United Airlines expands Starlink Wi-Fi rollout with first transatlantic widebody flight
New Delhi, June 23
United Airlines, a major US airline, is accelerating the rollout of fast, free Starlink Wi-Fi for MileagePlus members as United flight 14 departs Newark/New York for London on Monday aboard a Boeing 777-200. This milestone marks the airline's first transatlantic widebody customer flight equipped with Starlink.
It represents the first of nearly 60 United widebody aircraft expected to have Starlink this year. The airline expects to have its entire widebody fleet outfitted by next summer as it expands high-speed, reliable internet across its fleet, according to United.
As the world's largest airline across both the Atlantic and Pacific, United will leverage Starlink's low-Earth orbit satellites to deliver reliable internet around the world. This includes coverage when flying over oceans, polar regions, and other remote locations previously unreachable by traditional cell or Wi-Fi signals.
More than 400 United planes have Starlink today, and the airline expects to outfit close to 1,000 aircraft before the end of this year. International travellers can expect to see Starlink-enabled 777-200 aircraft on routes between United's hub airports in Newark/New York, Washington D.C, Houston, and San Francisco and popular international destinations like London, Frankfurt, Zurich, Paris, Amsterdam, Buenos Aires, Tokyo, and more.
"United is changing what it means to stay connected on an overseas flight," said David Kinzelman, United's Chief Customer Officer. "Starlink offers the same fast, reliable internet access and connectivity we're all used to at home, delivered in the air at 35,000 feet, flying anywhere around the world."
"This technology has the potential to transform how we think about the in-flight experience for both our customers and our employees," Kinzelman added.
Since launching Starlink Wi-Fi last spring, the airline has flown more than 18.6 million passengers on Starlink-equipped aircraft across more than 311,000 flights, powering 9.9 million devices. Wi-Fi customer satisfaction scores on those airplanes nearly doubled during that time.
United has more than 167,000 seatback screens across nearly 900 planes and plans to roughly double that number as it takes delivery of hundreds of new aeroplanes and retrofits existing aircraft. The rollout of Starlink will further enhance that investment, helping power a more connected and personalized onboard experience across both personal devices and seatback entertainment systems.
"Our ability to deploy Starlink Wi-Fi across our fleet at this speed and scale is a testament to the expertise of our team and the strength of our collaboration with Starlink," said Ankit Gupta, United's Chief Air Operations Officer. "Together, we've built a highly efficient installation program that is transforming the onboard experience for our customers," he said.
"With Starlink expected on close to 1,000 aircraft by year-end, we're moving quickly to bring fast, reliable connectivity to more travelers than ever before," Gupta added.
Together, Starlink connectivity and United's next-generation seatback technology deliver faster, more seamless access to content and digital experiences customers use every day. MileagePlus members on Starlink-enabled planes can experience gaming at 35,000 feet, seamless shopping and planning, real-time work collaboration, and multi-device connectivity simultaneously.
As per the company, Starlink Wi-Fi is free for United MileagePlus members, and customers will receive a notification before their flight if it is equipped with Starlink.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Free Wi-Fi for MileagePlus members? United finally gets it. I fly Newark to London a lot for work, and the current in-flight internet is like dial-up—slow and overpriced. Starlink's low-Earth orbit approach should make a huge difference over the polar routes too. Well done, United. 🛫🌐
I appreciate the innovation, but as an Indian traveler, this feels like another reminder of our digital divide. In India, even basic broadband is still patchy in many areas, and we're talking about Wi-Fi on planes over the Atlantic? Focus should be on bridging that gap first. Still, good for United—it's a nice perk for their passengers.
Just hoping this tech trickles down to budget airlines too! IndiGo and SpiceJet could learn a thing or two about in-flight experience. But 9.9 million devices already connected? That's impressive scale. Makes me want to fly United next time I head to the US. 😄
I'm cautiously optimistic. Starlink coverage over remote areas is great, but what about security? Connecting multiple devices at 35,000 feet raises data privacy concerns. United says it's 'fast and reliable'—but is it secure for work emails? India's IT professionals need reassurance on that front. Still, a big step forward for aviation.
400 planes already equipped? United is moving fast. As an NRI flying frequently
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