United to Roll-out Starlink Service this Spring

DALLAS — United Airlines (UA) announced an accelerated timeline to bring SpaceX's Starlink to travelers globally.

With the goal of adding the service to its entire fleet, the airline expects to test Starlink next month, with the first commercial flight with the service happening this spring on a UA Embraer E-175. This aircraft serves short-haul flights on UA's regional routes.

United Express, a regional subsidiary of UA, operates its E-175 fleet. The E-175 is popular for regional operations due to compliance with the Scope Clause, which limits aircraft take-off weight for regional carriers.

United Express currently has over 200 Embraer E-175 jets in its fleet, operated by partners like Mesa Airlines (YV), Republic Airways (YX), and SkyWest Airlines (OO).

The Chicago-based carrier plans to outfit its entire two-cabin regional fleet by year-end and have its first mainline Starlink-enabled plane in the air also by year-end.

Comments from United Officials

Back in October of 2024, UA's Chief Commecial Officer Andrew Nocella described this upgrade as more than just providing WiFi; it promises a near-seamless, high-speed connection with low latency that will allow passengers to use the internet as if they were on the ground.

He also assured customers that fares would stay the same due to the free Wi-Fi. “Starlink will be free. I think that’s the least exciting part of our announcement, quite honestly, because this is about reliability and access,” he remarked.

customers need to be a MileagePlus members to access the free service, which includes "game-changing inflight entertainment experiences like streaming services, shopping, gaming and more." Not to worry, says UA—it's free to sign up on MileagePlus.

"We have a lot planned for our MileagePlus members this year and adding Starlink to as many planes as we can – as quickly as we can – is at the center of it all," said Richard Nunn, CEO of United MileagePlus.

"It's not only going to revolutionize the experience of flying United, but it's also going to unlock tons of new partnerships and benefits for our members that otherwise wouldn't be possible."

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