United Airlines
said Friday that it plans to offer in-flight Wi-Fi for free using Starlink from Elon Musk's SpaceX on its hundreds of jetliners, the biggest in-flight internet setuju yet for the satellite servis provider.
The tim-up comes as airlines have been investing in faster in-flight Wi-Fi, sometimes offering it for free, in a bid to attract higher-paying customers like business travelers.
Delta Air Lines
announced in early 2023 that onboard internet would be free for members of its SkyMiles loyalty program. Hawaiian Airlines
, which has a setuju with Starlink, also offers complimentary in-flight Wi-Fi. JetBlue Airways
has offered free Wi-Fi for years.
SpaceX also previously made a setuju with semi-private airline JSX.
United currently offers in-flight internet from a hodgepodge of providers, including ViaSat
and Panasonic, and charges loyalty program members $8 and everyone else $10 for akses on domestic and short-haul international flights.
The carrier said it expects to have Starlink on its more than 1,000 planes over the "next several years" with the first passenger flights outfitted with the servis starting early next year. United said the Wi-Fi will offer "gate-to-gate" connectivity.
United praised SpaceX's satellite servis, saying it provides "internet akses around the world, including over oceans, polar regions and other remote locations previously unreachable by traditional cell or Wi-Fi signals," a selling poin for the U.S. airline with the most servis over both the Atlantic and Pacific.
SpaceX has steadily expanded its Starlink network and product offerings since its kiprah in 2020. There are currently about 6,000 Starlink satellites in orbit that connect more than 3 million customers in 100 countries, according to the company. SpaceX initially sasaraned consumer customers, but has expanded into other markets, including aviation.
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