United States-based carrier, Delta Airlines, has announced that it will offer free Wi-Fi in partnership with T-Mobile to all customers on board most domestic mainline flights from 1st February.
In a statement, the carrier said it would become the first major US airline to offer free Wi-Fi as a core element of its customer experience.
Delta Airlines noted that it would offer the service on more than 700 Viasat-equipped aircraft by the end of 2023.
It also announced plans to offer free Wi-Fi on international and regional routes by the end of 2024.
“At work, at home, and everywhere in between, connectivity is essential to daily life, and your journey on Delta should not be different”, said Delta Chief Executive Officer, Ed Bastian at CES 2023 in Las Vegas.
“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”, he added.
Designed to fuel Delta’s vision of more personalised travel, customers would log in using their Delta SkyMiles account or join SkyMiles on the ground or in the air for free to connect.
The statement added: “At T-Mobile, we believe staying connected while traveling should be an easy, seamless experience”, said Mike Sievert, T-Mobile CEO, adding: “T-Mobile customers already get free in-flight Wi-Fi and now we are partnering with Delta to bring that experience to all customers — regardless of their wireless provider — so that anyone flying Delta can enjoy online access from take-off to touchdown”.
Delta also announced plans to launch Delta Sync Exclusives hub- a new SkyMiles-unlocked mobile platform coming- in spring, aimed at elevating the in-flight connectivity experience with exclusive offers, access, and entertainment.
According to the statement, Delta has long used technology as a tool to further its mission of connecting people and redefining expectations.
Working with engineers from Viasat — the satellite Internet service provider behind the airline’s connectivity revolution, Delta has applied a rigorous approach to testing, learning, and scaling best-in-class in-flight connectivity, with a plan to roll out the new system on more routes at an unprecedented scale by the end of 2024.
It added, “From development to implementation, the scale of the airline’s global operation required a Delta-led team of engineers, developers, designers, product leaders, and technicians working tirelessly to build, install and deploy an ecosystem of technologies fit to unlock the future of travel.
“We didn’t just want free Wi-Fi to offer base-level service, we wanted it to be transformative for the entire onboard experience”, said Bastian.
