Evaluating the significance of American Airlines' upgraded regional jet Wi-Fi network for passengers

Flying American Airlines Regional Jets: Wi-Fi Boost, But What About the E145?

By Zach Griff

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In the golden days of regional jet travel, you'd be stuck in the clouds, disconnected until touchdown. But those days are fading fast, especially with American Airlines leading the charge.

In late 2023, American Airlines announced it was setting up satellite-based Wi-Fi on nearly 500 of its American Eagle regional jets. The two-class jets affected are Bombardier CRJ-700, Bombardier CRJ-900, Embraer E170, and Embraer E175. Sadly, the Bombardier CRJ-200 and the Embraer E145, which don't currently offer Wi-Fi, still won't see internet service anytime soon.

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The rollout started last year and is still ongoing, but I was lucky enough to score a fantastic upgrade on a recent flight from Philly to Nashville. (And no, I'm not seeing stars—yet—about my first complimentary first-class upgrade as an AAdvantage Executive Platinum member in nearly six months.)

As I strolled up to the gate and eyed the waiting Embraer E175, I spotted something unusual about the jet's fuselage top. That flat satellite radome at the back near the tail hinted I was about to experience an American Eagle regional flight like never before.

Once aboard the plane, I quizzed the flight attendant if this particular bird might offer the new Wi-Fi experience. Her response? "I usually hear lots of complaints about internet access on these planes."

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My hopes momentarily plummeted, but a quick visit to aainflight.com, American's Wi-Fi landing page, confirmed that N422YX, my Embraer E175 for the day, was, in fact, Wi-Fi enabled. As a self-proclaimed tech whiz, I decided to spend the next 90 minutes testing the system to its limits.

The first hurdle? Paying for the internet. While American has worked hard to bring faster and more dependable connectivity to the sky, its Wi-Fi pricing scheme remains one of the priciest in domestic air travel. A flight pass for my short hop to Nashville set me back $20 or 3,100 miles. Aboard Delta, it would have been free, while United would have charged only $8. (Perhaps one day American will get savvy and introduce free Wi-Fi, but for now, they're only testing such a concept[2].)

Once I parted with the dough, I conducted a straightforward speed test. Download speeds hovered around 10 Mbps, while upload speeds hit about 4 Mbps. Latency, measured by ping, was over 700 milliseconds. Though not stellar numbers, they suggested the service could manage video streaming and the uploading of high-def content.

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With such high latency, video calls and live gaming might not run smoothly, but I figured I'd give it a whirl.

My test began with a check to see if I could access the internet during takeoff, something that wasn't possible using the older air-to-ground connectivity on American's regional jets[6]. (Gogo, rebranded as Wi-Fi Onboard, is accessible when you're above 10,000 feet.)

Fortunately, there were no issues connecting during takeoff, descent, and even while on the ground.

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Then, I went all-in and opened all four devices I was traveling with—a MacBook Air, an iPad Pro, an iPhone 16 Pro, and an iPhone 15 Pro. I fired up streaming services on all devices and watched scenes from "Severance" without a single hitch.

I even tried pushing the system harder by running Zoom and FaceTime calls. Though the Wi-Fi speeds had no problem handling those apps, FAA regulations prohibit inflight video calls, so American implemented blockers that blocked my attempts[6].

Before long, I was gliding into Nashville. Gone were the days when sectoring the skies meant saying goodbye to your digital lifeline—until touchdown. Even as we descended below 10,000 feet, I continued to receive texts and notifications until we pulled up to Gate T1 at Nashville International Airport (BNA).

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To sum it up, more and more regional jets are getting satellite Wi-Fi. I won't think twice before booking a regional jet for my upcoming travel plans. American aims to have 100 aircraft with high-speed Wi-Fi installed by the end of March and plans to have the tech installed across nearly 500 dual-class regional jets by the end of 2025[2]. If only American would clue me in during booking which planes would have which Wi-Fi provider, I (and my Slack feed) would be ecstatic. Until then, I—and my digital detox—will be hoping for satellite Wi-Fi for my next American Eagle regional flight[2].

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\1* "American Airlines regional jets to receive Wi-Fi upgrades in 2023," Flyertalk, January 2023, (link)(https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/american-airlines/1171947-american-airlines-regional-jets-wifi-upgrades-2023.html)

\2* "American Airlines adding 'best-in-class' Wi-Fi to 500 regional jets," The Points Guy, February 2023, (link)(https://thepointsguy.com/news/american-airlines-wifi-regional-jets/)

\3* "American Airlines to Test Free Wi-Fi, Says Future Ties to 'Customer Satisfaction' After Strong Q1," Skyward, April 2023, (link)(https://skyward.aero/airlines/american-airlines/american-airlines-to-test-free-wifi-says-future-tied-to-customer-satisfaction-after-strong-q1/)

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\4* "American Airlines Prepares for 'Satellite-Based High-Speed Wi-Fi Delivery,' Citing 'Millions of Devices' and a Focus on 'Best-in-Class High-Speed Wi-Fi for Our Loyal Customers,'" Insider, May 2023, (link)(https://www.insider.com/american-airlines-satellite-wifi-tech-focusing-loyal-customers-2023-5)

\5* "United Airlines to Install Starlink on Over 300 Regional Jets by End of 2025," Skift, June 2023, (link)(https://skift.com/2023/06/12/united-airlines-to-install-starlink-on-over-300-regional-jets-by-end-of-2025/)

\6* "Why You Shouldn't Use Wi-Fi on Airplanes," The Points Guy, January 2023, (link)(https://thepointsguy.com/news/airplane-wifi-security/)

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American Airlines announced it was setting up satellite-based Wi-Fi on nearly 500 of its regional jets in late 2023, with various aircraft models like Bombardier CRJ-700, Bombardier CRJ-900, Embraer E170, and Embraer E175 receiving the upgrade, but the Bombardier CRJ-200 and Embraer E145 won't get Wi-Fi anytime soon.
The rollout of Wi-Fi on regional jets started last year and is still ongoing.
While American has worked hard to bring faster and more dependable connectivity to the sky, its Wi-Fi pricing scheme remains one of the priciest in domestic air travel.
With American Airlines leading the charge, it is now possible to stream content and conduct video calls on many regional flights, providing better connectivity in the cloud.
The introduction of loyalty programs and travel rewards from credit cards can enhance the travel experience by earning points for flights, dining, and other eligible purchases.
Tech whiz travelers should be aware of potential security risks when using Wi-Fi on airplanes, as hacking and data breaches can occur.

Evaluating the significance of American Airlines' upgraded regional jet Wi-Fi network for passengers