American Airlines Free Wi-Fi Review: Real Speed Test Results
I tested American Airlines' new free Wi-Fi on a 787-9 and an Embraer regional jet. Here's how fast it was, how to connect, and how it compares to Starlink.
American Airlines recently rolled out free high-speed Wi-Fi, sponsored by AT&T, across most of its fleet. I finally had the chance to test it on two very different aircraft: a long-haul widebody and a regional jet.
Short version: I was surprised. And not in a bad way.
The Setup
I tested the new free Wi-Fi on two aircraft:
- Boeing 787-9 (widebody)
- Embraer 175 regional jet (the same aircraft type from my DCA–JFK E175 review)
Both flights were fully connected gate-to-gate, which is already a noticeable improvement compared to older systems that only worked above 10,000 feet. Interestingly enough, the free Wi-Fi wasn't announced as available on my short Embraer flight, so it's worth trying even sans crew announcements.
The process to get online was straightforward:
- Connect to the onboard Wi-Fi network
- Go to www.aainflight.com
- Click the Free Wi-Fi banner (on equipped aircraft)
- Log in using your AAdvantage® account
- Watch two short ads
After that, you're connected.
The AT&T sponsorship is clearly branded throughout the process.
The Speeds
I ran Speedtest.net on both flights. This is where I was really blown away.
- 787-9 widebody: 63 Mbps download
- Embraer regional jet: 60 Mbps download
It was legitimately usable internet. Email, browsing, streaming video and more all worked without noticeable lag. I didn't notice any bad passenger behavior as a result of the changes, but it'll be interesting to see if that changes as adoption grows.
How It Compares
What surprised me most was how close it felt to Starlink-equipped aircraft I've flown recently.
In both cases, there was no traffic congestion slowdown on either flight, even with full cabins.
That was positive, after others experienced concerns about bandwidth impact. On both flights, performance held up.
Why This Is a Smart Move by American
From a business perspective, this is clever.
- It drives AAdvantage sign-ups and engagement
- It strengthens the perception of American as competitive on connectivity
- It removes one of the most common inflight complaints
Requiring an AAdvantage login helps grow the loyalty database. Sponsorship from AT&T offsets costs. And passengers get genuinely useful Wi-Fi.
As a marketer myself, I always appreciate a well executed partnership.
My Take
I've tested a lot of inflight Wi-Fi over the years. Most of it falls into one of two categories: expensive and mediocre, or free and unusable.
American's new free Wi-Fi is fast enough to actually work, has been consistent in my recent tests, and simple to access.
I'll keep testing it on future flights, but early impressions are strong.