Those who like to fly American Airlines will soon get a long-awaited new perk. Starting in January 2026, the airline will offer free Wi-Fi to AAdvantage members courtesy of high-speed satellite connections. Touting the freebie in a news release published Tuesday, American explained how it would work.

You'll need to become an AAdvantage member to snag the complimentary Wi-Fi. Completely free to join, the AAdvantage program rewards frequent flyers with miles and loyalty points that you can redeem to help pay for future flights. The program also offers a credit card that you can use for any type of purchase to rack up even more miles.

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Sponsored by AT&T, the free Wi-Fi will be available onboard all planes equipped with Viasat and Intelsat high-speed satellite connectivity. The airline said such planes currently account for around 90% of its existing fleet. Further, more than 500 regional planes will adopt high-speed Wi-Fi access by the end of the year, just in time for January's official launch.

American already launched a limited-time complimentary Wi-Fi test on certain routes. This test helped the airline measure the service's performance, which the airline said surpassed expectations.

"Our customers greatly value staying connected while in the air, whether communicating with friends, getting work done, checking in on social media, or streaming their favorite subscription services," Heather Garboden, chief customer officer for American Airlines, said in the release. "We've been working diligently to outfit our aircraft with best-in-class high-speed Wi-Fi and, together with AT&T, are proud to offer those services at no cost to our most loyal customers."

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This is welcome news for me as someone who often flies American Airlines. I typically lug my laptop with me as I take to the skies, hoping to get in some work. That's especially true on long international flights where I may be airborne for anywhere from 7 to 12 hours. In the past, I had to pay for Wi-Fi access if I needed to get online, essentially obligating me to use it the entire trip. But as of January, I'll be able to freely and quickly tap into it whenever and wherever I want.

American's move comes as more airlines are offering free Wi-Fi as a perk to busy travelers. In 2017, JetBlue became the first US airline to provide free satellite Wi-Fi on all its planes. About two years ago, Delta Air Lines kicked off complimentary Wi-Fi for any passenger with a SkyMiles account. Last September, United Airlines announced it would start rolling out free, high-speed Wi-Fi this year.

The type of satellite service naturally plays a role in the speed and reliability of the Wi-Fi connection. A service like Starlink, which is used by United Airlines, consists of a series of satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO). Traveling around 342 miles above the planet's surface, these offer faster speeds and lower latency for the signal.

Also: High-speed Starlink internet rollout on United Airlines planes begins - and it's free

In contrast, the Viasat and Intelsat combination used by American works a bit differently. Viasat consists of Ka-band satellites in geostationary orbit (GEO) positioned around 22,236 miles up, offering coverage over larger areas. Intelsat uses both geostationary and low-Earth-orbit satellites in a multi-orbit approach that aims to provide the best of both worlds.

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