United Airlines has unveiled an accelerated timeline to bring its Starlink onboard WiFi service to its global passenger base.
The airline now expects to begin testing Starlink next month with the first commercial flight anticipated to take off this spring on a United Embraer E-175 aircraft. United now plans to outfit its entire two-cabin regional fleet by the end of this year 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 includes game-changing inflight entertainment experiences like streaming services, shopping, gaming and more.
“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 centre of it all,” said Richard Nunn, CEO of United MileagePlus.
“It’s not only going to revolutionise 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 the industry’s largest agreement of its kind with SpaceX to bring Starlink to its entire fleet.
And, starting in a few months, the airline’s customers will enjoy the same high-speed, low-latency internet service in the air that they enjoy on the ground. This gate-to-gate connectivity will enable experiences in the sky at scale that no other major US airline provides, on seatback screens and personal devices simultaneously.
