NEWS
Delta Becomes First Major US Airline to Offer Free WiFi
Source: Delta
Delta has partnered with T-Mobile to offer fast, free WiFi beginning this February, making it the first major domestic airline to offer the service.
The airline will offer the service on more than 700 Viasat-equipped aircraft by the end of 2023. Delta also announced plans to bring free Wi-Fi on international and regional aircraft by the end of 2024.
.@Delta will introduce free Wi-Fi for all SkyMiles Members on most domestic mainline flights beginning Feb. 1 in partnership with @TMobile, with full availability on international and regional aircraft by the end of 2024.https://t.co/TmsIWkyX9g
— Delta News Hub (@DeltaNewsHub) January 5, 2023
“At work, at home and everywhere in between, connectivity is essential to daily life, and your journey on Delta should be no different,” said Delta CEO Ed Bastian at CES 2023 in Las Vegas. “Our vision has long been to deliver an experience at 30,000 feet that feels similar to what our customers have available on the ground.”
“We didn’t just want free Wi-Fi to offer base-level service – we wanted it to be transformative for the entire onboard experience,” Bastian added. “It is imperative all customers onboard can enjoy their favorite content just as they would at home, and we’ve put this system through meticulous tests to make that possible.”
“At T-Mobile, we believe staying connected while traveling should be an easy, seamless experience,” said Mike Sievert, T-Mobile CEO. “T-Mobile customers already get free in-flight Wi-Fi and now we’re partnering with Delta to bring that experience to all customers — regardless of their wireless provider — so that anyone flying Delta can enjoy online access from takeoff to touchdown.”
According to CNN, Delta has invested more than $1 billion in WiFi technology over the past few years.
Passengers need to be a member of Delta’s free SkyMiles loyalty program to access the onboard internet. Customers who aren’t members will need to pay a flat fee of $10.
