American Airlines Just Launched Free Wi-Fi—for a Limited Time Only

Responding to increased demand for more connectivity on board, American Airlines announced today that it would offer passengers free in-flight Wi-Fi through May 25, 2022. The service will be available only on the airline's narrowbody planes equipped with the high-speed satellite internet service Viasat.

When logging on, passengers will be prompted to watch a sponsored advertisement before connecting to the Wi-Fi for an unspecified amount of time. Once connected, passengers will be able to access American Airlines' streaming library of movies and television shows and browse the internet.

The length of the free Wi-Fi session that passengers will have access to has not yet been confirmed. The trial period is meant to drive awareness of the airline's in-flight Wi-Fi offering, which is usually available for purchase.

"We're always evaluating our products and offerings on board to be sure we deliver the best experience for customers throughout their journey," the airline said in a statement.

With the announcement, the airline now joins JetBlue as one of the only U.S airlines offering free in-flight Wi-Fi. Unlike JetBlue, however, American Airlines does not provide seatback in-flight entertainment on most of its narrowbody fleet.

The airline has not released any further indication that it plans to make free onboard Wi-Fi a permanent feature.