American Airlines Gives Passengers A Chance To Use TikTok While Flying

American Airlines provides free wi-fi for TikTok for a few minutes of flight. (photo: unsplash)

JAKARTA – Free TikTok has been adopted on several American Airlines flights. Passengers will be able to use the app for up to 30 minutes for free, which gives them time to watch at least ten new older TikToks. If you don't have the app installed, the airline says you can download it for free while in the air.

The move to make TikTok available to passengers comes as airlines try to get their attention back to flying, after the number of passengers using airplanes dropped during the pandemic.

One of its competitors, United, has also added technological upgrades to its fleet, allowing passengers to pre-order in-flight snacks and adding bluetooth audio-enabled aircraft for in-seat displays.

American recently allowed passengers to use Facebook Messenger for free on flights, giving them at least some connection to the outside world. It's something several of its competitors have done over the years for it and other messaging apps.

According to the airline's press release, the promotion was an "experiment." CNET reports that customer feedback will determine how long the trial will last.

If you're planning a flight with TikTok for free, it might be worth remembering that it's unlikely every airline has access to it. American Airlines determined that the promotional offer was limited to narrow body aircraft that had the Viasat Wi-Fi system.

Many of the planes in the airline's fleet seem to be considered narrow-bodied, but planes like the Boeing 787 are not. American also uses several Wi-Fi providers for its flights, so even if the flight has Wi-Fi, there's a good chance it's not from Viasat.

The airline's press release tells its passengers that they can expect to find plenty of content on the platform, including "travel inspiration" and "career advice." They just hope that passengers feel comfortable when flying and buy American Airlines tickets again at a later time.