Wi-Fi is generally considered a luxury on board an airplane. Many airlines offer limited amounts for free, but for more, passengers have to pay. Delta, however, is doing things differently.
Starting in April, all passengers on a Delta transatlantic flight to Europe, Israel, and West Africa will have access to free Wi-Fi. This includes connectivity throughout the entire flight, even during takeoff and landing. The service is provided by T-Mobile, according to the US airline’s press release.
Later this spring, Delta expects to offer this upgrade on routes to South America as well. Additionally, domestic flights are expected to have good connectivity. The small CRJ-700 is already connected, and even the older Boeing 717s will eventually have Wi-Fi on board. For this, Delta is applying a solution that has not been used before.
“Thanks to the dedication and expertise of Delta teams, we’re making tremendous progress in our efforts to bring fast, free Wi-Fi to every aircraft in our fleet – which in turn will transform our planes into personalized platforms where customers can connect and engage in meaningful new ways,” said Ranjan Goswami, SVP of Customer Experience Design.
KLM Passengers
For many KLM passengers, the new Delta project will be a welcome bonus. KLM and Delta work together within SkyTeam and often place passengers on each other’s flights. While KLM does offer Wi-Fi on board, it is often still a paid service. Sending messages is free with the ‘Message’ package. For larger files, the Dutch airline applies dynamic pricing, depending on the destination and flight duration.