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Alaska Airlines to outfit entire fleet with fast, free Starlink Wi-Fi service

Aug. 20, 2025
3 min read
alaska airlines boeing 737 sea
Alaska Airlines to outfit entire fleet with fast, free Starlink Wi-Fi service
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Alaska Airlines is jumping on the fast, free inflight Wi-Fi bandwagon.

The Seattle-based carrier on Wednesday announced it will outfit all of its planes with Starlink connectivity — and the service will be free to members of Atmos Rewards, the new joint loyalty program Alaska just unveiled in concert with sister airline Hawaiian Airlines.

Alaska’s Wi-Fi upgrade comes after parent company Alaska Air Group last year acquired Hawaiian, which has already installed Starlink on many of its planes. (In fact, Hawaiian was the first U.S. carrier to equip planes with Starlink connectivity.)

Now, Alaska-branded jets will get the Starlink service, too.

Alaska Airlines aircraft at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA).
Alaska Airlines aircraft at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA). SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY

Alaska plans to begin installing the Starlink satellites on its planes this December, and it hopes to have its entire fleet outfitted by early 2027.

That includes the brand-new Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 787s, which don’t yet have Starlink connectivity and are now set to get repainted with Alaska branding early next year.

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Related: Alaska and Hawaiian announce new premium credit card

Alaska’s Starlink Wi-Fi announcement comes at a time when airlines are increasingly upgrading their inflight internet offerings and making them free to customers — or at least to flyers who have a loyalty number to their name.

Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and JetBlue (along with Hawaiian) have all either completed or begun the shift to free on-board browsing. American Airlines plans to make its Wi-Fi free early next year for AAdvantage loyalty members.

And Southwest Airlines has been testing whether its on-board bandwidth is sufficient to switch to a free setup for Rapid Rewards members.

Alaska plans to add the Starlink service to its Boeing 737 and 737 MAX planes (it has more than 230 in its fleet) along with its regional jets flown by Horizon Air and SkyWest.

As for Hawaiian, the carrier has already equipped its Airbus A330 and A321neo aircraft with Starlink. However, TPG has confirmed the airline’s Boeing 717s — a fixture of its network of short inter-island flights — will not get the new high-speed Wi-Fi service.

Related reading:

Featured image by SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

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  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.