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Which Airlines Offer Free Inflight Messaging?

Darren Murph
Darren Murph
Senior Strategist/Writer
Darren holds the Guinness World Record as the planet's most prolific professional blogger, a feat he achieved in 2010. He's a seasoned storyteller, instructor and communicator, working across marketing, editorial and public relations for some of the world's most progressive brands. He's an explorer at heart, having traversed nearly 50 countries and all 50 US states. He's flown over one million miles on Delta alone, and takes pride in facilitating unforgettable excursions using points and miles.
March 22, 2019
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2 min read
Delta CRJ900 First Class
Which Airlines Offer Free Inflight Messaging?
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Staying connected to friends and family at cruising altitude used to be a pipe dream. Now, thanks to services such as Gogo and Viasat, having a live internet connection while flying has become the new normal. While JetBlue is the only domestic airline to offer free Wi-Fi, Delta is moving in that direction. In the meantime, a number of carriers do offer free inflight messaging.

Typically this allows you to connect your smartphone to the inflight network, where data-based messaging services like iMessage, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger are granted access at no charge. Below, we'll cover which airlines offer the service, and any notable limitations.

(Photo by Lisa Weatherbee/The Points Guy)

Note that even on airlines where free inflight messaging is offered, you'll need to board an aircraft that has the proper equipment to deliver inflight Wi-Fi. You can learn more by reading our guide to the best US carriers for inflight Wi-Fi.

Airlines offering free inflight messaging:

  • Aeromexico
  • Air France
  • Alaska
  • Alitalia (free for Magnifica or Premium Economy class)
  • American (Viasat-only, and limited to Facebook Messenger)
  • China Eastern (registration required prior to flight)
  • Delta Air Lines
  • Emirates (only the first 20MB are free)
  • Nok Air
  • Norwegian Air
  • Philippine Airlines (free for first 15 minutes or 5MB)
  • Qantas
  • SAS (free in SAS Business, SAS Plus; free in SAS Go for EuroBonus Gold and Diamond members)
  • Saudia
  • Singapore Airlines (Suites, First and Business Class passengers and PPS Club members can enjoy one complimentary Wi-Fi session per flight sector)
  • Southwest
  • TAP Portugal
  • Turkish Airlines (free for business class and Miles & Smiles Elite/Elite Plus passengers)
  • Virgin Australia (free Standard Package on domestic flights)
  • Xiamen Air (registration required prior to flight)

Even if you end up on a carrier that doesn't offer free messaging, a multitude of credit cards enable free inflight Wi-Fi.

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Featured image by Pardon the bother, but are you utilizing this flight to learn something new? (Photo by the author / The Points Guy)