United Airlines is accelerating its Starlink rollout, with the first commercial flight planned for the spring

A few months ago, United Airlines Announce Its deal is with Starlink to provide on-board internet access to its passengers. The airline said at the time that it would begin testing the new service in early 2024 and then offer it on passenger flights later in the year. United has now accelerated that timeline slightly, with testing starting next month and the first passenger flight to offer Starlink, an Embraer E-175 regional jet, taking off this spring.

When I spoke to United’s chief customer officer Linda GogoShe told me that the company has a strict timeline for the upgrade, with installation of the new Starlink station scheduled to take about two days while the plane is at base (with the option to split the installation over two nights as well).

United now expects to install Starlink on its entire regional fleet by the end of the year. The first major aircraft (such as the Boeing 737 and Airbus 320) will receive Starlink before the end of the year.

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

“We have a lot planned for MileagePlus members this year, and adding Starlink service on as many aircraft as possible – as quickly as possible – is at the center of it all,” said Richard Nunn, CEO of MileagePlus Frequent Flyer Program. . “Not only will this revolutionize the experience of flying with United, but it will also open up so many new partnerships and benefits for our members that would not otherwise be possible.”

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