United Airlines a few months ago. announced. It has an agreement with Starlink to provide in-flight internet access for its passengers. At the time, the airline said it would begin testing the new service in early 2024 and offer it on passenger planes later this year. United has moved up the schedule a bit this spring with test flights and the first passenger aircraft it will offer, the Embraer E-175 regional jet Starlink.
When speaking with United's Chief Customer Officer Linda JojoShe said the company has an aggressive schedule for retrofitting the new Starlink terminal, which is scheduled to take about two days while the plane settles in (with the option to split the plane up over two nights).
United expects to install Starlink on its entire regional fleet by the end of the year. The first mainstream aircraft (Boeing 737s and Airbus 320s) will get Starlink before the end of the year.
The promise here is that Starlink will allow anyone on board to watch live video; It will essentially make the Wi-Fi experience fly on the ground with enough bandwidth to access productivity apps and play live games.
“We have a lot planned for MileagePlus members this year, and adding Starlink service to as many planes as possible as quickly as possible is at the heart of it all,” said Richard Nunn, CEO of United's MileagePlus frequent flyer program. . “This will not only revolutionize United's flying experience, but will open up new partnerships and new benefits for our members that wouldn't be possible otherwise.”
Once it is available, Wi-Fi will be free for all members of United's MileagePlus program through Starlink. Fliers will also be able to connect to multiple devices under a single account.