Delta Air Lines will provide free WiFi on some US flights starting May 13, as part of assessing plans to eventually make free WiFi a standard feature across its domestic network.
The pilot program will include about 55 daily flights of varying length and across economy and premium cabins, the airline said in a statement issued Thursday.
Passengers will be notified ahead of time by email if they’re on such a flight.
While they will be able to access the Internet, they won’t be able to stream entertainment.
“Testing will be key to getting this highly complex program right,” said Ekrem Dimbiloglu, director of onboard product at the Atlanta-based carrier. Delta will be gathering data on customer preferences, system performance and other matters during the trial.
JetBlue Airways already offers free WiFi with full streaming capability on all flights, with the service seen as offering a competitive edge for business travellers, especially on trans-continental services which typically take six hours and as such can soak up the best part of a working day.
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