Advertiser Disclosure

Inflight wifi does American airlines have wifi
Airline & Aviation News

Does American Airlines Have Wifi? Here’s What You Need To Know!

Last updated: June 06,2022
Originally Published: June 10,2022
by Jestan Mendame

Points Panda has partnered with a variety of financial companies including CreditCards.com for our coverage of credit card products. Points Panda and CreditCards.com may receive a commission from card issuers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired. For more information please read our full Advertiser Disclosure.

With flight operations of more than 6,500 flights per day to nearly 350 domestic and international destinations, American Airlines makes sure that the passenger experience onboard is never compromised.

So to answer the question, “Does American Airlines have Wifi?”, definitely YES!

The airline was actually able to install high-speed Wifi to 700+ of its planes back in 2019, with goals of fully retrofitting its entire fleet of 895 planes in the future. Passengers can now use AA wifi to stream their favorite movies, use messaging apps, or do online shopping during their flight.

However, there are more questions about AA inflight wifi that needs to be tackled and we will answer them below:


Read More: The Complete Guide To American Airlines Admirals Club


Does American Airlines have Wifi? Yes! American offers free and paid plans for passengers onboard.
Does American Airlines have Wifi? Yes! American offers free and paid plans for passengers onboard.
(Image courtesy of Canva Pro)

Which Service Providers Does AA Wifi Use?

American Airlines inflight Wifi uses three service providers – Gogo, Panasonic, and Viasat. The wifi service you’ll get will depend on the type of flights you’re on, whether domestic or international. Gogo and Viasat wifi is used for domestic flights while Panasonic wifi is used on international flights.

Also, the airline used different providers for each type of aircraft in their fleet so you might want to check the following information below.

  • 98 Airbus A319 (former US Airways planes)
  • 5 Airbus A319 (former Frontier planes)
  • 48 Airbus A320
  • 5 Boeing 757 (Hawaii fleet)
  • 6 Airbus A321neo (all aircraft have ViaSat installed)
  • 304 Boeing 737-800
  • 24 Boeing 737 MAX 8 (all aircraft have ViaSat installed)
  • 32 Airbus A319 (legacy AA aircraft)
  • 219 Airbus A321
  • 24 Boeing 757-200s (international flights)
  • 21 Boeing 767-300
  • 47 Boeing 777-200ER
  • 20 Boeing 777-300ER
  • 20 Boeing 787-8
  • 22 Boeing 787-9
  • 15 Airbus A330-200
  • 9 Airbus A330-300

How To Connect To AA Inflight Wi-Fi?

You can use any Wifi-enabled device to connect to the plane’s inflight wifi, whether it’s a laptop, smartphone, or tablet. Now, here’s how to connect to your device:

  • Turn on Airplane mode.
  • Go to network settings and turn on your Wi-Fi.
  • View available wireless network connections and select “AA-Inflight”
  • Connect to “AA-Inflight”
  • Open your browser.
  • You’ll be redirected to the United Wi-Fi Portal, but if not, type in  “www.aainflight.com” on your browser.
  • Select the Wifi plan you purchased or purchase a Wifi plan if you don’t have one yet.

Is AA Wifi Free?

American Airlines provides passengers with free and paid wifi on all of its flights. You can use the free Wifi to access the plane’s inflight entertainment through the AA app. However, if you want to have access to more websites and apps, you need to purchase a wifi plan that’s available on the aircraft you’re flying on.

But before you can purchase an AA wifi plan, you need to meet the following requirements:

  • Sign up for the American Airlines AAdvantage frequent flyer program.
  • Have an email address saved in your AAdvantage® account
  • Have a credit card with a U.S. billing address saved in your AAdvantage® account

AA Wifi Pricing

  • Panasonic
    • $12 for two hours
    • $17 for four hours
    • $19 for the entire flight
  • ViaSat
    • $12 for one hour
    • $16 for the entire flight
  • Gogo
    • $49.95 per month (one device)
    • $59.95 per month (two devices)

You can purchase the wifi service you want before or during the flight. However, it’s best to purchase a plan beforehand since some American Airlines aircraft have gate-to-gate Wifi connectivity. This feature allows you to have internet access from the departure gate to the arrival gate of your final destination.

Using Gogo On Viasat Enabled Planes

Passengers who purchased Gogo wifi plans can also use their subscription on planes that uses Viasat wifi – all thanks to Gogo and Viasat’s partnership.

When you’re on an aircraft that uses the Viasat wifi, go to the wifi home page and select the “Have a Gogo Subscription” button. You will then see a log-in form where you can type in your Gogo wifi details to gain access to AA inflight wifi.

How To Save On Wi-Fi Plans?

AAdvantage frequent flyers can save a lot of money and time by purchasing a Gogo monthly plan. It’s cheaper compared to the daily plans and you don’t have to repurchase Wifi every time you fly.

However, you can even save more money if you have the right credit cards, particularly those that get you discounts on in-flight Wifi purchases.

  • AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard – Offers up to $25 in statement credits toward Wi-Fi purchases on AA flights
  • AAdvantage Aviator Silver World Elite Mastercard – Offers up to $50 in statement credits per year (not currently open to new applications).
  • CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®– Get 25% back in statement credits for Wi-Fi purchases made on the card.

Read More: Your Guide To American Airlines Premium Economy


FAQs About AA Wifi

Does American Airlines Have Wifi On All Planes?

All domestic planes currently have Wifi capabilities. Not all international planes have Wifi capabilities yet.

How To Tell If Your Flight Has AA Wi-Fi?

image 3 does American airlines have wifi
Image courtesy of American Airlines.

During booking, check the flight if it has a Wifi logo on the details section. If it has a wifi logo, hover on top of the icon to see if it says “Wifi” or “High-speed wifi”

Is the AA Inflight WiFi Service Free?

American Airlines offers both free and paid wifi. Passengers can use the free Wifi by using the AA mobile app, however, they can only access the airline’s in-flight entertainment. Passengers need to purchase a Wifi plan if they wish to use messaging apps or browse other websites.

Can You Buy A Wifi Plan On The Plane?

Yes, you can purchase your preferred Wifi plan before or during the flight. However, it’s recommended to purchase a plan before the flight since some planes have gate-to-gate wifi features. This means that you can use the Wifi at the boarding gate prior to boarding the aircraft.

Bottomline

American Airlines is very dependable in terms of availability and speed. Compared to other airlines, AA has a high percentage of its fleet that is already equipped with high-speed Wifi.

The only problem is that it’s not 100% free. You only have access to inflight entertainment and you can’t browse other websites unless you purchase an AA wifi plan. Other airline Wifis such as JetBlue Flyfi or Alasaka Wifi have already stepped up their game and started to offer high-speed wifi completely free – even in economy.

Advertiser Disclosure

  • Earn 75,000 Bonus miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
  • Earn 2X miles on everyday spend.
  • Earn 10X miles on hotels and car rentals, and 5x on flights booked on Capital One Travel
  • Receive 10,000 bonus miles every account opening anniversary.
  • Get a $300 credit to use on Capital One Travel each year.
  • Unlimited Access to Capital One Lounges and Priority Pass lounges internationally.
  • $395 annual fee.
Learn More

Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

Leave a Reply

Leave a comment