Earlier today Alaska Airlines unveiled its new joint loyalty program with Hawaiian Airlines. Buried in that announcement was the fact that the Seattle based carrier is planning to add Starlink high speed wi-fi onboard all of its aircraft.
Alaska is Adding Starlink Wi-Fi to Mainline and Regional Aircraft
Beginning in 2026, Alaska Airlines passengers can enjoy Starlink Wi-Fi onboard, unlocking seamless access to live gaming, real-time messaging and high-quality streaming across multiple devices. Alaska will be the second major U.S. airline to feature the service after United introduced Starlink earlier this year.
According to Alaska, all of its Boeing 787, Boeing 737, and Embraer E175 aircraft will be equipped with the service by 2027. Hawaiian Airlines, which is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Alaska Air Group, began introducing Starlink Wi-Fi last year and the service can be found on its Airbus A330 and A321 aircraft.
Ben Minicucci, Chief Executive Officer and President of Alaska Air Group, said this about the introduction of Starlink on the Alaska Airlines fleet:
“With Starlink already live on Hawaiian Airlines and installations starting this winter across Alaska’s fleet, we’re proud that we’ll offer the fastest, most reliable inflight internet in the skies – with gate-to-gate connectivity on nearly every aircraft across both airlines.”
Alaska Will Offer Free Starlink Connectivity for Atmos Rewards Members
In partnership with T-Mobile, Alaska Airlines will offer free Wi-Fi to members of its Atmos Rewards loyalty program. Members will have gate-to-gate connectivity across multiple devices which allows passengers to stream, scroll, game and stay connected just like they would on the ground.
We’ve seen many airlines add free Wi-fi for passengers in recent years. In addition to United’s Starlink rollout and the introduction of Starlink on Alaska, Delta also offers free Wi-Fi to members of its Sky Miles program. American Airlines has announced plans to introduce free Wi-Fi starting next year.
Chad Gibbs, Vice President of Starlink Operations at SpaceX, said this about the new partnership with Alaska:
“We’re thrilled to provide reliable high-speed internet on Alaska Airlines’ flights. From gate to gate, Alaska’s passengers will now experience the world’s best inflight connectivity.”
Summary
In addition to rolling out its new Atmos Rewards loyalty program, Alaska Airlines announced it is rolling out Starlink Wi-Fi fleetwide. Atmos Rewards members will be able to access the service for free thanks to a partnership between the airline and T-Mobile.
It’s exciting to see another U.S. carrier introduced Starlink, or even free Wi-Fi overall and I hope that more airlines follow suit.