Delta Plans Enhanced Wi-Fi Connectivity

Delta Air Lines said it will enhance the WiFi onboard its planes, with plans to equip nearly all domestic mainline aircraft with enhanced connectivity by the end of 2022.

The ‘New Delta Portal Platform’ is coming this summer, allowing customers to connect, purchase, browse and stream at high-speed from their device of choice while flying to their destination.

“Technology and entertainment are key parts of our customers’ lives,” Byron Merritt, Delta’s Vice-President of Brand Experience, said in a statement. “By equipping our fleet with enhanced Wi-Fi capabilities, we are taking steps to ensure we can adapt to the different ways our customers will use technology during their journey both today and in the future.”

The airline will initially equip more than 300 aircraft with high-speed (Ka-Band) satellite connectivity, powered by Viasat, by the end of 2021 – setting in motion an aggressive installation timeline and scale to modernize the onboard experience.

Beginning in June, customers on Viasat-enabled aircraft will have access to enhanced connectivity for a simple and consistent $8 per flight per device no matter their destination. Simply join the DeltaWifi.com network on a laptop or mobile device and purchase Wi-Fi access using the new Delta Portal Platform – the front page to the onboard experience coming later this summer to Viasat-enabled aircraft.

Delta’s first Viasat-enabled aircraft, a new Airbus A321ceo, will enter regular service on May 1.