The start of 2026 has proven tough for flyers. Surging jet fuel prices have impacted airline passengers, leading to higher ticket prices across the industry. Unfortunately, frequent flyers will soon notice changes to other aspects of their in-flight experience during this turbulent period. It has come to light that both United Airlines and American Airlines are removing their current free Wi-Fi offerings from their flights.
T-Mobile Wi-Fi will no longer be a free feature for those flying United or American. This change is reflected on T-Mobile’s In-Flight Connections page, which has removed both from the list of supported airlines. The timing of this change initially seems unfortunate, as it comes at a time when the prices to fly both airlines are climbing in multiple ways. Not only are ticket prices higher, but major airlines have also increased checked bag fees. For example, an AP News report notes that the fee for a first checked bag on a United flight has increased to $45, with the second now costing $55.
As it turns out, though, while it may look bad, passengers flying United and American will still have access to free Wi-FI in the future. The difference is that both airlines are about to work with different providers for this in-flight essential.
United and American are sorting out their Wi-Fi situations
Technically speaking, T-Mobile doesn’t provide in-flight Wi-Fi. Instead, the company only pays to attach its name to the service. Intelsat-owned Gogo Inflight is the company actually responsible for providing in-flight Wi-Fi for these airlines. There is, however, a perception that Gogo can no longer offer fast and reliable connections. This has led both United and American to partner with other internet providers to offer passengers better Wi-Fi on their upcoming journeys.
United has elected to work with SpaceX’s Starlink for its future in-flight internet needs. The deal was announced in September 2024, with the first Starlink-equipped flight departing in October 2025. Flyers need a free MileagePlus membership to access Starlink Wi-Fi on supported flights. United targets to have Starlink on over 500 planes by the end of 2026. As for American, a January 2026 announcement revealed that it had struck a deal with AT&T for in-flight Wi-Fi. Similar to United’s Starlink Wi-Fi, American requires flyers to have a free AAdvantage account for access. American hopes to complete its rollout by mid-2026.
Most major U.S. airlines offer Wi-Fi for free or at a cost, so United and American have every reason to want to keep this perk around in some form. Time will tell how their partnerships with Starlink and AT&T pan out compared to their now-dissolved ones with T-Mobile.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
