United Airlines considers partnership with Starlink for improved inflight Wi-Fi

An anonymous source commented on the rumor: "It's only a matter of time until Starlink gets a major carrier." JonNYC later indicated that United is close to announcing a deal with Starlink.

JonNYC tweeted on September 5, 2024: "I know it's the best choice intellectually, but I still hate to see it personally on a solely visceral level– yes, I fully assume it's going to be Starlink."

Starlink has already demonstrated impressive performance on JSX and Hawaiian Airlines flights. Users have reported faster speeds and lower latency due to the satellites' low earth orbit positions. Installations can reportedly be completed overnight.

Gary Leff shared his experience via Twitter in March 2023: "I've gotten as much as 80 Mbps down on this @flyjsx flight with @SpaceX#Starlink internet. It's like working in my office at home… while airlines generally don't even put internet on their ERJ-145s at all."

Reports indicate download speeds reaching up to 200 Mbps and significantly faster upload speeds. If United finalizes this partnership with Starlink, it could transform from an industry laggard in inflight Wi-Fi services to one of the leading carriers in terms of connectivity.