United Airlines now has more than 635 planes equipped with Starlink Wi-Fi and is finally launching a tool to track if your flight offers it.
- New United tracker shows Starlink availability by flight and aircraft type
- 636 of United’s 1,492 planes now have Starlink
- The airline expects its entire fleet to offer fast and free Wi-Fi by 2027
The battle between US airlines to offer the best connection in the sky has intensified in recent weeks; Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian reportedly made some choice comments about Starlink and Elon Musk, prompting United Airlines to offer a status match, and Delta travelers to accept it.
United Airlines began its process of installing Starlink Wi-Fi throughout its fleet in 2025. Since then, its entire fleet of United Express regional aircraft has it, and more mainline aircraft will be connected in due course. As of today, 636 aircraft in the United Airlines fleet offer Starlink, and for those passengers it means fast, free Wi-Fi, without the “what if my flight doesn’t have a stable connection?” worry.
Delta Air Lines, on the other hand, chose Amazon Leo over Starlink in March 2026, and won’t even begin the lengthy installation process until 2028. American Airlines also opted for Starlink, but installations won’t begin until early 2027. United, meanwhile, plans to complete installations across its entire fleet by the end of 2027, giving it a substantial lead over its major American competitors.
Latest videos ofTechnologyRadar
I’ve been lucky enough to fly with United on Starlink five times: twice on special media flights and three times on regular commercial flights. After the first experience, I wrote that “it seems like the Internet finally reached heaven,” and that still holds.
The problem is that United operates 1,492 aircraft, including mainline and regional aircraft, and it’s been a guessing game as to whether it will get lucky and have Starlink connectivity. Now, United’s digital team has clearly taken note of customer frustration and launched a Starlink tracker on its website and app.
This allows you to check if your next flight has Starlink and also shows what part of the fleet is connected. The current breakdown is 351 regional aircraft, 280 narrowbody mainline aircraft and five widebody aircraft with Starlink installed and active.
It is broken down by aircraft type, including Boeing 787, 777, 767, 757, 737 and 737 Max; Airbus A321 (including Neo and XLR), A320 and A319; E-175; and CRJ. You’ll be able to see how many of each aircraft United has started the installation process on as a percentage and “coming soon” if work hasn’t started yet. Unfortunately for me, the planes that Starlink is “coming soon” to include my favorite, the Boeing 757.
You can even view availability by hub, including Newark, Chicago, Washington, DC, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, and Denver.
While United’s launch of Starlink is impressive, most of the airline’s longer flights still don’t offer the service. Worse yet, those planes feature Panasonic’s Wi-Fi service, which is among the slowest and least reliable in the sky, according to Zach Griff, author of the travel newsletter From the Tray Table.
“On recent cross-country flights, I had several periods of hours where I couldn’t establish a strong enough connection to send more than a text message,” Griff wrote.
You can only check this three days before departure, so it won’t help you when booking, and plane and queue numbers may change. Assignments are typically confirmed within 24 hours of departure, and United will also send emails and text messages to passengers, and flag Starlink flights on the flight status page in its app.
If you’re lucky, it’s a night and day difference from any other onboard Wi-Fi, with speeds much closer to what you’d get with cellular or home Wi-Fi. Streaming Disney+ or Apple TV, listening to Spotify or Apple Music, loading sites, browsing YouTube, texting, and sending emails are all faster, and those emails actually get sent.
Starlink on United is free for MileagePlus members, though you’ll need an account, which is also free.
Along with the tracker and a new install count, United is extending its ‘Switch to Better Wi-Fi’ status match through October 22. This allows eligible Delta and American members to earn United Premier status through January 2028 by meeting a spending threshold ($1,500 for Silver up to $7,000 for 1K) and flying with United within 90 days. Although the timing of the extension comes as United has increased the requirement to maintain status in 2027.
Whether you’ve been lucky enough to fly Starlink on United Airlines or are tempted by the status match offer, let me know what you think in the comments below, especially if you’re loyal to Delta, American, or another airline. The good news is that United Airlines is on track to offer Starlink across its entire fleet, and will almost certainly cross the line before Delta or American.
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to receive news, reviews and opinions from our experts in your feeds. Be sure to click the Follow button!
Post Comment