Delta Air Lines has set itself apart by offering a complimentary Wi-Fi option to its passengers, which is a rare offering in the airline industry. Passengers can access free Wi-Fi on flights equipped with Viasat, provided they’re members of the Delta SkyMiles program. However, a drawback was the uncertainty of whether a particular flight would offer Viasat Wi-Fi or not. Meanwhile, Delta flights that continue to use GoGo Wi-Fi still require passengers to pay for internet access.
Delta’s been actively updating its fleet to feature Viasat, but a substantial number of planes are still equipped with GoGo service. To address this issue, Delta has introduced a new feature to its flight search page: a banner that informs passengers about which flights will offer free Wi-Fi. This allows passengers to make informed decisions when booking their flights.
We are on a journey to bring fast, free Wi-Fi to every flight. While we transition our aircraft to the equipment necessary to support free Wi-Fi, there are some flights that still require payment to access Wi-Fi.
Fast, free Wi-Fi is available on the majority of domestic U.S. flights and global routes will be coming by the end of 2024, with the remaining routes available in early 2025. For our current Wi-Fi availability per region, please review our Wi-Fi Coverage Map., Go to footer note
To learn if you are on a flight equipped with free Wi-Fi, the Customer Support section above includes the specific service offered on our aircraft, there will be a “fast-streaming Wi-Fi” badge on search results for delta.com bookings, it will be referenced in pre-flight emails, within Fly Delta app notifications, there will be a “Fast, Free Wi-Fi for SkyMiles Members” decal will be located near the boarding door on your plane or you can ask a Flight Attendant.
When searching for flights to Austin, TX, I saw that the non-stop flights all offered free Wi-Fi.
However, several of the flights with connecting service through Atlanta did not show free Wi-Fi. Digging deeper, I found that some of the ATL-AUS flights still do not offer free Wi-Fi.
I searched for flights with the Delta iPhone App, and there was also a banner for flights with free Wi-Fi.
Final Thought
Until Delta updates the entire fleet to the Viasat service, it’s nice that they’re showing which flights are scheduled to have free Wi-Fi service before booking. There’s no guarantee that the plane won’t change from the time between when you book your ticket until your flight, but since aircraft swaps tend to be between the same plane type, you’ll probably (although not definitely) still have the same Wi-Fi service.
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