How to Get Wi-Fi on Alaska Airlines

Molly McArdle
·2 min read
Alaskan Airlines and Wifi Costs
Alaskan Airlines and Wifi Costs

Getty Images/Westend61 RM

If your next flight is aboard Alaska Airlines, and you want to stay connected while in the air, rest assured the airline provides satellite Wi-Fi on most of its North American flights. Alaska Airlines uses Intelsat, which acquired Gogo Inflight Internet in 2021, as its service provider. Alaska Airlines also offers free inflight messaging.

Wi-Fi Coverage on Alaska Airlines

Most of Alaska Airlines' jet fleet features streaming-fast satellite Wi-Fi. You'll find it on all Airbus aircraft, most 737-900 and 737-900ER aircraft, and select 737-800 and 737-9 aircraft. (Check "Flight Details" on your reservation to confirm the type of plane you'll be on.) You'll know you're flying in a plane with satellite Wi-Fi if see you see the dome-shaped antenna on top of the plane or if you spot a satellite Wi-Fi decal just inside the entry door.

Alaska Airlines' satellite Wi-Fi is 20 times faster than the airline's basic Wi-Fi. That means you should be able to watch your favorite Netflix or Hulu show on your coast-to-coast flight from Los Angeles to Newark. The airline notes video quality may be reduced to standard-definition quality. Plus, there may be some unavoidable interruptions, such as during heavy rainstorms, when service could be slow.

Basic inflight Wi-Fi is available on E175 and select 737 aircraft. With this service, you can send emails, browse the internet, and shop online, but you won't be able to stream shows or download large attachments.

Wi-Fi is not available at all on shorter flights that use select 737-9 MAX aircraft or Q400 aircraft.

Buy Wi-Fi on the Plane

Purchasing Wi-Fi once you're on an Alaska Airlines plane is straightforward. Simply connect to the onboard Wi-Fi network and visit AlaskaWiFi.com to learn about your different options.

On planes enabled with satellite Wi-Fi, you can purchase the service immediately upon reaching your seat — no need to wait to buy until the door closes or you're in the air. It costs $8 for Wi-Fi satellite service for the entire flight.

Basic Wi-Fi can also be purchased for $8 on E175 aircraft. On 737s with basic Wi-Fi, the Wi-Fi price varies by flight.

Free Inflight Messaging

Alaska Airlines provides free text messaging service on all its flights equipped with satellite or basic Wi-Fi. No purchase required, no message or data charges either: just connect your smartphone to the "gogoinflight" or "Alaska_WiFi" network, open a new page in your internet browser, go to AlaskaWifi.com, and select the "free texting" option.

Free texting only works with iMessage, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp — not SMS. It supports text and emoji but not photos or videos.