United frequent flyers rejoice, the airline is adding free Starlink Wi-Fi fleetwide beginning in 2025! Customers flying the friendly skies will soon enjoy the same high-speed, low-latency internet service in the air that they enjoy on the ground.
The new, gate-to-gate connectivity will unlock access to live TV and streaming services, social media, shopping, gaming and more. According to the airline, this service will be available on seatback screens and personal devices simultaneously (Does this mean I can stream Netflix on my seatback screen?).
One of the most exciting aspects of this announcement is that the airline plans to have this on all planes, including regional jets.
United CEO, Scott Kirby, had this to say about the announcement:
“Everything you can do on the ground, you’ll soon be able to do onboard a United plane at 35,000 feet, just about anywhere in the world. This connectivity opens the door for an even better inflight entertainment experience, in every seatback – more content, that’s more personalized. United’s culture of innovation is, once again, delivering big for our customers.”
Starlink, which is engineered by SpaceX., delivers internet access around the world, including over oceans, polar regions and other remote locations previously unreachable by traditional cell or Wi-Fi signals. United will be the first carrier in the world to commit to offering Starlink service at this scale as the airline is currently the largest carrier across the Atlantic and Pacific.
Testing of the new service is expected to begin early in 2025 with the first passenger flights occurring later in the year.
Summary
United Airlines is planning to add fast, free Starlink wi-fi to more than 1,000 aircraft starting in 2025. Once the rollout is complete, United will be the largest carrier with connectivity via Starlink. This will also apply to the airline’s regional jets which should be welcome news for many United flyers.
