United Airlines has one final Christmas present for fliers: free Wi-Fi is coming earlier than originally promised.
The Chicago-based carrier announced Sunday that it will begin installing Starlink Wi-Fi in its two-cabin regional fleet in the coming weeks.
The first aircraft to receive StarLink Wi-Fi, the Embraer E175 regional jet, will be equipped with the StarLink radome in February and is scheduled to re-enter commercial service in the spring.
Additionally, United now plans to equip its entire fleet of two-cabin regional jets by the end of 2025 and plans to have its first mainline Starlink-enabled plane in the air before the end of this year.
TPG’s picks: The hottest new airline routes for 2025
United has committed to installing Starlink on its fleet of more than 1,000 jets — a feat that will take at least a few years. (United did not provide a timeline for when it expects these Wi-Fi upgrades to be fully completed.)
In addition to the accelerated rollout schedule, United once again emphasized that Internet access will be free for all United MileagePlus customers.
Additionally, the airline will introduce a new landing and entertainment page for Starlink-enabled aircraft. This upgraded experience will provide access to streaming services, shopping, gaming and more.
In September, United shocked the industry when it announced it would add free fleetwide StarLink Wi-Fi.
Daily newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily Newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers for the latest news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts
For years, United has offered a subpar inflight connectivity experience. It has partnered with four different Wi-Fi providers, each offering different speeds and reliability.
This mishmash of providers leaves some loyal fliers wondering if Wi-Fi service will work on their flight or if they’ll be able to stream their favorite shows or browse data-heavy social media apps.
The good news is that the first provider United chose to replace with Starlink is the oldest: Wi-Fi onboard (formerly known as Gogo), which provides extremely slow air-to-ground connectivity in the regional fleet.
Starlink, a branch of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, provides satellite Internet access to more than 100 countries around the world. While the company’s customers range from individual homeowners to the US military, perhaps the most exciting development for travelers is Starlink’s deployment on commercial airplanes.
Value Check: Are Airline Credit Cards Worth It Now?
The satellite internet provider offers download speeds of up to 350 Mbps per second — fast enough to support gaming, VPN access, streaming and more. (According to Federal Aviation Administration regulations, inflight calling will still not be allowed.)
Once the rollout is complete, United will go from offering a subpar connectivity experience to one of the best in the sky.
While Delta Air Lines and JetBlue both offer free Wi-Fi in the US, both carriers partner with Viasat for Internet access. Viasat usually offers streaming speeds, but Starlink’s lower latency means data should load faster.
In addition to United, Starlink is or is being established on seven carriers worldwide. These include JSX, Hawaiian Airlines, airBaltic, Zipair, Qatar Airways and Air New Zealand.
“We have a lot planned for our MileagePlus members this year, and adding Starlink to as many planes as we can — as quickly as possible — is at the heart of it all. It’s not only going to revolutionize the United flying experience, but it’s going to open up a lot of new partnerships and benefits for our members. but is going to unlock something that wouldn’t be possible otherwise,” said Richard Nunn, CEO of United MileagePlus, in a statement.
United’s Starlink rollout schedule
| aircraft | current provider | Starlink timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner | Panasonic | unknown |
| Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner | Panasonic | unknown |
| Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner | Panasonic | unknown |
| Boeing 777-200 | Panasonic | unknown |
| Boeing 777-300 | Panasonic | unknown |
| Boeing 767-300 | Panasonic | unknown |
| Boeing 767-400 | Panasonic | unknown |
| Boeing 757-200 | Panasonic | unknown |
| Boeing 757-300 | Panasonic, Thales and Viasat | unknown |
| Boeing 737-700 | Thales and Viasat | unknown |
| Boeing 737-800 | Thales and Viasat | unknown |
| Boeing 737 Max 8 | diameter | unknown |
| Boeing 737-900 | Thales and Viasat | unknown |
| Boeing 737 MAX 9 | Viasat | unknown |
| Airbus A319 | Panasonic and Viasat | unknown |
| Airbus A320 | Panasonic | unknown |
| Airbus A321neo | Viasat | unknown |
| Bombardier CRJ-200 | no one | Not received |
| Bombardier CRJ-550 | Wi-Fi Onboard (GoGo) | By the end of 2025 |
| Bombardier CRJ-700 | Wi-Fi Onboard (GoGo) | By the end of 2025 |
| Bombardier CRJ-900 | Wi-Fi Onboard (GoGo) | By the end of 2025 |
| Embraer E170 | Wi-Fi Onboard (GoGo) | By the end of 2025 |
| Embraer E175 | Wi-Fi Onboard (GoGo) | By the end of 2025 |
| Embraer E145 | no one | Not received |
Related Reading: