Good news for anyone who hates losing signal at 35,000 feet: American Airlines has confirmed it will fit Starlink satellite Wi-Fi to every mainline jet it flies, not just the smaller group of aircraft it originally promised.
When American first revealed its Starlink plans back in May, only around 500 Airbus jets were in line for the upgrade. That has now more than doubled. Installations begin in early 2027, and once complete, more than 1,000 Airbus and Boeing aircraft will carry the SpaceX-powered system. The only planes left out are regional jets.
The change that matters most to holiday travellers is on long-haul routes. American's widebody Boeing 777s and 787s — the planes that fly transatlantic, transpacific and other international routes — currently rely on older Panasonic equipment that is patchy at best, with frequent connectivity gaps mid-flight. Swapping that out for low-earth-orbit satellite service should make streaming, video calls and general browsing far more reliable on the flights where you most want to stay connected.
Better still, access is expected to stay free for AAdvantage loyalty members, and you don't need elite status or a co-branded credit card to qualify — just a membership in the free programme. American's chief customer officer Heather Garboden framed dependable connectivity as something customers have explicitly asked for, and hinted it will underpin future onboard features too.
American is far from alone here. United and Alaska are already deep into Starlink rollouts, Hawaiian has run it on its Airbus fleet for years, and this year alone American, Southwest and Frontier have all committed to the technology. Delta has gone a different way, partnering with Amazon on Wi-Fi expected in 2028 — a move United immediately exploited with a status-match offer targeting Delta's Medallion elites. JetBlue plans to use Amazon's Leo system as well.
Why should a traveller care? If you're booking an American long-haul flight for late 2027 or beyond, expect a noticeably better in-flight internet experience than the airline has offered in the past — at no extra cost if you sign up for AAdvantage. It also makes Wi-Fi quality less of a differentiator when comparing American against United or Alaska, all of which are converging on the same free, fast satellite model. Delta loyalists will just need a bit more patience. For now, if you're flying American on a regional feeder flight, don't expect the upgrade to reach you.
