Wordle without having to pay for WiFi at 20,000 feet? Sounds pretty great.
Delta announcedat CES it is moving to free WiFi for all SkyMiles frequent-flier program members on about 700 of its planes, or about 80 percent of its fleet. The service, which will be available on domestic flights at first, is in partnership with T-Mobile.
Prime Day deals you can shop right now
Products available for purchase here through affiliate links are selected by our merchandising team. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission.
Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Gen With MagSafe USB-C Charging Case—$199.00(List Price $249.00)
Eero 6 Dual-Band Mesh Wi-Fi 6 System (Router + 2 Extenders)—$149.99(List Price $199.99)
Apple Watch Series 9 (GPS, 41mm, Midnight, S/M, Sports Band)—$299.00(List Price $399.00)
It will be available on international and regional flights by the end of 2024.
The airline industry is still lagging behind in offering free WiFi on planes. JetBluehas offered the service since 2017, while Hawaiian Airlines announced plans to add Starlink WiFi to its planes last year, according to CNBC.
Mashable Light SpeedWant more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories?Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter.By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Thanks for signing up!SEE ALSO:How to stay safe on public WiFi
Other airlines are continuing to charge for the service, however. A United Airlines day pass costs $8 for frequent fliers and $10 for non-members, while American Airlines’ service starts at $10. Southwest also charges $8 for a WiFi day pass.
Delta is offering free WiFi using Viasat equipment and is rolling out the service through the month. According to a release, the airline currently has the free service on 757-200 and 737-900 planes.
Delta tested free WiFi back in 2019
Delta had tested free WiFi in 2019, trying the service on 55 flights. On those flights, customers were asked for their feedback.
The biggest question at the time was whether the free system would be able to handle the traffic. According to the Wall Street Journal, studies have shown that, compared to paid WiFi on airplanes, in-flight WiFi use soars when it's free. Delta’s Viasat-based free WiFi may have solved that issue.
The airline is also continuing to use Intelsat for non-SkyMiles members who will pay for WiFi. SkyMiles is free to join.
喜欢
讨厌