Wi-fi Could Be on Your Next Allegiant Flight

One of Pittsburgh International Airport’s most popular airlines is considering significant additions to its guest experience, mirroring the airline industry’s trend toward upscale travel.

In a recent interview with industry publication The Points Guy, Allegiant Air CEO Greg Anderson said he expects the ultra-low-cost carrier to begin offering wi-fi in the near future, a first for the airline.

“I think it’s table stakes, at this point — or it will be. It’s important,” Anderson said in the interview, adding that inflight entertainment has become a growing customer expectation.

While Anderson did not specify a timeframe for when wi-fi could become available, he noted that Allegiant’s new Boeing 737 MAX 8-200 aircraft, which entered service in October 2024, are being delivered “pre-wired” with the necessary systems so that a wi-fi retrofit would take less time to complete. Typically, wi-fi systems take approximately 10 days to install for each aircraft, including modification and testing.

Additionally, Allegiant is considering retrofitting its older Airbus A320 fleet with Starlink, a satellite-based internet system that provides high-speed connectivity, even over oceans and remote areas where traditional inflight wi-fi struggles. Starlink partners with a growing list of carriers, including Air France, Hawaiian Airlines, Qatar Airways and United Airlines. Another benefit of Starlink is its quicker retrofit process, which takes approximately eight hours.

An Allegiant 737 MAX 8-200 at Pittsburgh International Airport on March 26, 2025. According to the airline, Allegiant’s 737 MAX aircraft are being delivered from Boeing pre-wired for wi-fi if the carrier moves forward with a retrofit program. (Photo by Evan Dougherty)

Allegiant is also evaluating a premium seating option similar to domestic first-class, according to Anderson. However, he noted that such an offering is not imminent.

“We’re still far away from … making any sort of decision,” he said. “We want to kind of continue to monitor the trends and make that call down the road.”

Allegiant currently offers a premium seating option with its Allegiant Extra fare, which offers up to seven inches of additional space, priority boarding and reserved overhead bin space for carry-on luggage.

Pivot to premium

Wi-fi and upgraded premium seating at Allegiant would reflect a trend among airlines – legacy, low-cost and ultra-low-cost carriers – which have adjusted their business models to meet changing consumer preferences for premium travel.

Spirit Airlines became the first U.S. budget airline to offer wi-fi on flights in July 2022 and offers its popular Big Front Seats, which provide extra legroom and comfort. Rival Frontier Airlines is also planning to introduce first-class style seating that is expected to go on sale this year.

Breeze Airways, which has grown rapidly both in Pittsburgh and nationwide since it began flights in 2021, offers high-speed connectivity across its growing fleet of Airbus A220-300 aircraft. Breeze also provides extra legroom economy seating and its Breeze Ascent first-class style seating.

Meanwhile, Southwest Airlines has begun retrofitting its aircraft with extra legroom seating as part of its transition to assigned seat selection, and is evaluating the addition of airport lounges. JetBlue plans to open its first lounges at New York-Kennedy and Boston airports in the coming months and reportedly could introduce a domestic first-class cabin to supplement its popular Mint business class suites.

A growing number of airlines are offering free inflight connectivity. JetBlue and Delta Air Lines currently offer the service for free, while United and American Airlines have also announced plans to offer free wi-fi.