Staying connected when flying with American Airlines is about to get a little bit easier.
The Fort Worth-based carrier on Wednesday unveiled a few updates to its onboard Wi-Fi service, including the ability to redeem AAdvantage miles for internet packages.
This new mileage redemption option will officially debut in the coming weeks on select aircraft. After a short beta period, nearly all of the airline's domestic aircraft will offer this feature.
The rollout for domestic flights is expected to be completed by the start of the summer travel season. Note that this redemption option will only be available on aircraft equipped with Viasat connectivity, which includes all Boeing 737 and select Airbus A319 aircraft.
American first announced that AAdvantage members could redeem miles for Wi-Fi in late February as part of a larger announcement around enhanced benefits for AAdvantage members.
It wasn't immediately clear how American plans to price its Wi-Fi packages in miles, and a carrier spokesperson declined to share more details.
United Airlines has long offered the ability to redeem MileagePlus miles for Wi-Fi service. The redemption rate typically falls below TPG's valuation of 1.4 cents per MileagePlus mile. So, I typically purchase United Wi-Fi with my cobranded credit card and save my miles for flight awards.
To power American's new service, the carrier will also roll out a new landing page at aainflight.com on board its jets. This updated landing page has started to pop up on select flights in recent days as the carrier tests the new service.
Expect a new design, as well as the ability to log in to your AAdvantage account for mileage redemptions, on this new landing page.
Though American is making Wi-Fi more accessible with a new mileage redemption option, the carrier is stopping short of lowering its Wi-Fi pricing or making it free altogether, as Delta Air Lines and JetBlue have done.
American consistently offers the most expensive Wi-Fi plans of all the major U.S. airlines, charging as much as $35 on a flight from New York to Los Angeles. (On the same route, Alaska Airlines and United charge $8; Delta and JetBlue offer connectivity for free.)
That said, American is rolling out a limited free Wi-Fi offering for all Viasat-equipped flights. This timed service will be available for 20 minutes in exchange for watching a 15- or 30-second ad.
This free, ad-supported Wi-Fi option was first rolled out in 2022, but it's historically been only available on select flights. It'll now be active across 100% of American's Viasat domestic narrow-body fleet. Just note that you can only get one free Wi-Fi package per device per flight.
If you're looking to save on inflight connectivity, be sure to check out our
The website maxtravelz.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
Qantas Frequent Flyer has announced a new option to redeem Qantas points for seats across its network. Named "Classic Plus Rewards," this dynamically priced redemption tier expands the Frequent Flyer program as it now offers customers access to 20 million reward seats annually. This option is in addition to Qantas' already existing "Classic Flight Rewards," which only offers 5 million award seats annually.
The Riviera Maya in Mexico has long been an unquestionable destination favorite, lined with dozens of beachfront resorts and a lively nightlife scene. But travelers yearning for a more laidback, bohemian vibe can now fly further south into Tulum’s brand-new Felipe Carrilo Puerto International Airport (TQO), which welcomed its first-ever international flights just last week.
Ruby Rebel is the airline’s newest Airbus A330neo named in honour of Sir Richard Branson. Aircraft will feature brand new flying icon with registration G-VSRB.
A travel day can mean lots of sitting around either waiting for a flight or on board, but it can also mean getting your steps in while having to trek across long airport corridors. And that’s especially true at some larger airport hubs.
Las Vegas has secured a new low-cost, long-haul transatlantic link. The service, which will connect the Nevada city with London, is due to start on September 12.
If you've ever dreamed of traveling to New Zealand, with its spectacular landscapes, stunning national parks and natural wonders like Milford Sound, there is excellent award availability using Star Alliance miles in April. Best of all, you can travel nonstop in business class from the West Coast.
This week, US airlines are launching their first nonstop flights to the new Tulum airport—meaning it's about to get a lot easier for Americans to visit the ever-popular Riviera Maya destination on Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula.