Delta to Offer Complimentary In-Flight Wi-Fi to All SkyMiles Members

Delta Air Lines is eager to reward your loyalty, as evidenced by its rollout of various exclusive perks for members of the airline's mileage program, Delta SkyMiles. Among these new benefits, the standout is free Wi-Fi, which will be available to SkyMiles members on most domestic flights (with some exceptions for shorter regional routes) starting February 1. This places Delta in the same category as JetBlue Airways in terms of providing widespread free in-flight Wi-Fi for travelers.

While several other airlines have been experimenting with free Wi-Fi—American Airlines recently conducted a trial, and Hawaiian Airlines plans to introduce free high-speed satellite Wi-Fi on select transpacific flights later in 2023—until now, JetBlue has been the only U.S. airline to offer complimentary Wi-Fi on all flights.

Although Delta's free Wi-Fi will be exclusive to SkyMiles members, there are no minimum mileage requirements to enjoy this benefit. Essentially, anyone can sign up for a SkyMiles account to gain access to the free connectivity, which will be provided through a partnership with T-Mobile, and is expected to be available on most international flights by mid-2024, according to Delta.

This complimentary Wi-Fi initiative is part of a new program called Delta Sync, which was introduced by Delta at the CES technology conference in Las Vegas on Thursday.

“Delta Sync transforms the Delta SkyMiles membership experience, allowing for a personalized journey that becomes increasingly rewarding with each trip,” stated CEO Ed Bastian during his keynote at CES. “Travel in the future will blend your digital and physical experiences into one seamless, inviting, and personal adventure.”

Once Delta SkyMiles members log into their devices using the free Wi-Fi, they can access a range of exclusive in-flight entertainment and experience hubs, including:

• Paramount+ for streaming TV shows and movies
• New York Times games (perfect for Wordle and crossword enthusiasts)
• Atlas Obscura for travel insights and inspiration
• Resy for dining recommendations
• American Express promotions

In the future, these hubs will be accessible whether customers log in on their personal devices or use the screens at their seats.

Looking ahead (with some features launching as soon as this summer), the Delta Sync on-demand system will enable First Class passengers to order food and drinks directly from their screens, along with offering SkyMiles members a new trip planner feature and real-time seatback flight alerts, among other tailored content options.