United Airlines is the latest major carrier to offer passengers free in-flight Wi-Fi, announcing Friday that it plans to equip its fleet of more than 1,000 jets with Starlink satellite internet, a subsidiary of Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
The rollout is expected to take several years, with testing starting early next year and the first passenger flights with free Wi-Fi expected in late 2025. The partnership with Starlink, which will provide free high-speed connectivity to the airline’s fleet of mainline and regional aircraft, is the largest deal of its kind in the industry.
The partnership aims to give United customers “the same high-speed, low-latency internet service in the air that they enjoy on the ground.” The new door-to-door connection will allow passengers to simultaneously access live TV and streaming services, social media, shopping, gaming and more from their seat-back screens and personal devices.
“Everything you can do on the ground, you will soon be able to do on a United aircraft at 35,000 feet, virtually anywhere in the world,” United CEO Scott Kirby said in a statement. “This connectivity opens the door to a better in-flight entertainment experience behind every seat; more personalized content. Once again, United’s culture of innovation is delivering big results for our customers.”
The announcement follows initiatives from carriers like Delta and JetBlue, which already offer free in-flight Wi-Fi to passengers. Delta announced in August that it would expand its high-speed internet to international flights as part of the program’s expansion across its fleet.
Like Points Man Notes: United currently uses four different Wi-Fi providers across its fleet, but speeds and reliability vary. The best performing is Viasat, which is installed on select Airbus A319s, Boeing 737-900s, 757s, and 737 MAX 8 and 9; the slowest and least reliable provider is Wi-Fi Onboard, which is found on regional jets. The integration of Starlink services is expected to take the connectivity experience from worst to best in the industry.