I don’t suppose there’s any means round it — the web within the sky has by no means been an ideal expertise. Nonetheless, many airways are beginning to buck that development, and in the USA, United Airways has been punching above the remainder.
It’s not solely continuously updating its app with useful options — real-time boarding group notifications, anybody? — but additionally partnering with Apple to assist reunite you along with your bag sooner due to AirTag. Now, it is ambitiously upgrading its onboard Wi-Fi and web product.
In October 2025, I had the prospect to fly aboard United’s first mainline jet — a Boeing 737-900 — with quick, free Wi-Fi powered by Starlink. After the flight, I wrote, “It feels just like the web lastly reached the sky.” That’s nonetheless correct and sums up my predominant emotions, however I received to fly once more — this time on a barely totally different Boeing 737-900 — and United has been onerous at work dashing up these installations.
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Now, each United Categorical regional jet boasts Starlink — an enormous improve, as these plane beforehand had a few of the least dependable satellite tv for pc web — and United has Starlink on 18 mainline jets. This was a extra packed flight, with much more media, creators, and influencers actually taxing the community. That’s anticipated for a Starlink demonstration flight, however even with slower velocity checks, I didn’t expertise latency or a lot lag with any activity that will usually wrestle on present in-flight web methods.
(Picture credit score: Jacob Krol/Future)
At its greatest, by way of an iPhone 17 Professional Max, I scored 291 Mbps obtain and 35.1 Mbps add. Towards the tip of the flight, earlier than starting descent, I received round 41.7 Mbps obtain by way of an iPhone Air.
Even with these variations, I may livestream a present or film, and even choose a “stay channel” by way of Disney+ on an iPad, watch any video on YouTube, and scroll by way of TikTok or Instagram Reels with out the slowdowns or loading points typical of non-Starlink-equipped United flights.
However possibly one of the best half is just with the ability to keep linked. I by no means had a problem sending a message by way of iMessage, WhatsApp, and even Fb Messenger. I may ship and obtain texts, photographs, and movies — due to my brother for sending photos of my pup Rosie. I didn’t really feel disconnected, even whereas flying over Los Angeles at 35,000 ft.
All of it felt very instantaneous, with speeds much like utilizing my iPhone on 5G mobile or residence and workplace Wi-Fi networks. United has additionally made the method actually easy to get linked — and it’s totally free.
Proper now, for normal in-flight Wi-Fi, you may pay anyplace from $8 should you’re a MileagePlus member — or $10 with out — to upwards of $17.99 for worldwide routes, the place the community will be particularly spotty.
(Picture credit score: United Airways)
You’ll begin by connecting to United Wi-Fi, which you are able to do as quickly as you board. From there, observe the on-screen steps, beginning with a display screen that claims, “Break the Barrier.”
What to learn subsequent
That’s United’s slogan for its Starlink-powered Wi-Fi. You’ll swipe by way of about three screens, together with three guidelines you’ll have to abide by:
- Voice and video calls are prohibited by federal legislation
- Take pleasure in audio, video, on-line gaming, and stay occasion content material whereas utilizing headphones
- If others may discover what you are viewing offensive, please select one thing else to stream
You’ll sign up along with your United MileagePlus account — it’s free to affix and unlocks the free Wi-Fi — or, should you’re signing in in your cellphone with the United app put in, it ought to auto-fill. From there, you’ll watch two fast adverts — I noticed a 30-second Starlink one and a 17-second United bank card one — and then you definately’re linked and off to the races.
All through the flight — which felt like a greater illustration of a real industrial Starlink expertise, one thing United is now operating every day — the in-flight Wi-Fi was constant, easy, and, most significantly, didn’t trigger any roadblocks.
Whereas not allowed on a typical industrial flight, we have been permitted to strive video calls to essentially push Starlink’s capabilities to the max. I used to be capable of FaceTime with TechRadar’s Editor-at-Massive, Lance Ulanoff, and it was clear, with no noticeable latency or voice or video garbling. He reported that I seemed nice on the opposite finish. Identical with my household, who I wished to point out a stay, 35,000-foot view of the California coast.
It was seamless — I may simply browse the net, scroll by way of cloud storage like Google Drive or iCloud, stream movies, obtain songs to a Spotify playlist whereas streaming, hop right into a stay newscast, reply to emails, and use just about any gadget I had.
Again in October 2025, I additionally tried connecting the Nintendo Change 2. United has been trying into it, and whereas I nonetheless couldn’t get it to attach on this second Starlink demonstration flight, the airline tells me a patch is coming, and the console ought to start working within the coming weeks.
Equally, whereas I may add movies to TikTok and Instagram — and even go stay on each platforms — uploads aren’t lightning-fast. A sub-one-minute video took about 5 minutes to add, however it’s satisfactory. I possible wouldn’t use a flight to add long-form video, however for collaboration, instruments like Google Docs or Pages labored nicely.
Similar to the Boeing 737-800 I first flew with Starlink in October 2025, there are two Starlink antennas mounted on prime of the plane close to the entrance, together with 4 onboard routers distributing the connection. It’s additionally multi-device — I linked two iPhones, an iPad, and a MacBook Professional with out difficulty.
(Picture credit score: Future/Jacob Krol)
United remains to be on observe to have its whole fleet fitted with Starlink by the tip of 2027. That’s nonetheless a good distance off, however progress is regular — with 16 extra mainline plane added since October 2025 and the total United Categorical regional fleet now geared up. Subsequent up are bigger jets — just like the 787, 777, 757, and 767 — in addition to different variants of the Boeing 737 and the Airbus A321.
We are able to solely hope the timeline continues to speed up as United refines the set up course of. It’s additionally clear the airline is onto one thing, as others — each home and worldwide — are making related strikes.
Zach Griff, journey knowledgeable and creator of journey publication From the Tray Desk, shared with TechRadar, “Starlink actually is a recreation changer for in-flight Wi-Fi. The low latency and blazing-fast obtain speeds make streaming a breeze. On United, Starlink is an excellent larger deal as a result of the present satellite-based Wi-Fi suppliers will be lackluster at greatest.”
“That’s why I imagine the subsequent 18 months are going to be painful for United flyers. They’ve now seen the longer term with what fleetwide Starlink WiFi goes to be like, however they’ll want to attend till the tip of 2027 to expertise it on each jet.”
And I agree, United’s imaginative and prescient of “enabling the lounge within the sky” expertise feels genuinely distinct — one thing Grant Milstead, United’s Vice President of Digital Expertise, bolstered on this check flight and even earlier, when Starlink was simply an announcement.
As of now, 344 plane characteristic Starlink, and United has operated greater than 167,000 flights with the sooner, free Wi-Fi — however for many who are ready, that rollout cannot come quickly sufficient.
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