United signs Starlink deal for free inflight connectivity
United to offer free Starlink Wi-Fi onboard
United has signed the industry's largest agreement of its kind with SpaceX to bring Starlink's fast, reliable Wi-Fi service to the airline's mainline and regional aircraft fleet, for free.
United passengers will soon enjoy the same high-speed, low-latency internet service in the air that they enjoy on the ground, the September 13 press release said. The new, gate-to-gate connectivity will unlock game-changing experiences in the sky at scale, like access to live TV and streaming services, social media, shopping, gaming and more, on seatback screens and personal devices simultaneously.
United expects to have Starlink on all United aircraft – more than 1,000 planes – over the next several years. Testing begins in early 2025 with the first passenger flights expected later that year. Starlink service on United aircraft will be free.
United will be the first carrier in the world to commit to offering Starlink service at this scale.
"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," said United CEO Scott Kirby. "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."
"We're excited to team up with United Airlines to transform the inflight experience," said Gwynne Shotwell, President and Chief Operating Officer at SpaceX. "With Starlink onboard your United flight, you'll have access to the world's most advanced high-speed internet from gate to gate, and all the miles in between."
United's new Starlink Wi-Fi service will include experiences like:
Accessing personal streaming services and watch live TV, shows and movies without buffering, lag or the need to download content in advance
Downloading/uploading documents and edit shared files in real-time
Playing live games and follow along on live gaming streaming services.
Shopping online, schedule grocery delivery and make restaurant and travel reservations all from the comfort of your seat
Connecting multiple devices at once, under one user
Live Support with the United app
In addition to using Starlink connectivity on personal devices, United passengers also will have access on their seatback screens. United has nearly 100,000 seatback screens across its fleet, with plans to grow these numbers as the airline continues to take delivery of new airplanes and retrofit existing aircraft with its new United signature interiors.
The inflight content is available in more than 20 languages. The United signature interiors include 16-inch HD touch screens in each United Polaris® Business Class seat, 13-inch screens in every United First Class seat and 10-inch screens in every United Economy seat. In addition to seatback screens in every seat, United's new signature interior includes Bluetooth connectivity, power in every seat, larger overhead bins with room for everyone's carry-on and LED lighting.
The new service will also benefit United's frontline employees – United pilots, flight attendants, technicians and gate agents all use mobile devices to help run the operation and serve passengers.
As United rolls out the Starlink more broadly, it will give those teams the same capabilities in the air as they have on the ground, including when working in remote location or when traditional services might be impacted, like during power outages or natural disasters.
