Delta Air Lines has reached a milestone in rolling out free inflight Internet across its fleet.
On Monday, the Atlanta-based airline announced it had finished upgrading Wi-Fi systems on its 1,000th aircraft.
It is a milestone in the Delta years They plan to make Wi-Fi on board free for all travelers – a change that since then become a major trend in the airline industry.
As of this week, about three out of four Delta planes now have free Wi-Fi available to all passengers, as long as they have one. Delta Sky Miles number.
It has been an important task for the airline.
Delta had to upgrade all of its Wi-Fi technology to support the increased number of passengers it expected to access Internet service once usage fees disappeared.
Starting today, complimentary Wi-Fi is available to Delta SkyMiles members on most of the airline’s domestic and international long-haul flights.
That includes almost all of its largest planes: Delta has finished upgrading Wi-Fi technology on its Boeing 737, 757 and 767 planes, along with its Airbus A220, A320 family of planes and A330s.
This week, maintenance teams were wrapping up installation of its A350 fleet.
Reward your inbox with TPG’s daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers to receive breaking news, in-depth guides, and exclusive offers from TPG experts.
Still to come: Delta’s smaller planes.
The airline is about a third of the way to equipping its Delta Connection regional fleet with the enhanced Wi-Fi equipment, the airline told TPG this week.
Meanwhile, the airline is still waiting for certification for enhanced Wi-Fi for its smallest mainline aircraft: the Boeing 717.
Delta said it expects its entire global fleet to be equipped with free, faster Wi-Fi sometime in 2026.
Most (but not all) routes now have connectivity
Even though most Delta planes are configured to freely surf the Internet, travelers may still encounter some “dead” zones while in the air on certain long-haul trips.
Specifically, travelers may experience connectivity issues in the Pacific Ocean, especially the South Pacific, so expect to be without internet for long periods if flying to Asia or Australia.
Delta hopes to have the entire world connected “soon,” pending additional satellite launches from its provider (Viasat).
On the other hand, customers should be able to have uninterrupted connectivity on all flights to Europe, Africa and South America, the airline told TPG. The same goes for all domestic flights, including those to Alaska and Hawaii.
An industry-wide march toward free Wi-Fi
Delta He first announced his plans make inflight Wi-Fi free for Delta SkyMiles members in January 2023.
Since then, all of its major American competitors have followed in its footsteps.
Earlier this year, United Airlines launched its first service with complimentary Starlink Wi-Fi for United Mileage Plus members, now available on more than half of their regional aircraft and some major airliners.
Best Airlines Report 2025: Delta tops TPG rankings for seventh consecutive year
In October, Southwest Airlines made its Wi-Fi free for Southwest Rapid Rewards membersand American airlines will do the same with its American Airlines AAdvantage members next month.
Alaska Airlines has also announced plans to add free Starlink to its planescoinciding with sister airline Hawaiian Airlines.
JetBlue has long been the outlier, having offered its free “Fly-Fi” service for years.
Related: Which airlines offer free Wi-Fi? A complete guide
Approaching the finish line
For its part, Delta initially hoped to have its planes updated with free Wi-Fi by the end of 2024.
But after some delays, the airline appears to be nearing the finish line, with 1,000 planes online and about 300 more to arrive.
Whether it’s New high-tech seatback screens. or free (and fully functional) Wi-Fi, Delta hopes passengers will increasingly be able to multitask on a flight—watch a movie and get around—just as they would on their couch.
“When you’re at home, you watch TV and then you check things on your phone,” said Joseph Eddy, Delta’s director of cabins and inflight entertainment and connectivity. “We are rapidly approaching a multi-device consumption approach at the same time.”
Related reading:
