- United partners with SpaceX for free Starlink WiFi
- Service targets premium travelers with high-speed internet
- Rollout begins in 2025 on select flights
United Airlines, a global commercial airline, has agreed with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to provide satellite-based Starlink WiFi connectivity on all its flights.
The airline announced Friday that the service will be free for travelers for several years.
The revelation comes as airlines strive to provide more facilities to differentiate themselves when passengers choose a carrier for a journey.
According to industry analysts, United’s goal is to make sitting on a plane as comfortable as being on the ground for browsing the Internet, streaming entertainment, and playing multi-player online video games.
Everything you can do on the ground, you’ll soon be able to do on board a United jet at 35,000 feet, just about anywhere in the world,’ United CEO Scott Kirby said in announcing the agreement.
According to the Wall Street Journal, United’s arrangement is part of a larger effort to strengthen its premium services for first—and business-class passengers.
According to the Journal, the company hopes that Starlink’s technology will ‘propel it above competitor carriers in offering speedy, free WiFi.
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The international airline business has been updating its planes with more power outlets and seat back screens to entice passengers who want to stay connected to the internet via their mobile gadgets while in flight.
United said it will start testing the service early next year and roll it out on some flights later in 2025.
The financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.
Rival airline Delta had previously tested Starlink for a similar partnership, but according to press sources, no contract or agreement was reached.
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