United Airlines Set to Introduce Free Starlink Wi-Fi for Passengers

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. 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.