Delta has announced plans to rollout free inflight wifi to all passengers by the end of 2024.
A new partnership with T-Mobile will see free wifi provision offered on most domestic mainline aircraft from February, with a rollout to international and regional aircraft by the end of 2024. More than 700 Viasat-equipped aircraft will offer the service by the end of this year.
Delta said that it would become the first major US airline to offer free wifi “as a core element of its customer experience”.
Customers will need to log-on using a Delta Skymiles account to access the free wifi, as part of a wider rollout of the carrier’s Delta Sync initiative.
In 2021 Delta announced plans for faster, personalised inflight wifi, with a new portal integrating inflight wifi with “other day-of-travel features”.
This has morphed into Delta Sync, a mobile platform unveiled at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and launching this spring.
A press releases states that “Delta Sync is underpinned by Skymiles membership and catalyzed through free wifi to deliver personalized and exclusive in-flight entertainment, more ways to enjoy your favourite onboard food and beverage, and exclusive partnerships with top consumer brands coming this year”.
As part of this the Delta Sync Exclusive Hub will also launch later this year, with “offers, access and entertainment from beloved brands that are mainstays of everyday life”.
The carrier also said that Delta Skymiles members will be able to enjoy exclusive in-flight access to premium entertainment from Paramount +, as well as new destination guides from Atlas Obscura.
Commenting on the news Delta CEO Ed Bastian, said:
“At work, at home and everywhere in between, connectivity is essential to daily life, and your journey on Delta should be no different.
“Our vision has long been to deliver an experience at 30,000 feet that feels similar to what our customers have available on the ground.”
“We didn’t just want free wifi to offer base-level service – we wanted it to be transformative for the entire onboard experience.
“It is imperative all customers onboard can enjoy their favourite content just as they would at home, and we’ve put this system through meticulous tests to make that possible.”
