- Delta Air Lines will be the first US global carrier to offer free Wi-Fi on most domestic mainline flights.
- The service starts on February 1, with regional and international aircraft getting free internet in 2024.
Delta Air Lines is making upgrades to its inflight experience.
Starting on February 1, SkyMiles members flying on the Atlanta-based carrier can enjoy free Wi-Fi onboard most mainline domestic flights. The move is part of the airline's new Delta Sync program, which is "designed to power Delta's vision of more personalized travel."
By the end of 2023, over 700 Viasat-equipped aircraft, including all of Delta's Airbus A321s, a majority of its Boeing 757-200s and Boeing 737-900ERs, and select planes from its Airbus A320, Airbus A319, Airbus A220-300, and Boeing 737-800 fleets, will offer the service, a company spokesperson told Insider.
As of now, only Delta-operated aircraft will offer free Wi-Fi — this does not apply to its codeshare or regional partners.
The new offering is in partnership with T-Mobile, which already offers free internet onboard many Delta flights to users of its cellular network.
In addition to domestic flights, the carrier said the free Wi-Fi will also be available on most international aircraft by mid-2024, and most regional planes by the end of 2024.
Delta told Insider that only its SkyMiles loyalty members can access the service, but those without a membership can sign up for free before their flight or onboard.
While the airline says it is the first "US global carrier" to offer free Wi-Fi, New York-based JetBlue Airways, which is considered a low-cost airline, already offers the service.
According to JetBlue, its free Wi-Fi is available on all planes flying over the continental US. Moreover, its retrofitted Airbus A320 and A321neo jets offer "expanded" coverage across many parts of the Caribbean and Central America, while its A321LRs cover flights to and from London.
Delta, which has been regularly praised for its on-time performance, safety record, and cabin products, is bringing more than just free Wi-Fi to its planes this year.
As part of Delta Sync, the carrier is also introducing a new inflight entertainment system that will offer things like on-demand food and drink ordering from first class, access to New York Times games, and special streaming from Paramount+.
These features are also only available to SkyMiles members, a spokesperson told Insider.