Delta Airlines plans to offer fast, free Wi-Fi in partnership with T-Mobile to all customers on board most domestic mainline flights beginning Feb. 1. The announcement was made at CES in Las Vegas.
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 has been charging $5 per flight for Wi-Fi or subscriptions at $49.95 for monthly access on domestic and $69.95 per month for international flights. The airline also offers passengers free messaging from your smartphone via iMessage, Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp.
“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.”
Designed to fuel Delta’s vision of more personalized travel, customers will log in using their Delta SkyMiles account or join SkyMiles on the ground or in the air for free to connect.
“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.”
Delta also announced its plans for Delta Sync Exclusives hub — a new SkyMiles-unlocked mobile platform coming this spring aimed at elevating the in-flight connectivity experience with exclusive offers, access and entertainment from beloved brands that are mainstays of everyday life. Delta will launch Delta Sync Exclusives hub later this spring.
As of February 1, Delta will offer free Wi-Fi on more than 500 aircraft serving Delta’s most popular routes, with full availability across Delta’s global fleet planned by the end of 2024.
Customers can tell whether they are on a free Wi-Fi-ready aircraft by looking for the new decal below located near the boarding door.