United Airlines has rapidly expanded its in-flight Starlink Wi-Fi service, now available on roughly a quarter of its daily departures. This marks a significant upgrade over traditional airline internet, offering speeds comparable to home broadband. The rollout began last year with initial mainline aircraft and has since extended to the entire regional fleet, with plans to equip 500 additional mainline planes by the end of 2026.
Real-World Usage and Demand
The airline reports over 7 million passengers have used Starlink on more than 129,000 flights, with data consumption exceeding previous levels by a factor of 100. Grant Milstead, VP of Digital Technology at United, attributes this surge to longer flight durations and a shift in passenger behavior. Passengers are no longer pre-loading devices with entertainment because they can reliably stream movies, sports, and other high-bandwidth content mid-flight.
“This isn’t ‘airplane Wi-Fi’ anymore,” Milstead stated. “It’s Wi-Fi like your home. And now people are starting to treat it like that.”
MileagePlus Access
Starlink Wi-Fi is free for all United MileagePlus members, making the service accessible to a broad customer base. The airline has found that passengers now expect the same high-speed internet experience in the air as they do on the ground.
Expanding Global Availability
The trend is spreading, with Starlink service already available on flights with Hawaiian Airlines, Alaska Airlines, airBaltic, Air France, Qatar Airways, WestJet, and Emirates. Over the next year, Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia, Level, and Vueling will also integrate the satellite internet into their fleets.
The expansion of Starlink in-flight Wi-Fi is reshaping passenger expectations and pushing airlines to deliver a seamless digital experience at 30,000 feet. This investment in high-speed connectivity is likely to become a standard for major carriers in the coming years.
