- United’s new tracker shows Starlink availability by flight and aircraft type
- 636 of United’s 1,492 aircraft now have Starlink
- The airline expects its whole fleet to offer free, fast Wi-Fi in 2027
The battle between US airlines to offer the best connection in the sky has heated up in the past few weeks, with Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian reportedly making some choice comments about Starlink and Elon Musk, which led United Airlines to offer a status match, and Delta flyers to take it up.
United Airlines kicked off its Starlink Wi-Fi installation process across its fleet back in 2025. Since then, its entire fleet of regional United Express jets has it, and more mainline aircraft are coming online in due course. As of today, 636 aircraft in United Airlines’ fleet offer Starlink, and for those passengers it mean free, fast Wi-Fi, without the “what if my flight doesn’t have a stable connection?” worry.
Delta Air Lines, on the other hand, chose Amazon Leo over Starlink back in March of 2026, and it won’t even begin the lengthy installation process until 2028. American Airlines has also opted for Starlink, but installations won’t begin until early 2027. United, meanwhile, plans to complete installations across its entire fleet by the end of 2027, giving it a substantial head start over its major US competitors.
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I’ve been lucky enough to fly United with Starlink five times: twice on special media flights and three times on regular commercial flights. After the first experience, I wrote that “it feels like the internet finally reached the sky,” and that still holds up.
The trouble is that United operates 1,492 aircraft, including mainline and regional jets, and it’s been a guessing game whether you’ll luck out and have Starlink connectivity. Now, United’s digital team has clearly taken note of customers’ frustration, and has launched a Starlink tracker on its website and in its app.
This lets you check whether your upcoming flight has Starlink, and it also shows how much of the fleet is connected. The current breakdown is 351 regional jets, 280 narrow-body mainline planes, and five wide-body aircraft with Starlink installed and active.
It’s broken down by aircraft type, including Boeing 787, 777, 767, 757, 737, and 737 Max; Airbus A321 (Neo and XLR included), A320, and A319; E-175; and CRJ. You’ll be able to see how many of each aircraft United has started the installation process on as a percentage, and ‘coming soon’ if work hasn’t begun yet. Sadly for me, the aircraft to which Starlink is ‘coming soon’ include my favorite, the Boeing 757.
You can even see availability by hub, including Newark, Chicago, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, and Denver.
While United’s Starlink rollout is impressive, most of the airline’s longest flights still don’t offer the service. Even worse, those planes feature Panasonic Wi-Fi service, which is among the slowest and least reliable in the sky, according to Zach Griff, author of travel newsletter From the Tray Table.
“On recent cross-country flights, I had multiple hours-long periods when I couldn’t establish a strong enough connection to send more than a text,” wrote Griff.
You can only check starting three days before departure, so it won’t help when you book, and aircraft and tail numbers can change. Assignments are typically confirmed within 24 hours of departure, and United will also email and text passengers, and flag Starlink flights on the flight status page in its app.
If you do luck out, it’s a night-and-day difference from any other in-flight Wi-Fi, with speeds much closer to what you’d get on cellular or home Wi-Fi. Streaming Disney+ or Apple TV, listening to Spotify or Apple Music, loading sites, browsing YouTube, texting, and email are all faster — and those emails are actually sent.
Starlink on United is free for MileagePlus members, though you’ll need an account, which is also free.
Along with the tracker and a fresh install count, United is extending its ‘Switch to Better Wi-Fi’ status-match through October 22. This lets eligible Delta and American members earn United Premier status through January 2028 by meeting a spending threshold ($1,500 for Silver up to $7,000 for 1K) and flying United within 90 days. Though the timing of the extension comes as United has hiked the requirement to maintain status in 2027.
Whether you’ve been lucky enough to fly Starlink on United Airlines or are tempted by the status-match offer, let me know what you think in the comments below, especially if you’re loyal to Delta, American, or another airline.The good news is that United Airlines is well on its way to its full fleet offering Starlink — and it’ll almost certainly cross the line before Delta or American.
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