Overview
- United operated its first Starlink‑equipped transatlantic widebody flight on Monday, June 22, when Flight 14 flew from Newark to London on a Boeing 777‑200.
- The airline says more than 400 planes already have Starlink and it expects close to 1,000 Starlink‑equipped aircraft by the end of 2026 with about 60 widebodies fitted this year and all widebodies completed by next summer.
- Starlink service is offered free to MileagePlus members on equipped flights and customers receive an alert before travel if their flight has Starlink connectivity.
- United is testing live TV on Starlink‑enabled seatback screens through July 20 with DIRECTV on up to 150 aircraft, delivering live sports, news, and entertainment via web apps from Viasat and Thales.
- Installations rely on FAA type approvals but move quickly once certified, Starlink’s low‑Earth‑orbit network cuts latency and extends coverage over oceans, and United’s push is prompting rivals such as Southwest to speed their own rollouts and raising passenger expectations for inflight internet.