Delta Air Lines is rolling out free wi-fi to the sky on all mainline domestic flights starting Feb 1, 2023. Delta will be only the second airline to offer free wi-fi in the United States, following JetBlue’s lead. Delta has been teasing the possibility of free wi-fi for years, but it is now coming to fruition. We should see this extended to offer internet access on all flights in North America including Canada and Mexico and globally soon.
As the world becomes technology focused people have difficulty disconnecting for a couple hours. Travelers want and need access to emails and the internet no matter where they are. Airlines have offered wi-fi onboard for years, usually charging between $8 and $60 per session depending on the type of internet on each equipped flight. Now, Delta is helping shake up the industry by offering free and fast internet to all guests. Guests can ditch monthly global plans and connect for free!
In the announcement, Delta Air Lines will offer fast, free Wi-Fi in partnership with T-Mobile to all customers on board most domestic mainline flights beginning Feb. 1, 2023. The airline will offer the service on more than 700 Viasat-equipped aircraft by the end of 2023. Delta moved from gogo ground to air internet to Viastat a few years ago, but not all aircrafts service has been updated to the faster satellite internet. Currently, nearly 500 Delta aircraft have fast viastat internet. Meanwhile, many aircrafts are still offering near dial up speed. Under the announcement today, Delta also said that they will bring free Wi-Fi on international and regional aircraft by the end of 2024. Meaning come 2024 alcohol and Wi-fi will be free on Delta’s longhaul flights!
“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.”
“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.”
HOW DO TO GET FREE WI-FI?
Connecting to Delta’s onboard Wi-Fi is easier than ever. Once on board, customers can select the “DeltaWiFi.com” network in their device’s settings. Just be sure your phone is in Airplane mode. After connecting, customers simply enter their Delta SkyMiles number and password for free Wi-Fi. Wi-fi usually turns on when the boarding doors close. Customers onboard can then enjoy Wi-Fi from pushback to park. Real gate-to-gate service. For those customers who are not Skymile members, you can create a free SkyMiles account. Your Skymiles number does not have to be tied to your ticket. Thus allowing partners and visitors from other airlines to still earn miles in their preferred program, but still use the Wi-Fi and enjoy their favorite content.
Customers who prefer to not have a SkyMiles account have the option to purchase Wi-Fi access for a flat rate of $10 per device per flight.
