United Announces Accelerated Timeline for Industry-Leading Starlink Connectivity in the Sky By Investing.com

The first commercial flight with Starlink service is now expected by spring, the entire regional two-cabin fleet is equipped by the end of 2025, and the first main aircraft should fly before the end of the year

Access will be free for all MileagePlus ^® customers and includes rule-changing in-flight entertainment experiences like streaming services, shopping, gaming and more

Sign up for United’s award-winning loyalty program for free now at united.com/starlink

LAS VEGAS, January 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — United Airlines today announced an accelerated timetable for Starlink to bring “the fastest, most reliable connection in the sky” to United passengers around the world.

The airline now expects to begin testing Starlink next month with the first commercial flight scheduled to take off this spring on a United Embraer e-175 aircraft. United now plans to equip its entire regional fleet with two cabins by the end of this year and have its first Starlink-enabled mainline aircraft in the air before the end of this year.

Ultimately, United will add Starlink to its entire fleet.

Access will be free for all MileagePlus customers and includes game-changing in-flight entertainment experiences such as streaming services, shopping, gaming and more. MileagePlus membership is also free and people can sign up now at united.com/starlink.

“We have a lot in store for our MileagePlus members this year and adding Starlink to as many plans as possible ‘as quickly as possible’ is at the heart of it all,” he said. Richard NunnCEO of United MileagePlus. “Not only will it revolutionize the experience of flying United, but it will also unlock a host of new partnerships and benefits for our members that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.”

Last September, United signed the largest contract of its kind in the industry with SpaceX bring Starlink to your entire fleet. And starting in a few months, the airline’s customers will enjoy the same high-speed, low-latency Internet service in the air as they do on the ground. This door-to-door connectivity will enable experiences in the sky on a scale like no other OUR provided by the airline, on seatback screens and personal devices simultaneously.

MileagePlus was recently rated as the world’s best airline loyalty program and includes the following features:

• Free to join, for all customers
• Earn miles for free
• Miles never expire
• There is no blackout date for award seats “ if there is an open seat, you can buy it with miles
• Almost anything you can pay for with cash on United, you can buy with miles (seats, wifi, snacks, etc.)
• And United became the first big one OUR airline to allow members of its loyalty program to pool their miles with family and friends on a shared account.

On average, about 31,000 United seats are filled by MileagePlus customers using their miles “that’s like filling about 100 Boeing (NYSE: ) 777 aircraft. During the summer of 2024, more than three million MileagePlus users flew with award tickets.

About United

At United, he leads the way well. WITH OUR hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, DCUnited operates the most comprehensive global route network among North American carriers and is now the largest airline in the world, measured by available seat miles. For more information on how to join the United team, visit www.united.com/careers, and more information about the company can be found at www.united.com. United Airlines Holdings (NASDAQ:), Inc.parent company United Airlines, Inc.traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol “UAL”.

About Starlink

Starlink provides high-speed, low-latency internet to users around the world. As the world’s first and largest satellite constellation using low Earth orbit, Starlink provides broadband internet that supports streaming, online gaming, video calling and more. Designed and operated by Starlink SpaceX. As the world’s leading provider of launch services, SpaceX is using its extensive experience with spacecraft and orbit operations to deploy the world’s most advanced broadband Internet system.