For six weeks, Wi-Fi on select American Airlines flights will be complimentary.

In exchange for watching an ad, fliers will receive 15 or 30 minutes of complimentary Wi-Fi.

I f you’re flying on an American Airlines flight between now and May 25, the flight attendant’s welcome address might be a little different. Beyond pointing out the exit doors and modeling how to use a flotation device, airline employees on certain flights will explain how passengers can score some free Wi-Fi.

In exchange for watching an advertisement, fliers on most American Airlines’ domestic flights will receive either 15 or 30 minutes of free internet service (depending on the length of the flight). It’s part of a trial for the U.S.-based airline to see how customers will use the service. 

“The trial will also drive awareness for the inflight portal, aainflight.com, and help American better understand what inflight experiences are most meaningful to customers,” an American Airlines spokesperson told AFAR. The inflight port is where passengers will watch the ad and then access the complimentary Wi-Fi. It’s also where they can watch free movies and shows, view the flight tracker, and purchase more Wi-Fi when the allotted time runs out. 

The free service is being made available on all narrow-body aircraft equipped with Wi-Fi from the telecommunications company Viasat (basically all of American’s Boeing 737s, Airbus 321s, and select A319s), which is more than 80 percent of American’s fleet. 

Normally, the cheapest rate for Wi-Fi on American flights is  $10  for an entire flight. The most expensive is $35 for international flights (frequent fliers could also opt for the $50 per month plan, but it only works within the United States, Mexico, and Canada). The cost varies by provider (beyond Viasat, American also occasionally works with internet companies Gogo and Panasonic), Wi-Fi session, and flight length.

Across the board, Wi-Fi on domestic flights has gotten cheaper. Delta has rolled out a flat  $5 Wi-Fi fee  within the last year, regardless of the destination.  United Airlines ,  Alaska Airlines , and  Southwest Airlines  also announced $8 Wi-Fi on most domestic and short-haul international flights.    

JetBlue Airways is currently the only airline within the United States to offer free Wi-Fi on every flight. But it only has about  4 percent  of the U.S. flight market share, whereas Delta Air Lines has 16 percent, American Airlines has 15 percent, and United has 11 percent. 

Delta ran a two-week trial in May 2019, where it offered free Wi-Fi on 55 daily domestic flights. 

Skift, a travel industry news site,  quoted Delta CEO Ed Bastian  shortly after the 2019 trial, saying that while Gogo, Delta’s Wi-Fi provider, had improved the quality of inflight Wi-Fi, it couldn’t yet get up to the speeds needed to support heavy usage from passengers.

American has not yet said what it intends to do regarding Wi-Fi availability following the trial.

>>Next: Here’s What You Should Know About Using Wi-Fi While Traveling 

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