United's Starlink Timeline

United Airlines is adding fast, free Starlink internet across its fleet, but most passengers still won’t see it on every flight until 2027. (united.com) (thepointsguy.com) United said on January 5, 2025 that Starlink access would be free for MileagePlus members and that it planned to equip its entire two-cabin regional fleet by the end of 2025, with the first mainline aircraft flying before year-end. (united.com) By February 2026, United had finished installing Starlink on nearly all of its dual-cabin regional jets, covering more than 300 aircraft. The airline said those planes accounted for about a quarter of its daily departures because regional jets fly multiple short segments a day. (thepointsguy.com) The next phase is the larger fleet. United expects more than 800 aircraft to have Starlink by the end of 2026, and Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Nocella said the broader installation push will wrap up in 2027. (thepointsguy.com) That leaves a long middle period when the onboard experience depends on the tail number. On Starlink-equipped planes, MileagePlus members get the new service; on planes without it, United said this week it has not changed its existing Wi-Fi policy. (independent.co.uk) (united.com) The distinction became more visible in April after some travelers reported getting free Wi-Fi on flights that did not appear to have Starlink. United told The Independent that a “minor technical issue” briefly provided free access on some flights and was fixed the same day. (independent.co.uk) United is tying the Wi-Fi rollout to its loyalty program rather than making it universal by default. The airline has said MileagePlus is free to join, and it has pitched Starlink as part of a broader push to add more digital perks for members. (united.com) That strategy extends beyond the cabin. United executives said recently that about 1.6 million customers used the airline’s new Transportation Security Administration wait-time feature in the United app during its first two weeks. (travelmole.com) (paddleyourownkanoo.com) For travelers booking United in 2026, the timeline is straightforward: fast, free internet is already live on many regional flights, spreading to more mainline jets this year, with a fleetwide finish still roughly a year and a half away. (thepointsguy.com) (united.com)