United Airlines now says first flights with Starlink Wi-Fi will take off spring 2025

Last year, United announced its intention to upgrade its in-flight Wi-Fi with SpaceX’s Starlink satellites, with testing expected to begin in the spring and the first equipped flights coming later in the year. Now the airline says it will begin testing “next month”, followed by the first commercial flight on an Embraer E-175 aircraft – a narrow-body aircraft for regional flights that can accommodate up to 88 passengers – in the spring.

In addition to this, United now plans to equip its entire regional two-cabin fleet by the end of 2025 and have its first Starlink-enabled mainline aircraft in the air before the end of this year. Ultimately, the airline expects to have its entire fleet of nearly 1,000 aircraft equipped with Starlink Wi-Fi.

United currently has four different Wi-Fi providers, depending on the travel site One Mile at a Timewith regional jets using Intelsat (ex Gogo) and most wide body jets using Panasonic Wi-Fi. United also uses Viasat Wi-Fi on most of its 737 Max planes, some A319s and A321neos. Viasat is the best of the bunch in terms of speed and is commonly found on American and Delta flights.

But while a number of international carriers have announced similar plans to add Starlink to their fleets, United is still alone among the major domestic carriers to adopt SpaceX’s technology. (JSX and Hawaiian have both said they plan to add Starlink to their planes.)

And while in-flight Wi-Fi remains slow and unreliable for most air travelers, it seems we’re fast approaching a tipping point in expectations for fast, free connectivity. Mobile device owners are increasingly accustomed to uninterrupted video streaming and other conveniences wherever they are – even while thousands of feet in the air.

Starlink boasts download speeds of 40-220 Mbps and upload speeds of 8-25 Mbps per terminal, which United says can support streaming, gaming and even video conferencing. United says its Starlink-enabled Wi-Fi will be free for its MileagePlus loyalty customers (for whom sign-ups are also free).

“We have a lot planned for our MileagePlus members this year and adding Starlink to as many aircraft as we can — as soon as possible — is at the center of it all,” said Richard Nunn, CEO of United MileagePlus, in a statement. . “Not only will it revolutionize the experience of flying United, but it will also unlock tons of new partnerships and benefits for our members that wouldn’t otherwise be possible.”