T-Mobile has added United Airlines to U.S. airlines enjoying its free in-flight Wi-Fi for its Magenta Max and Magenta post-paid subscribers. Currently, the T-Mobile promotion is available on Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, and Delta Airlines.
Who are Eligible for free T-Mobile In-Flight Wi-Fi?
This T-Mobile promotion adds perks to subscribers of its top-end plans, including free Apple TV Plus, possible future SpaceX Starlink connectivity, and 5GB of high-speed data while traveling overseas. The latter incentive is part of T-Mobile's "Coverage Beyond" push, which includes the free in-flight Wi-Fi program, The Verge reported.
With this promo, T-Mobile seeks to capitalize on increased travel now with more frequent international travel as post-pandemic conditions improve and more destinations are available. And, because the more incentives there are for plan subscribers, the less likely they are to switch carriers.
It is worth noting, however, that for T-Mobile Magenta plan subscribers, access to free in-flight Wi-Fi is just limited to four flights per year. Magenta Max users, on the other hand, can avail this promo in unlimited flights.
And, of course, while T-Mobile says you can stream content in the entire duration of the flight, airplane Wi-Fi still dips in performance for fast speeds that don't need the occasional buffering or dependence on low-resolution streams.
For those who haven't been on a flight in a while, this offering is certainly a nice incentive to return to air travel even with strangers sharing a cramped cabin. In-flight Wi-Fi may not be nearly as fast as ideal speeds we are used to, but it's certainly comforting to have more options for in-flight entertainment when you can't find anything to watch on that screen in front of you.
How to Use T-Mobile In-Flight Wi-Fi on United
To use T-Mobile In-flight, first you have to be sure T-Mobile In-Flight Connection On Us is enabled on your flight, specifically on United, and the plane reaches 10,000 feet or higher. Some other flights offer Wi-Fi from gate to gate.
When Wi-Fi is available, the Wi-Fi indicator above your seat will be lit or the flight captain will give you the go-ahead to start surfing and texting in flight, T-Mobile said in its website.
1. Confirm you're on an eligible rate plan (see Supported Services below for details.)
2. Place the device into Airplane mode and turn Wi-Fi on.
3. Make sure Wi-Fi Calling is set to Enabled or On.
4. Select the airline's Wi-Fi network.
5. You should receive a pop up page that allows you to select "Continue" to reach the Wi-Fi passes page
6. Select the T-Mobile benefit titled: In-Flight Connection On Us!
7. If you see a magenta T-Mobile exclusive screen, select Get Started. You won't see this page on all airlines.
8. Enter your T-Mobile or Sprint phone number.
9. If prompted, enter the CAPTCHA letters and numbers in the box below it.
10. Select Get Wi-Fi and Texting.
11. You may be prompted to enter a PIN at this stage, using a One-Time PIN (OTP)
12. A screen will appear stating that your Wi-Fi and texting has started to confirm you are connected.
13. If you don't see the option to select a 1-hour session, you'll have a full-flight session that won't count against your 4 sessions per year.
14. Start texting and browsing and enjoy your flight!
Available with thisn-Flight W-Fi service are:
- For many T-Mobile plans, four full flight streaming (where available) sessions and unlimited one hour of streaming (where available) Wi-Fi and unlimited texting on select flights to, from, or within the U.S. With this, you can watch and text to your heart's content. Those rate plans include Magenta and T-Mobile ONE plans, among others. Sprint customers on the Sprint ONE plan are also eligible.
- Some T-Mobile rate plans are eligible for unlimited Full Flight Streaming (where available) Wi-Fi and texting on select flights to, from, or within the U.S. These include Magenta MAX, Magenta Plus, PlusUp, and ONE Plus, among others. Sprint customers on the Sprint MAX plan are also eligible.
- To upgrade to an eligible plan, log in to your T-Mobile account, log in to your Sprint account, or contact customer care.
- Video streaming, such as Netflix, Hulu or YouTube are available with the T-Mobile benefit on satellite flights that support streaming. In addition to the inflight entertainment provided for free from the airlines, T-Mobile customers can now choose to use their own streaming subscriptions to stream their favorite content.
Important Notes on Streaming
It is also worth noting that streaming is only available on Satellite enabled flights, which are typically for larger planes or longer flights. Some planes use Air to Ground (ATG) networks instead of Satellite.
ATG flights are typically for smaller, regional planes that go short distances. While Wi-Fi may still be available on ATG, the speed will be slower and will not support streaming.
