United Airlines Announces Historic Deal With SpaceX That Will Give Travelers Free In-Flight Wi-Fi
Passengers who fly on United Airlines are about to get a serious upgrade to their in-flight experience.
Today, the Chicago-based airline announced it had reached a historic deal with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to bring Starlink Wi-Fi service to the airline fleet for free.
According to United, customers will soon have access to the same high-speed internet that they have become accustomed to on land, while they soar through the air.
Photo: Forbes
“Everything you can do on the ground, you’ll soon be able to do onboard a United plane at 35,000 feet, just about anywhere in the world,” said United CEO Scott Kirby. “This connectivity opens the door for an even better inflight entertainment experience, in every seatback – more content, that’s more personalized. United’s culture of innovation is, once again, delivering big for our customers.”
The Transition Will Start Next Year
When United switches to Starlink, travelers will be able to surf the Internet, shop, stream their favorite television shows and movies, and even play online games on their seatback screens and personal devices simultaneously.
“We’re excited to team up with United Airlines to transform the inflight experience,” said Gwynne Shotwell, President and Chief Operating Officer at SpaceX. “With Starlink onboard your United flight, you’ll have access to the world’s most advanced high-speed internet from gate to gate, and all the miles in between.”
Following the news of the historic deal, Elon Musk took to X to celebrate.
Starlink coming to United Airlines! https://t.co/ZECqynaehz
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 13, 2024
The transition to Starlink will take place over the next several years, with testing set to begin early next year. The first passenger flights are expected to receive Starlink by the end of 2025.
A New Era For United
As previously mentioned, the in-flight Wi-Fi will be free for United travelers.
Photo: LinkedIn
According to United, roughly 1,000 planes will be fitted with Starlink Wi-Fi. Currently, United has nearly 100,000 seatback screens across its fleet. Moving forward, the airline plans to add to that number as it orders new airplanes and retrofits existing crafts.
Photo: United Airlines
Finally, the new internet service will help United employees as the team will now have better internet on the ground, in the air, and when traditional services might otherwise be impacted.
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