United Airlines announced plans to begin testing Starlink on its flights in February and eventually add SpaceX’s satellite internet service to its entire fleet. The company first announced a partnership with SpaceX to “set a new standard for in-flight connectivity” in September 2024.
After testing, United expects the first commercial flight with Starlink to be flown on a United Embraer E-175 in the spring. The rest of the airline’s “two-cabin regional fleet” will be equipped with Starlink throughout 2025, and United says it will have the “first Starlink-enabled primary aircraft in the air” before the end of the year .
Starlink will be available free to all members of United’s MileagePlus program. In addition to improving the quality of onboard Wi-Fi, United sees Starlink as an opportunity to “unlock new partnerships” for its members. Don’t be surprised if United cooks up new deals with streaming services to offer more free content during flights.
United joins both Delta And Hawaiian Airlines in partnership with Starlink for on-board Wi-Fi. SpaceX initially announced its intention to offering internet speeds of 350 Mbps to planes in 2022, and Delta and Haiwaiian Airlines have either tested Starlink or committed to offering it on their planes.
Starlink has been growing in some serious ways over the past year. SpaceX must test Starlink direct-to-cell satellite service with T-Mobile during the arrival of Hurricane Milton in the United States, made plans to a larger beta test service for February and launched a national satellite SMS service in New Zealand.
