United Airlines is set to officially launch free high-speed Starlink Wi-Fi starting this month, and early reviews show the service will redefine the passenger experience and sets the benchmark for in-flight connectivity with speeds fast enough for streaming, video calls, and even live sports.
Starlink will debut on United on flight UA5717 from Chicago O’Hare to Detroit on May 15, operated by an Embraer 175 regional jet. United plans to install the service across its entire regional fleet by year-end and aims to begin outfitting its mainline aircraft later in 2025.
Ahead of its debut, journalists and bloggers who were invited to test Starlink on United have reported a seamless experience. The Points Guy described connecting to the network as “quick and easy,” using the United mobile app after logging onto the Unitedwifi.com network.
Network speeds of 217 Mbps download and 26.8 Mbps upload were achieved at 35,000 feet, with The Points Guy calling the performance “faster than some home internet.”
Upgraded Points, who also participated in a preview flight, echoed that sentiment, saying Starlink “handled everything I would want an inflight Wi-Fi connection to handle — and did so easily.” They tested everything from video streaming to FaceTiming, uploading images, and multitasking across devices.
They noted that watching a live MLB game while simultaneously streaming the papal election coverage from Rome worked flawlessly at 30,000 feet.
As with most other airlines that have adopted Starlink, United is offering the in-flight connectivity for free to members of their rewards program, MileagePlus. Flyers will also benefit from “gate-to-gate” connectivity — meaning there’s no need to wait until cruising altitude to get online — and can connect multiple devices at once. A QR code system also allows for seamless pairing across phones, tablets, and laptops.
