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T-Mobile adds United Airlines to its free inflight internet lineup
Zach Griff
Senior reporter
Zach Griff is a senior reporter at TPG. He writes travel and product reviews, deep dives into loyalty programs, news about the airline industry and more.
Sept. 23, 2022
•
3 min read
T-Mobile adds United Airlines to its free inflight internet lineup
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Free inflight Wi-Fi is now a reality on United Airlines — for some lucky flyers.
The Chicago-based carrier announced in conjunction with T-Mobile that eligible subscribers would now receive free internet access on United flights.
T-Mobile subscribers who have the Magenta or Magenta MAX plan will now have access to Wi-Fi on United. The former plan includes four full-flight passes each year, with one hour of internet access available on all other flights. Meanwhile, Magenta MAX subscribers receive unlimited free inflight Wi-Fi all year long.
The complimentary internet access includes streaming capabilities on eligible aircraft. At the outset, the United and T-Mobile partnership will only cover jets equipped with Viasat or Thales InFlyt Wi-Fi service on both domestic and short-haul international routes.
This includes the:
- Entire Boeing 737 fleet, including the MAX 8 and MAX 9.
- Select Boeing 757-300s.
- Select A319s.
In addition to Viasat and Thales, United partners with Panasonic and Gogo to provide internet access across the remainder of its narrowbody fleet, as well as its long-haul and regional jets.
The latter two providers will not be covered under the initial partnership, though a teaser on the United website says that "if you’re an eligible T-Mobile customer, starting this fall you’ll get free inflight Wi-Fi on all United domestic and international flights."
United is the latest carrier to join the lineup of airlines offering free Wi-Fi to T-Mobile subscribers. Select American, Alaska and Delta flights are also equipped with a free Wi-Fi option for T-Mobile customers.
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T-Mobile is a popular wireless carrier for frequent flyers. In addition to free inflight Wi-Fi, many plans include a generous allowance of high-speed international data roaming. Once you've gone through your allotment of 5G data, you'll enjoy unlimited throttled internet access when roaming.
That's in stark contrast to the two other major U.S. cellular providers, AT&T and Verizon, both of which charge users $10 a day to roam internationally and use data abroad.
Adding T-Mobile is the latest improvement that United has brought to its inflight internet service. The carrier recently debuted revamped pricing for everyone else.
Connectivity on all domestic and short-haul international flights now costs a flat $8 per device. Internet access on long-haul flights continues to range in price depending on the duration of the flight. I recently paid $23.99 for Wi-Fi from Brussels to Newark and $16.99 for a flight from Newark to Nice.
United also recently renamed its Wi-Fi network name to Unitedwifi.com. The airline also redesigned the splash page for its Wi-Fi network, making it even easier for first-timers to connect to the network.
While T-Mobile subscribers are the big winners in Friday's announcement, hopefully, United will commit to offering free Wi-Fi to all passengers in the future. That's something Delta's planning to roll out and an amenity that JetBlue has long offered.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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Best for dining at restaurants
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Go to reviewCard Rating is based on the opinion of TPG‘s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | 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. |
| 4X | 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. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.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.