American Airlines is updating the way passengers connect to inflight Wi-Fi services, including new ways to pay. The carrier will enable access via its AAdvantage loyalty program and an ad-supported model across the bulk of its mainline fleet.
In neither case, however, will passengers have access to full flight free Wi-Fi on board. The decision to continue with a paid approach to inflight internet appears unlikely to change any time soon.
AAdvantage gets in the Wi-Fi game
Beginning over the next few weeks American will roll out the ability to pay for inflight internet using points from the AAdvantage program. The option is expected to be available on all Viasat-equipped narrowbody planes by the time peak summer travel picks up. The company is pitching this enhancement as part of its “commitment that travel is better as an AAdvantage® member.” At least in this case the changes don’t seem to come with any negative impact for non-AAdvantage members, unlike the January announcement of program changes.
A free Wi-Fi option on board American, too
American also will formally implement a long-standing program allowing access on its Viasat-equipped single aisle planes by watching an ad rather than paying for the service:
Customers looking for a free Wi-Fi option can enjoy ad-sponsored Wi-Fi across 100% of American’s Viasat domestic narrowbody aircraft.
Not mentioned in the announcement, however, the ad-sponsored access remains a time-limited session on board. For those who just need to send a quick message or check in on something it is still better than paying for access. But not by much.
Bucking the loyalty trend
Tying access on board to loyalty is hardly a new concept. Many airlines have offered a pay with points option in the past. These days, however, most announcements related to loyalty and inflight internet access are tied to some sort of complimentary option, not just another way to pay. American clearly sees the market differently here.
The moves are tied to the launch of a new capture portal offering on board. The airline offers an interesting description of that change in the release:
The new Wi-Fi portal design will further enhance the customer experience by making Wi-Fi offerings even more accessible for customers with a user-friendly Wi-Fi purchase process with fewer clicks and effective direct-to-customer communication through strategic pop-up messaging. The portal will also make content easier to navigate through a sleeker design, providing an aesthetically pleasing experience that highlights American’s Wi-Fi, entertainment and partner offers on a single page.
Most travelers are unlikely to consider “strategic pop-up messaging” a passenger experience improvement, but one has to respect American for trying to push that idea through.
The new portal should help enable a consistent experience for passengers as the new regional jet satellite connectivity from Intelsat rolls out, expected to start later this year. The carrier did not, however, mention its Intelsat 2Ku or Panasonic Avionics-equipped planes as part of the plans for the portal, so a truly consistent experience might not be in the cards for some time yet.
Some other, recent programs linking loyalty to (free) inflight WiFi services:
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