United Accelerates Rollout of Free Starlink Wi-Fi

United Airlines announced today that it is accelerating its deployment of satellite infrastructure. Starlink offer the convenience of in-flight Wi-Fi. The company says testing will begin in February and the first commercial flight carrying Starlink internet service will leave the runway this spring.

The United Embraer E-175 will be the first aircraft to receive this incentive, and the region’s entire fleet of twin-cabin aircraft will follow by the end of 2025. The first commercial aircraft with Starlink connectivity will also take off before this year comes to a close.

Access will be provided free of charge to all MileagePlus loyalty program customers. “We have a lot of plans for MileagePlus members this year, and at the center of it all is adding Starlink to as many aircraft as possible, as quickly as possible,” said MileagePlus chief executive Richard Nunn.

The operator plans to add Starlink infrastructure to its entire fleet. Once plans come to fruition, United will become the first major U.S. airline to implement Starlink for in-flight Wi-Fi convenience.

However, United will not be the first airline to contract for Starlink Aviation’s services. Hawaiian Airlines began offering free Starlink-enabled Wi-Fi across its Airbus fleet starting last September. The entire A330 fleet operating in Asia, Oceania and the US now offers free access to Starlink.

A month later, Qatar Airways also launched a Boeing 777 with Starlink access and extended it across its entire fleet at no additional cost to customers. AirBaltic has also confirmed plans to equip its fleet with Starlink equipment.

SpaceX-owned Starlink has also signed agreements with several foreign operators to provide fast, low-latency in-flight Wi-Fi services. The Musk-backed company initially aimed to offer speeds of up to 350 Mbps on planes equipped with the Aero Terminal kit.

Currently, SpaceX’s Starlink for Aviation division promises downlink and uplink speeds of up to 220 Mbps and 25 Mbps, respectively, per terminal. This bandwidth is good not only for basic communication, but also for calls, watching videos and playing online games.

In addition to commercial airlines, Starlink is considering deals with private charter services as well as with the government for special missions. Starlink, in partnership with T-Mobile, will also begin testing its direct-to-satellite cellular service in the coming months.