United Airlines to Offer Starlink Wi-Fi on Flights as Early as This Spring
United Airlines will be the latest airline to offer Starlink Wi-Fi services, according to a recent announcement. The airline will begin testing Starlink in February and is set to launch its first commercial flight with the service this spring on its Embraer E-175 aircraft. The airline plans to outfit its entire two-cabin regional fleet with Starlink by the end of 2025 and its first mainline Starlink-enabled plane is expected to take to the skies by the end of the year.
As part of the agreement, all of United’s MileagePlus members will have free access to Starlink, which offers a range of services, including streaming, shopping, and gaming. The deal between United and Starlink was reached in September.
This is not the only airline to offer high-speed internet on flights. Hawaiian Airlines has announced that it will offer Starlink free to all travelers on its Airbus-operated flights, while semi-private charter firm JSX also offers complimentary Starlink Wi-Fi on its fleet of 46 planes. Delta Air Lines has offered free Wi-Fi to its SkyMiles loyalty program members since early 2023, while JetBlue Airways has had free Wi-Fi on flights since 2017.
In-flight internet has been available since 2003, when Boeing announced its Connexion service, but it was discontinued in 2006 due to a lack of market demand.