United Airlines supports the launch of Starlink, with the first flight scheduled for spring

A few months ago, United Airlines he announced its partnership with Starlink to provide internet access to its passengers. At the time, the airline said it would begin testing the new service in early 2024 and then offer it to regular flights by the end of the year. United has now extended this period a bit, with a test starting next month and the first passenger airline to offer Starlink, the Embraer E-175 aircraft, which takes off this spring.

When I spoke with United’s Chief Customer Officer Linda Jojohe told me that the company has an aggressive recovery plan, installing a new Starlink that should take about two days while the plane is on the ground (with the option of splitting the two nights).

United now hopes to roll out Starlink across its entire regional network by the end of the year. The first major airliners (think Boeing 737s and Airbus 320s) will get Starlink by the end of the year.

The promise here is that Starlink will make in-flight Wi-Fi the same as on the ground, with enough bandwidth to allow everyone on board to stream live video, access creative apps and play live games.

“We’ve made a lot of improvements for our MileagePlus members this year and adding Starlink service on as many flights as possible – as quickly as possible – is at the heart of it all,” said Richard Nunn, CEO of United’s MileagePlus frequent flyer program. . “Not only will it revolutionize the experience of flying on United, but it will open up tons of deals and benefits for our members that wouldn’t have been possible.”

Once available, Wi-Fi on Starlink will be free for all members of United’s MileagePlus program. Fliers will also be able to connect to multiple devices under the same account.