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Onboard Wi-Fi is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after in-flight services. On May 1, 2025, Air Canada quietly rolled out free Wi-Fi for all Aeroplan members on flights in North America. Here are the details on how to access free Wi-Fi on Air Canada flights, as well as who is eligible.
Air Canada Fast Wi-Fi Provided by Bell
Until April 2025, Air Canada provided WiFi powered by GoGo on select flights in North America. Passengers could purchase a 1-hour pass starting at 6.50 CAD (~$5), or a one-way pass starting at 21 CAD (~$15). Reviews for the internet speed and quality were mixed.
In December 2024, Air Canada announced its plans to retrofit its fleet with fast WiFi. Surprisingly, unlike other airlines such as United and Qatar Airways, which have installed Starlink, Air Canada partnered with Canadian internet provider Bell to provide Wi-Fi on its flights.
Air Canada officially launched its new Wi-Fi service on May 1, 2025. A whopping 88% of its fleet now features fast Wi-Fi provided by Bell. The remaining aircraft for international routes are scheduled to get Wi-Fi by early 2026.
Currently, fast Wi-Fi is available on all Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge, and Air Canada Express flights operated with CRJ900 aircraft to every North American and Sun destination flights in Mexico and the Caribbean. Air Canada did not specify which other aircraft have the new Wi-Fi system installed, and it's unclear how only the CRJ900s are considered to comprise 88% of the fleet.
Free Wi-Fi for Aeroplan Members
As promised, the new fast Wi-Fi is free for all Aeroplan members. And if you're not already a member, enrolling in Aeroplan is free of charge. Non-members will still be able to pay for Wi-Fi at a reduced, flat fee. You can find out if your flight has free Wi-Fi up to five days before departure.
To access free Wi-Fi, search for the AC Wi-Fi network, and log in with your last name and seat number, starting with the letter. You can only connect a single device at a time with the same Aeroplan account. As soon as you log in with a second device, the first device will automatically disconnect from the Wi-Fi.
Changes with free Wi-Fi
Initial reports from users mention that the new service is indeed fast, and considerably faster than the old GoGo-provided internet. However, free Wi-Fi does not include voice service or VoIP. In other words, no phone calls.
Of course, only time will tell how consistent the speeds are across all flights, especially when everyone on the flight is streaming their favorite movie or show. A lot of factors influence internet speed.
Interestingly, as passengers can now stream on their own devices, some aircraft have removed the in-flight entertainment from the seatbacks. Some USB chargers are still available. However, I've never found in-flight charging ports to offer anything but the slowest charging speed. These are also notorious ways for phones to get hacked (known as juice jacking).
One disadvantage to Air Canada's free Wi-Fi service is the collection of personal information. For Aeroplan members to access free Wi-Fi, they must consent to Air Canada using their personal information to target them with advertisements about third-party products and services, and collecting and using their in-flight browsing data to derive insights into groups of passengers and to measure ad effectiveness.
Our Take
With the new service from Bell launched in May 2025, Aeroplan members now have access to fast, free Wi-Fi onboard nearly 90% of Air Canada flights within North America. If you're not already an Aeroplan member, you can join for free.
I've known travelers to book their flights based on getting good Wi-Fi throughout the flight. Therefore, Air Canada's new fast, free Wi-Fi for Aeroplan members is good news. Granted, Air Canada has some other areas where it could improve. 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 getting free Wi-Fi on flights in North America as an Aeroplan member?
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