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Delta Air Lines expands free Wi-Fi to transatlantic flights, delays global rollout

Delta Air Lines expands free Wi-Fi to transatlantic flights, delays global rollout
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David Slotnick Senior aviation business reporter | The Points Guy

Delta Air Lines has begun offering free Wi-Fi on all transatlantic flights to and from Europe, West Africa, and Israel. This initiative will allow passengers to connect to the internet by logging into their SkyMiles account. Exclusions apply to flights servicing Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa. Delta also plans to expand free Wi-Fi to international routes to South America later this spring.

An upgrade in Wi-Fi services is underway stateside as Delta replaces its older air-to-ground system with improved connectivity, including new installations on regional jets with Hughes antennas. The first upgraded CRJ-700 aircraft has already been retrofitted. The airline's Boeing 717 mainline fleet will also be equipped with a dual-network connection solution, with full completion expected early next year due to delays.

Delta is also equipping its imminent Airbus A350-1000 and Airbus A321neo deliveries with dual-network connectivity. Despite these advancements, transpacific flights and South African services remain without free Wi-Fi. Initially, Delta planned to complete the free Wi-Fi rollout by the end of 2024, but this has been postponed to 2026 at the earliest, leaving some travelers reliant on paid, less reliable services.

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Meanwhile, United Airlines is catching up by installing free Starlink Wi-Fi across its fleet, a system that may outperform Delta's existing Viasat service. United has only begun rolling this out but has pledged a rapid installation timeline, aligning with JetBlue's established reputation as the leader in offering free Wi-Fi on all flights.

Cost-effective and improved connectivity is the trend in onboard internet services, though the complete implementation by Delta is still pending.

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