United will begin testing Starlink on flights in February

United Airlines announced plans to begin testing Starlink on flights in February, adding SpaceX’s satellite internet service to its entire fleet. The company announced for the first time Partnership with SpaceX To “set a new standard for on-board 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. Starlink will be installed on the rest of the airline’s “two-cabin regional fleet” throughout 2025, and United says it will have its “first major Starlink-enabled aircraft in the air” before the end of the year.

Starlink will be available for free to all members of United’s MileagePlus program. Besides improving the quality of in-flight Wi-Fi, United sees Starlink as an opportunity to “open a new partnership” for its members. Don’t be surprised if United strikes new deals with streaming services to offer more free in-flight content.

United joins both Delta and Hawaiian Airlines In partnership with Starlink to provide on-board Wi-Fi. SpaceX originally announced its intention to do so Provides internet speeds of up to 350 Mbps To planes in 2022, Delta and Highway Airlines have either tested Starlink or committed to offering it on their planes.

Starlink has expanded in some serious ways in the past year. SpaceX should test Starlink Direct to cell satellite service With T-Mobile during Hurricane Milton’s landfall in the United States, plans were made to Larger beta testing Out of service for February and launched Nationwide satellite text messaging service In New Zealand.