United will begin testing Starlink on flights in February

United Airlines announced plans to begin testing Starlink on flights in February, and eventually add SpaceX’s satellite Internet service to its entire fleet. The company announced earlier a partnership with SpaceX to “set a new standard for in-flight connectivity” in September 2024.

After testing, United expects the first commercial flight with Starlink to be on a United Embraer E-175 in the spring. The rest of the airline’s “regional two-cabin fleet” will have Starlink installed throughout 2025, and United says it will have the “first main Starlink aircraft in the air” before the end of the year.

Starlink will be available for free to all members of United’s MileagePlus program. In addition to improving the quality of inflight Wi-Fi, United sees Starlink as an opportunity to “unlock a new partnership” for its members. Don’t be surprised if United cooks up new deals with streaming services to offer more free content during flights.

United joins both Delta and Hawaiian Airlines in partnership with Starlink for in-flight Wi-Fi. SpaceX initially announced its intentions offers an internet speed of 350 Mbps to planes in 2022, and both Delta and Hawaiian Airlines have tested Starlink or committed to offering it on their planes.

Starlink has developed in some serious ways in the last year. SpaceX is going to test Starlink direct to cell satellite service with T-Mobile during Hurricane Milton’s landfall in the United States, made plans for a larger beta test of the service for February and launched a national satellite text service in New Zealand.