United Airlines accelerated its timeline to bring Starlink—one of the world’s fastest, most reliable airborne internet connectivities—to United travelers around the world. The airline now expects to begin testing Starlink in February with the first commercial flight using the service anticipated to take off this spring on a United Embraer E-175 aircraft. United plans to outfit its entire two-cabin regional fleet with Starlink and have its first mainline Starlink-enabled plane in the air before the end of this year. Ultimately, United will add Starlink to its entire fleet.
Access will be free for all MileagePlus customers and will include in-flight entertainment experiences like streaming services, shopping, gaming, and more. Membership to MileagePlus is also free and people can sign up now.
“We have a lot planned for our MileagePlus members this year, and adding Starlink to as many planes as we can—as quickly as we can—is at the center of it all,” says Richard Nunn, CEO of United MileagePlus, in a prepared statement. “It’s not only going to revolutionize the experience of flying United, but it’s also going to unlock tons of new partnerships and benefits for our members that otherwise wouldn’t be possible.”
Last September, United signed an agreement with SpaceX to bring Starlink to its entire fleet. This gate-to-gate connectivity will enable passengers to access some of the highest-speed, lowest-latency airborne internet access currently available, on seatback screens and personal devices simultaneously.
