United reveals exciting update about free Starlink Wi-Fi

United Airlines has one final Christmas present for flyers: Free Wi-Fi is coming sooner than originally promised.

The Chicago-based carrier announced Sunday that it will start installing Starlink Wi-Fi across its two-cabin regional fleet in the coming weeks.

The first aircraft to receive Starlink Wi-Fi, an Embraer E175 regional jet, will be outfitted with a Starlink radome in February and will reenter scheduled commercial service in the spring.

Furthermore, United now plans to outfit its entire fleet of two-cabin regional jets by the end of 2025 and have its first mainline Starlink-enabled plane in the air before the end of this year.

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United has committed to installing Starlink across its fleet of more than 1,000 jets — a feat that's sure to take at least a few years. (United isn't providing a timeline for when it expects these Wi-Fi upgrades to be fully completed.)

In addition to a faster rollout schedule, United emphasized once again that internet access will be free for all United MileagePlus customers.

Additionally, the airline will debut a new landing and entertainment page for Starlink-enabled aircraft. This upgraded experience will offer access to streaming services, shopping, gaming and more.

In September, United shocked the industry when it announced that it would add free fleetwide Starlink Wi-Fi.

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For years, United has offered a subpar inflight connectivity experience. It has partnered with four different Wi-Fi providers, each offering varying speeds and reliability.

This mishmash of providers has left some loyal flyers wondering if the Wi-Fi service will work on their flight or if they can stream their favorite shows or browse data-heavy social media apps.

The good news is that the first provider that United has chosen to replace with Starlink is its most outdated: Wi-Fi Onboard (formerly known as Gogo), which offers excruciatingly slow air-to-ground connectivity across the regional fleet.

Starlink, an arm of Elon Musk's SpaceX, provides satellite internet access in more than 100 countries worldwide. While the company's customers range from individual homeowners to the U.S. military, perhaps the most exciting development for travelers is Starlink's deployment on commercial airplanes.

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The satellite internet provider offers download speeds of up to 350 Mbps per second — fast enough to support gaming, VPN access, streaming and much more. (Inflight calling still won't be allowed, per Federal Aviation Administration rules.)

Once the rollout is complete, United will go from offering a subpar connectivity experience to providing one of the best in the sky.

While Delta Air Lines and JetBlue both offer free Wi-Fi in the U.S., both carriers partner with Viasat for internet access. Viasat generally offers streaming speeds, but Starlink's low latency means that data should load even faster.

In addition to United, Starlink is either installed or being installed on seven carriers worldwide. They include JSX, Hawaiian Airlines, airBaltic, Zipair, Qatar Airways and Air New Zealand.

"We have a lot planned for our MileagePlus members this year and adding Starlink to as many planes as we can — as quickly as we can — is at the center of it all. It's not only going to revolutionize the experience of flying United, but it's also going to unlock tons of new partnerships and benefits for our members that otherwise wouldn't be possible," Richard Nunn, CEO of United MileagePlus, said in a statement.

United's Starlink rollout schedule

Related reading:

• United Airlines MileagePlus: Guide to earning and redeeming miles, elite status and more
• Best United Airlines credit cards
• United Premier status: How to earn it — and is it worth it?
• Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights
• The best credit cards to reach elite status
• United basic economy: What you need to know about bags, seats, boarding and more