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Onboard Wi-Fi is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after in-flight services. And Air Canada is the newest airline to announce plans to provide free Wi-Fi for its passengers starting in 2025. Here are the details on when to expect free Wi-Fi on Air Canada flights and who is eligible.
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Air Canada's Existing Wi-Fi Options
Air Canada currently offers Wi-Fi powered by GoGo on a limited number of North American and international flights. When booking your flight, you can check whether Wi-Fi is provided for each segment on your ticket. Otherwise, you can check Air Canada's website for Wi-Fi availability within five days of departure.
At this time, travelers can purchase the following Wi-Fi packages:
- 1-hour pass for 6.50 CAD (~$5)
- One-way pass for 21 CAD (~$15)
- Monthly plan for 65.95 CAD (~$46)
GoGo Wi-Fi is available for messaging, streaming (if the connection permits), and general internet usage. However, Voice Service and VoIP are not included.
How to connect to Air Canada's Wi-Fi
After you purchase your package, connecting to the Wi-Fi is simple.
- Turn on Airplane mode and enable Wi-Fi.
- Connect to the ACWiFi.com network.
- Open a browser, type ACWiFi.com into the address bar, and follow the steps to connect to the internet.
How to get Air Canada Wi-Fi for free
When available, free Wi-Fi is provided to Premium Rouge passengers. Furthermore, Aeroplan 75K and Super Elite status members can choose 12 months of free Wi-Fi as a select benefit. Members must activate this benefit by December 30 of the current year. This benefit allows up to five devices to connect to Wi-Fi per account. However, only one device at a time can connect to the Wi-Fi.
You can also use a credit card with travel credit to cover the cost of on-board Wi-Fi. Check out our list of the best credit cards with travel credits and airline incidental credits to see which you should use to cover your purchase.
Air Canada Announces Free Wi-Fi for Aeroplan Members in 2025
But in the near future, Air Canada Aeroplan members will get free Wi-Fi. Mark Nasr, Executive Vice President, Marketing and Digital at Air Canada and President of Aeroplan, recently announced the following:
“Reliable access to streaming-quality Wi-Fi is becoming essential for both business and leisure travelers. That's why we're upgrading our fleet with the latest technologies. We're excited to offer fast, free Wi-Fi to all Aeroplan Members, with a customer-focused rollout plan that includes installation of service on the Air Canada Express Q400s, including those that fly from Toronto's Billy Bishop Airport. Although other Canadian airlines have announced free Wi-Fi services, not all have accelerated installation across their fleets or committed to offering the service comprehensively. Air Canada plans to offer fast, free Wi-Fi across its entire fleet and will begin rolling out this service in early Spring. What's more, over 85% of aircraft will be connected from day one, with the remaining installations being a priority throughout 2025.”
“Day one” is currently set for May 2025. Canadian internet provider Bell sponsors the new service. When launched, it will be available for free to all Aeroplan members for routes in North American and Sun destinations, meaning Mexico and the Caribbean. Long-haul flights are set to get free Wi-Fi by 2026.
If you're not already a member, enrolling in Aeroplan is free. Non-members will still be able to pay for Wi-Fi at a reduced, flat fee.
Our Take
When the new service from Bell rolls out in May 2025, we will have a better idea of the internet quality and connectivity. It's not exactly ideal to get free internet, or worse, pay for premium internet, only to have barely enough speed to load an email.
I've known travelers to book their flights based on getting good Wi-Fi throughout the flight. Therefore, Air Canada's plan to roll out free Wi-Fi for Aeroplan members across 85% of its aircraft in 2025 is good news. Granted, Air Canada has some other areas they could improve on. However, any upgrades are a nice step toward customer loyalty and better flights.
Have you used Wi-Fi before on Air Canada flights? How was your experience? What do you think about the planned upgrade in 2025?
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