AwardWallet receives compensation from advertising partners for links on the blog. The opinions expressed here are our own and have not been reviewed, provided, or approved by any bank advertiser. Here's our complete list of Advertisers.
Offers for the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®, Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard® and Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard® are not available through this site. Some offers may have expired. Please see our card marketplace for available offers
In-flight Wi-Fi can make a big difference when you’re trying to stay connected, catch up on work, or stream entertainment while flying. American Airlines currently offers Wi-Fi on nearly all mainline aircraft and select regional jets — and effective January 6, 2026, AAdvantage members can get it for free.
Thanks to a partnership with AT&T, American will offer complimentary Wi-Fi on all aircraft equipped with Viasat or Intelsat connectivity, which will cover about 90% of the fleet at launch. And there's a phased rollout planned for that remaining 10%.
Here's what to know.
Page Contents
Free Wi-Fi on American Airlines Flights
Complimentary Wi-Fi for AAdvantage members launched on January 6, 2026, and is available on aircraft equipped with high-speed satellite internet from Viasat or Intelsat. This covers the majority of American’s domestic and international routes and roughly 90% of its entire fleet.
The free Wi-Fi will be sponsored by AT&T and powered by Viasat, though you won’t need to be an AT&T customer to take advantage of it. All that's required is being a member of the free-to-join AAdvantage program.
Will all of American Airlines' planes offer free Wi-Fi?
At launch, free Wi-Fi will only be available on aircraft with Viasat or Intelsat connectivity. This means 100% of American's narrowbody and dual-class regional fleets.
Since American equips many of its long-haul aircraft with Panasonic Wi-Fi, planes like the Boeing 777-200ER, 777-300ER, and 787-8 and 787-9 will not offer complimentary Wi-Fi — at least initially. However, there's a fairly well-defined schedule for rolling out free Wi-Fi on these aircraft.
All of the airline's new Boeing 787-9 and 787-8 aircraft will feature free Wi-Fi, and the press release states that “by early spring, it will be available on nearly every American Airlines flight.” Put differently, free-Wifi should be mostly fleet-wide in the near future.
Which American Airlines Aircraft Have Wi-Fi?
The majority of American Airlines’ aircraft are already outfitted with Wi-Fi. Most mainline aircraft offer in-flight connectivity, while the smallest regional jets operated by subsidiaries typically do not.
As of the time of writing, there are two main ways to check whether your flight has Wi-Fi. First, you can check your flight's status and look for the symbol, like in the example below:
Keep in mind that if American swaps aircraft or changes your flight, you could end up on a plane without Wi-Fi. In-flight connectivity isn’t guaranteed, and even when it’s available, it doesn’t always work.
Second, you can always check the type of aircraft scheduled for your flight. American publishes a list of plane types that are Wi-Fi equipped:
| Type of Airplane | Inflight Wi-Fi? |
|---|---|
| Airbus A319 | Yes |
| Airbus A320 | Yes |
| Airbus A321 | Yes |
| Airbus A321 Transcon | Yes |
| Airbus A321neo | Yes |
| Airbus A321XLR | Yes |
| Boeing 737-800 and 737 MAX | Yes |
| Boeing 777-200 | Yes |
| Boeing 777-300ER | Yes |
| Boeing 787-8 | Yes |
| Boeing 787-9 | Yes |
| CRJ-700 | Yes |
| CRJ-900 | Yes |
| ERJ-145 | No |
| ERJ-170 | No |
| ERJ-175 | Yes |
What Does Wi-Fi Cost on AA Planes That Don’t Offer It for Free?
If you’re flying on an American Airlines Boeing 777 or 787 that doesn't offer free Wi-Fi yet, the cost will depend on a few factors, including your flight length and whether you choose an hourly pass or one that covers the entire flight.
American advertises that Wi-Fi starts at $10 per flight, but as many AA flyers know, prices are often much higher. Thankfully, there are still some ways to get it for free (or for a lot less).
Pay with a co-branded credit card
The key to saving on in-flight Wi-Fi purchases is carrying an American Airlines co-branded credit card.
Two Barclays-issued cards offer perks to defray the cost of Wi-Fi: the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® and the AAdvantage® Aviator® Silver Mastercard®. However, neither card is open to new applicants.
Every year, the $99-annual-fee Aviator Red offers up to $25 in statement credits towards in-flight Wi-Fi purchases. Or, if you hold the more premium $199-a-year Aviator Silver, you can get up to $50 back in statement credits for Wi-Fi purchases in your cardmember year.
You can also save by using one of the following cards to purchase onboard Wi-Fi:
- Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard®: Every calendar year, earn up to $100 in statement credits on in-flight purchases when you use your card on American Airlines flights.
- Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard®: Get 25% savings on in-flight Wi-Fi, food and beverage purchases on American Airlines flights when you use your credit card.
Free Wi-Fi for ConciergeKey elites
As of May 1, 2025, AAdvantage ConciergeKey elites — AA's invite-only elite status — get complimentary Wi-Fi on all American Airlines flights. Just log into the Wi-Fi with your account to unlock this access.
Redeem AAdvantage miles to pay for Wi-Fi
If you’ve got a bunch of AAdvantage miles, American will let you use them to pay for in-flight Wi-Fi. But this is a redemption you’ll probably want to avoid. In most cases, you’ll get less than 1 cent per mile, which is a poor return compared to the value you can get from using miles on award flights.
Related: Do American Airlines AAdvantage Miles Expire?
Final Thoughts
Finally. American Airlines has free Wi-Fi. Well, on most of its planes.
While it's exciting that AA is bringing complimentary Wi-Fi to most of its fleet this year, the move felt all but inevitable. Other U.S. airlines like Delta, United, and even Hawaiian Airlines embarked on similar projects a while ago. Why now felt like the right time for AA is anyone's guess. But we're glad it's happening.
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
