United Airlines Launches First Starlink Wifi-Equipped Mainline Aircraft

A new era of in-flight connectivity has launched, with free Starlink WiFi on United Airlines for United MileagePlus members (free sign up).

The Chicago-based carrier debuted its first mainline aircraft equipped with high-speed Starlink Wi-Fi. The milestone makes United the first airline in the United States to offer a Starlink connection on a mainline flight for both personal devices and in-flight entertainment screens. 

The Starlink-equipped aircraft is a Boeing 737-800 that operated United flight 2940 from New Jersey’s Newark Airport (EWR) to Houston (IAH) at 8 a.m. ET on Tuesday with more than 170 customers. From Houston, the aircraft will then operate two additional flights: flight 365 to Fort Lauderdale, Florida (FLL), and then it will return to Houston on flight 445, where it will end the day.

Starlink Wi-Fi has been hailed as a vast improvement for in-flight connectivity, as it offers a high-speed, low-latency service that is similar to Wi-Fi on the ground. Passengers on the equipped aircraft can now access Wi-Fi from gate to gate, including the option to stream video mid-flight without lags, buffering, or other interruption. 

The new technology will also allow passengers to complete remote work in real time, such as downloading and uploading files, as well as editing documents. Other online activities, such as gaming, shopping, or booking travel plans, can also be completed in the air the same way passengers would at home.

Plus, connecting to Starlink on board is free for United’s MileagePlus members. “We’re committed to raising the bar when it comes to the onboard experience, and with Starlink, we’re changing how people fly,” said David Kinzelman, United’s chief customer officer. “Whether it’s catching a live game, streaming an award show or working, United customers won’t miss a beat when they’re onboard a Starlink-equipped flight.”

The airline first launched Starlink Wi-Fi on its fleet of regional jets, with the first of those equipped planes taking off in May 2025 (Editor’s note: We had the opportunity to enjoy the free Starlink WiFi on an October 9, 2025 United flight from Myrtle Beach to Newark).

Now, the airline says it plans to install Starlink antennas on about 15 mainline planes per month, with each aircraft receiving two antennas. 

United is ready to install nearly 2,940 antennas across its fleet, which poetically is the same number as the flight the first Starlink-equipped 737-800 operated on October 15.

And the carrier plans to continue expanding the new Wi-Fi across its fleet. Before 2026, the airline expects to also have an additional mainline aircraft type certified to offer Starlink connectivity.

This article originally appeared in TravelPulse.

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UPDATED February 2, 2026: The carrier has now equipped more than 300 of its regional jets with ultra-high-speed onboard Wi-Fi from Starlink. 

That means that Starlink is available across most of United’s regional Embraer E-175 planes, and passengers can now access Starlink on 25% of the airline’s daily departures, which is about 1,200 flights. 

With the positive response from fliers, United plans to accelerate its rollout of Starlink to even more aircraft this year, including on board its mainline fleet of Boeing 737-800 planes. By the end of 2026, the carrier plans to equip more than 500 mainline aircraft with Starlink capability, which would mean more than 800 planes across its entire fleet would be outfitted with the ultra-fast Wi-Fi. 

The airline says it’s able to install the high-speed Wi-Fi on about 15 mainline planes per month.

Additionally, United says it’s pursuing FAA approval to install Starlink across many of its aircraft models, such as its Boeing 737-900ERs, its Airbus A321 family of jets, and its Boeing 777s—all of which operate longer haul domestic and international routes, including to destinations across the Atlantic and Pacific.