American Airlines has announced a trial of free Wi-Fi on select routes and back, aiming to evaluate customer usage and satisfaction while responding to competitive pressures. The Fort Worth, Texas-based airline confirmed that the test will begin next week, covering three routes: Charlotte to Raleigh, North Carolina; Miami to Chicago; and Charlotte to Jacksonville, Florida.
“Through this test, we’ll be assessing customer take rates for inflight Wi- Fi, evaluating our provider and aircraft capacity, and – perhaps most important – measuring the impact to customer satisfaction via NPS scores,” an internal memo said.
The duration of the test remains unspecified. American Airlines aims to determine its technical capability for a broader rollout of free Wi-Fi by monitoring bandwidth consumption during this trial.
“With the creation of our new Customer Experience organization led by Chief Customer Officer Heather Garboden, American Airlines is more committed than ever to enhancing every aspect of our customers’ travel journey,” a statement from American shared with TPG reads. “Staying connected in the skies is critical to today’s passengers and through this limited-time complimentary Wi- Fi test, we are exploring opportunities to build upon our high-speed Wi-Fi offerings to stay competitive in the industry and give our customers what we know they want. “
American Airlines has been slow compared to other carriers in offering free or discounted Wi-Fi despite having most of its fleet equipped with streaming- capable technology. Currently, flight passes often cost over $20.
In fairness, American has trialed time-limited ad-sponsored Wi-Fi passes in the past though these were usually restricted to short periods of browsing. In 2017, American promised that free messaging would be coming “soon,” but this service has yet to materialize.
Delta Air Lines was the first among the “Big Three” U.S. airlines — American, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines –to offer free messaging services allowing flyers access apps such as iMessage and WhatsApp without purchasing full Wi- Fi passes. Following Delta’s lead Southwest Airlines and United also introduced similar services despite their fleets being outfitted with slower infrastructure than American’s.
While JetBlue already offers free internet access onboard Alaska Airlines Southwest United provide $8 passes on many flights United plans make connectivity free once Starlink implemented
American’s infrastructure supported by Viasat satellites theoretically capable supporting service if sufficient bandwidth available via provider’s third-generation satellite constellation Even so passengers should prepare personal entertainment devices since seatback screens not provided domestic flights
