As someone who cherishes every moment of connectivity, whether on the ground or at 34,000ft, the announcement that American Airlines High-Speed Wi-Fi is to be rolled out across nearly 500 regional aircraft is good news for productivity on the go.
American Airlines High-Speed Wi-Fi
American Airlines plans to extend its High-Speed Wi-Fi product to nearly 500 dual-class regional aircraft. This is a considerable increase given AA offers this service on 900 aircraft already within its entire fleet.
Earlier this year, American became the first airline to offer streaming capabilities across its entire mainline fleet. I can personally vouch for the joy of diving into my favourite streaming platforms, seamlessly picking up where I left off on the ground – all thanks to American and their expanded relationship with Intelsat.
Over the next couple of years, American’s mission is clear: to make every flight a connected one. The introduction of high-speed Wi-Fi on regional aircraft ensures our flights are more than just travel time – they’re productive, entertaining, and connected experiences.
With over 900 mainline aircraft offering high-speed Wi-Fi, American’s vision is to increase this number to 1,400 post-updates to their regional fleet.
Connected In-Flight Experience
Intelsat’s Electronically Steered Array (ESA) antennae are at the heart of this upgrade project. It’s multi-orbit, working across both geostationary and Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites to deliver low latency, high-speed internet.
American’s commitment to this technology is an investment in its passenger offering. They’re ensuring that our digital world travels seamlessly and speedily, whether we’re streaming, browsing, checking emails, or logging onto VPNs mid-flight.
I needed to be online and use a VPN on a recent Virgin Atlantic flight between London Heathrow and Austin, Texas. VA charged me $35/£29 for its top package, which included VPN access.
Useless is an understatement of the connectivity I experienced. The VPN didn’t stand a chance as browser-only access struggled to open any pages.
I’ve found the connections in my recent American flights to have been more reliable, and with the promise of 1400 aircraft soon to boast the new high speeds, they’re keeping us connected to our lives, our work, and our passions, even when we’re miles above the earth.
Over the next two years, regional aircraft will match the Wi-Fi speeds of American’s mainline aircraft, ensuring a better and faster connection across its fleet.
