclaimed “world travel junkie,” Zach Honig advised, “Some airlines do allow you to redeem miles instead of paying cash for Wi-Fi, but be sure to do the math — it often isn’t a good deal.”

Delta now offers free Wi-Fi to Delta SkyMiles members, and joining SkyMiles is free of charge.

Hawaiian Airlines also plan to roll out free Wi-Fi with Starlink in the near future. 

Not typically, especially once you get to cruising altitude. Mobile services require signals from broadcast towers, which are unlikely to reach your plane.

That depends. The Wi-Fi service on most airlines/flights will not support video streaming, so if you’re wanting Wi-Fi to watch Netflix, probably not. If, however, you could use a Wi-Fi connection to check email and do some work/homework, a Wi-Fi connection may be useful.

Camryn Smith

Written by:

Camryn Smith

As one of Allconnect’s writers, Camryn Smith helps consumers navigate complex home internet services and broadband technology through her helpful content. Using her expertise in the broadband space, Camryn edu… Read more

Trey Paul

Edited by:

Trey Paul

Editor, Broadband Content

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