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United Airlines is rapidly installing Starlink Wi-Fi across its fleet at a pace unmatched by any major carrier. In less than a year, the airline has equipped most of its two-cabin regional fleet (more than 300 aircraft) with Starlink. It plans to extend the technology to more than half of its mainline fleet by the end of 2026 (with the rest coming next year).
More than 25% of United’s daily departures (roughly 1,200 flights) now feature Starlink. The airline reports that customer satisfaction scores for Wi-Fi on those aircraft have nearly doubled. Over the past 10 months, United has carried more than seven million passengers on Starlink-equipped planes across 129,000 flights. This has supported 3.7 million connected devices.
By the end of 2026, United expects to have Starlink installed on more than 500 mainline aircraft. This will bring the total number of connected planes to over 800. This marks a significant leap toward fleet-wide, gate-to-gate connectivity that supports activities previously unrealistic in the air like watching live sports, online gaming, and real-time access to connected home devices.
United is spotlighting this milestone during the Super Bowl on February 8th with a national advertising campaign that showcases what Starlink makes possible at cruising altitude. The broadcast highlights real-world use cases onboard United flights and emphasizes the reliability and speed of the new system. The campaign will air in several US markets including Cincinnati, Cleveland, Colorado Springs, Denver, Houston, Indianapolis, and Kansas City. These cities already have a significant share of United flights with Starlink. In Indianapolis, more than 63% of United flights are equipped with the system, Kansas City exceeds 53%, and Cincinnati tops 51%.
Passenger feedback has been a key validation point. Travelers consistently cite gate-to-gate connectivity, stable performance, and seamless streaming as standout improvements compared to legacy satellite systems.
Looking ahead, United plans to accelerate mainline installations throughout the year while working with Starlink and regulators to secure approvals across a broad range of aircraft types. These include the Boeing 737-900ER, the Airbus A321 family, and widebody aircraft such as the Boeing 777. As installations expand, United is positioning Starlink as a core part of its onboard product, redefining expectations for inflight internet across both regional and long-haul flights.
Maggie Schmerin, United’s Chief Advertising Officer, said:
We are focused on what we call ‘travel truths’ in our advertising, so with this spot we wanted to recognize the truly giant leap Starlink Wi-Fi represents for our customers and what is now possible. Starlink is transforming the inflight experience on United planes with reliable connectivity that enables everything from productivity to streaming the biggest football game of the season.”
Anthony’s Take: To date, I have flown on one United flight equipped with Starlink. I’m hoping to start hitting aircraft with it installed with much greater regularity. The ad is cute and I’m sure it will get many viewers excited.
(Image Credits: United Airlines.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
