Image credit — American Airlines
The complimentary access will be supported by Viasat and Intelsat high-speed satellite connectivity, which currently covers about 90 percent of American’s mainline fleet. The airline has also committed to outfitting more than 500 regional aircraft with the same satellite internet by the end of 2025. To prepare for the wider rollout, American ran a test program on select routes, which reportedly exceeded internal performance expectations.Heather Garboden, American’s recently appointed Chief Customer Officer, emphasized that inflight connectivity remains a key focus as part of the company’s broader strategy to improve the customer experience. The airline described the partnership as a natural fit, given both companies are based in Texas and have longstanding ties. American is already an enterprise customer of AT&T.
People want to be connected. Everywhere. All the time. Whether it’s staying in touch with those who matter most, following a favorite sports team or catching up on that show everyone is talking about, connectivity brings people a world of possibilities. By advancing connectivity, everything becomes more immediate and accessible anywhere they go. We are proud to partner with American Airlines to connect people to what matters most to them — even in the sky.
— Jenifer Robertson, EVP & GM Mass Markets, AT&T
From AT&T’s perspective, the move reflects a broader trend of expanding its network reach into areas beyond traditional mobile coverage. The company stated that people increasingly expect to stay connected regardless of where they are, and that inflight connectivity aligns with this expectation. For AT&T, the sponsorship allows the brand to maintain visibility in high-traffic environments while demonstrating support for travel-based digital access.
This development positions American Airlines ahead of its domestic competitors when it comes to offering wide-scale internet access to frequent flyers. While Delta and United have both introduced paid Wi-Fi services and limited free messaging access, neither has implemented a fully sponsored, no-cost Wi-Fi model on this scale. Whether other carriers will follow a similar path remains to be seen, but the American–AT&T partnership sets a notable precedent.
The effectiveness of this initiative will likely come down to performance and reliability. Offering complimentary Wi-Fi is only part of the equation. If the network proves consistent across flights, this move could significantly influence customer expectations for internet access while traveling.
