T-Mobile customers who used their wireless plan to get free in-flight Wi-Fi now have two fewer airlines where that perk works. American Airlines and United Airlines have both ended their partnerships with T-Mobile, cutting back one of the carrier’s more recognizable travel extras.
According to The Mobile Report, American’s change comes after AT&T announced a partnership that gives free Wi-Fi to all passengers who have a free AAdvantage account. United’s situation is less generous right now: its T-Mobile-backed free Wi-Fi has ended, and customers now have to pay $8 with a free MileagePlus account or $10 without one.
For travelers on American, the impact is softened because free access is still available through the airline’s own setup. The source says the rollout began in January for narrowbody and dual-class regional aircraft and later expanded to the rest of the fleet this spring. In other words, passengers can still get free Wi-Fi there, but T-Mobile is no longer the reason.
United customers may feel the difference more. While the airline is working on a Starlink partnership that it plans to bring to all flights by sometime in 2027, that benefit is not here yet. Until then, travelers who once counted on T-Mobile’s perk on United will need to pay for connectivity. TMO Report
The source also cites a T-Mobile statement saying airlines have increasingly shifted toward offering sponsored Wi-Fi through their own loyalty programs, regardless of which wireless carrier a passenger uses. T-Mobile added that it still works with Delta, Alaska, Hawaiian, and Southwest on in-flight connectivity. TMO Report
The bigger takeaway is that T-Mobile’s airline Wi-Fi perk does not stand out the way it once did. If more airlines keep moving toward free internet for everyone, then the value of tying that perk to a phone carrier could keep shrinking.
Source: The Mobile Report
