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Here Are the American Airlines Aircraft With Wi-Fi — And When the Others Will Get It

May 15, 2018
•
3 min read
Man using laptop in airplane
Here Are the American Airlines Aircraft With Wi-Fi — And When the Others Will Get It
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American Airlines is in the midst of a massive multi-year "fleet transformation" process. If you haven't flown on American Airlines in a few years, you might be surprised at the changes. Some of these changes are good — such as no more angle-flat business class seats, excellent new business class seats and new premium economy cabins being installed on all widebody aircraft. Others changes are bad: removing IFE screens, smaller bathrooms in economy and reduced legroom in economy.

If you notice, that's improvements in premium cabins and reductions in economy. American Airlines is planning to spend $1.8 billion in 2018 to continue this trend. But, there's one aspect that's been a definite improvement for all cabins: Wi-Fi.

American Airlines Wi-Fi situation was pretty bleak up until recently. While its newest long-haul aircraft came with Panasonic satellite-based Wi-Fi, the domestic fleet either had no Wi-Fi or woefully slow Gogo connections. And older long-haul aircraft provided no connection options.

Well, AA has hit a new milestone in its transformation: All of its widebody aircraft now have Panasonic Wi-Fi installed. This includes the entire fleet of:

The only international-configured aircraft that hasn't been fully installed with Wi-Fi is the Boeing 757. An American Airlines spokesperson confirmed the 757s "will be done by the end of the month."

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Whether these internationally-configured aircraft are flying the 16+hour Dallas to Hong Kong flight or on a domestic route, the pricing is always set to be the same:

Unfortunately, the domestic fleet is a whole different story. American Airlines is in the process of installing high-speed internet (either ViaSat or Gogo 2Ku) on the vast majority of its narrowbody fleet. But, as of March 31 2018, the airline is only 13% done with this project:

Image courtesy of American Airlines / Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2018 Transportation Conference on May 15, 2018.

However, it's going to be a relatively short time before American Airlines turns this stat around. The airline's estimated competition date is "2Q19" — meaning by June 30, 2019. Considering AA has nearly 800 narrowbody aircraft, that's going to be a remarkably quick installation rate. However, an airline spokesperson noted that this doesn't count "aircraft that will never receive satellite wifi, such as MD-80s which are due to retire by the end of 2019."

In the meantime, there's not going to be much rhyme or reason to which aircraft have high-speed internet. The only thing for sure is that the 737 MAX aircraft will have ViaSat installed. While there's not much to like about AA's new 737 MAX, at least it does have fast Wi-Fi:

Featured image by Getty Images/Hero Images

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Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees
Best for dining at restaurants

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  • Intro Offer

    As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.

  • Annual Fee

    $325

  • Recommended Credit

    Excellent to Good

Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.