Leaked Employee Meeting: American Airlines Will Expand Free Wi-Fi to All Widebodies — Lounges and Food Partnerships Next

American Airlines plans to add free wifi to all of its widebody aircraft, not just the 90% that they’ve rolled out so far. All of American’s ViaSat and Intelset-equipped planes – from two-cabin regional jets to domestic narrowbodies to a handful of widebodies – were included in the airline’s initial announcement. But their legacy Panasonic systems that you’ll find on Boeing 777s and on many 787s were not.

American Airlines Boeing 787-9

However, after the American Airlines earnings call, in a leaked recording of the carrier’s follow up employee meeting, Chief Customer Officer Heather Garboden reported that they’ve completed the roll out of free wifi across more than 90% of their fleet and they are “working to get it on the remainder of widebody fleet over next 12-24 months.” This has not been previously reported.

She says that “data is early” and it’s a small data set so far, but they’ve seen a “15% improvement in customer satisfaction on flights with free wifi” and across-the-board net promoter scores are positive for flights with free wifi.

Their other top customer priorities include:

• Transparent language around reasons for delays and cancellations. For several years, United has gone beyond telling customers about delays to explain the reasons why. They’re generally transparent and they don’t use technical jargon. Garboden says American is going to start doing this too,

  [I]n the upcoming weeks, stay tuned to new notifications and clear transparency on what is causing delays, what is causing cancellation and we will continue to improve that communication with our customers both digitally and with team members throughout the year.

• More lounge improvements. Garboden noted the recently-announced plan to renovate the Admirals Club on the D concourse at Washington National airport, complementing the “already renovated DCA E lounge” (it wasn’t renovated, it was new build with the E concourse).

  
  Washington National Admirals Club E Concourse

  I’d add plans for a new Admirals Club and Flagship lounge in Charlotte and a new Flagship lounge and expanded Admirals Club in Miami, as well as new premium lounges at Dallas – Fort Worth when terminal F opens.

  
  American Airlines Flagship Lounge Philadelphia

  She tells employees that there will be more announcements this year:

  We’ll continue to have really exciting news throughout the year as it pertains to our lounge strategy and some exciting news there.

  I know we’re going to see an expansion of the ‘Provisions’ concept rolled out in Charlotte. I’m hopeful we’ll see the Flagship First Dining space at LAX put back to use.

  
  Admirals Club ‘Provisions’ Charlotte

• Food and beverage partnerships coming. American’s pre-order Pecan Lodge barbecue option for Dallas – New York flights starts in just over a week. She calls that it one route “to start” so we may see it offered more extensively (as I suggested when it was first announced) and that they’re planning more food and beverage partnerships as well, “stay tuned to more exciting news when it comes to food and beverage partnerships.”

  

I’m really looking forward to seeing these. I had to book a flight to New York and actually checked the start date (February 11). I was tempted to (1) connect in Dallas and (2) pay for First just to try it. My flight was slightly too early to take advantage of it, so I saved the time and money. But these things can be irrationally motivating.