Delta has continued to roll out fast WIFI across its fleet, according to Travel Weekly. From May 13th, WIFI should be available across 55 routes in the Delta Network, as the airline trials the concept for two weeks. And best of all, it will be completely free.
"Customers are accustomed to having access to free WiFi during nearly every other aspect of their journey, and Delta believes it should be free when flying, too, Testing will be key to getting this highly complex program right – this takes a lot more creativity, investment and planning to bring to life than a simple flip of a switch." - Delta’s head of onboard product, Ekrem Dimbiloglu, wrote in a press release.
What routes will it be available on?
Delta will be testing the WIFI on 55 domestic routes each day across their entire US mainland network, from the 13th of May this year. It will be available in all classes, from coach up to first class.
Previously, passengers could expect to pay more than $20 per flight for WIFI on board, but this move to make the WIFI free has put rival JetBlue (who also offers complimentary WIFI) squarely in Delta's sights.
They have been quick to point out that the WIFI won't have the bandwidth yet to support streaming (sorry, no Netflix) but will allow passengers to use social media, send emails, browse the net and read articles on Simpleflying.com
Currently, passengers can only access mobile networks through onboard transmitters. It does not allow phone calls, but they can send text messages.
Delta plans to see how this works, stress test their system and understand what customers think before rolling out the free WIFI permanently across their fleet.
"As with any test in uncharted territory, Delta will rely heavily on customer and employee feedback to navigate how to best make free in-flight Wi-Fi a reality," Dimbiloglu continued. “Testing will be key to getting this highly complex program right,”
The WIFI onboard their aircraft has not yet been completely rolled out, with some smaller fleet aircraft still missing the essential technology.
How do I know if I have Delta's free onboard WIFI?
As part of the test, Delta will be switching up which aircraft and which routes have the free WIFI each day. So of 4,804 Delta flights per day, there is approximately a 1.14% chance you will be on one.
Passengers who have been selected for the trial will receive a notification (either through the Delta app or an email) informing them of the trial.
You simply log onto the app and click connect, no need to pay.
Hopefully, this step will make the other carriers, United and American Airlines follow and give free wifi.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments.