Delta’s Free Wi-Fi Is Nearly Everywhere, Just Not on the Fast Network

Delta Air Lines has nearly finished putting free Wi-Fi on its planes. The airline’s rollout has reached about 95% of its fleet, roughly 1,300 aircraft, nearly three years after it first offered free connectivity to loyalty members in early 2023. Most major US carriers have since adopted similar policies, and Southwest, Alaska and United plan to offer free service to loyalty members as well.

The catch is speed. Delta has not equipped its aircraft with Starlink, the satellite service generally seen as the fastest option in the air. United has installed it on about 43% of its jets according to its own tracker, Alaska is roughly 40% done, and Southwest expects to equip its entire fleet ahead of both.

Delta’s near-term answer is a new Viasat satellite service. It is switching planes over now, with North and South American flights expected to finish by Thanksgiving, and regional jets and Boeing 717s are being upgraded too. Longer term, Delta has signed with Amazon Leo, a Starlink-like service that is still unproven and will not show up on Delta planes until 2028.

Delta’s chief marketing and product officer argues that its coverage across regional jets and long-haul aircraft is unique, and that the network is a strong foundation for future upgrades. Whether that argument holds depends on how flyers weigh coverage against raw speed. For the next few years, the airline with the fastest Wi-Fi and the airline with the most widely available free Wi-Fi may not be the same one.

Sources: The Points Guy, View from the Wing