{"id":21785,"date":"2025-10-15T02:22:58","date_gmt":"2025-10-15T02:22:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/finderica.com\/?p=21785"},"modified":"2025-10-15T02:22:58","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T02:22:58","slug":"united-is-bringing-starlink-to-its-first-737-and-its-seriously-fast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/finderica.com\/?p=21785","title":{"rendered":"United Is Bringing Starlink to Its First 737, and It\u2019s Seriously Fast"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div class=\"_3VJt4n\">\n<p class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\"><span class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\">United Airlines is rolling out Starlink Wi-Fi to its Boeing jets, which make up a significant portion of its large mainline fleet.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_3VJt4n\">\n<p class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\"><span class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\">The first plane with Starlink Wi-Fi, a Boeing 737-800, will take flight Oct. 15, 2025, from Newark, New Jersey, to Houston. The flight number is UA 2940 \u2014 the same as the approximate number of antennas United expects to install across its fleet.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_3VJt4n\">\n<p class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\"><span class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\">Until now, the Starlink rollout has been limited to smaller planes in the United Express regional fleet, making this an exciting development for the carrier\u2019s passengers. The Boeing 737-800 is United&#8217;s first Boeing plane type to be certified by the Federal Aviation Administration for Starlink installation, with more expected to come at a later time. The Starlink Wi-Fi is available for free to all <\/span><span class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\">United MileagePlus<\/span><span class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\"> members.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_3VJt4n\">\n<p class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\"><span class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\">However, don\u2019t get too excited just yet. The rollout will take some time, as United has more than 1,000 planes in its mainline fleet. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_3VJt4n\">\n<p class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\"><span class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\">United invited me on a media flight from Chicago to Chicago (yes, you read that right) to test out Starlink on the first Boeing 737-800 with the service. I was onboard a similar flight in May 2025 for the <\/span><span class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\">United Express-Starlink launch<\/span><span class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\">, and it was clear that United has worked out some kinks in the last few months. Things felt faster, smoother and more streamlined this time around.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_3VJt4n\">\n<p class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\"><span class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\">Here\u2019s what to expect when flying on a Starlink-enabled plane.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"_3P4ktl zeCuXk _28z5Fp _2w4PM3 _1My7YX\" data-currency=\"Text\" id=\"how-fast-is-starlink-wi-fi-on-united\"><span class=\"_3P4ktl zeCuXk _28z5Fp _3-to_p\">How fast is Starlink Wi-Fi on United?<\/span><\/h2>\n<div class=\"_3VJt4n\">\n<p class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\"><span class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\">I ran multiple internet speed tests on my phone using Speedtest by Ookla, and I routinely clocked download speeds of 250 to 400 megabits per second, with upload speeds of 15 to 50 megabits per second.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_3VJt4n\">\n<p class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\"><span class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\">That may not mean much to a regular person, so put simply, it\u2019s very fast. In fact, it took me about five seconds to download the Ookla app (170 MB), and I was able to stream high-quality live TV on the Peacock app. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_3VJt4n\">\n<div class=\"_3wlVa6 _2247K8\" style=\"width:1440px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;max-width:100%\">\n<figure class=\"_3ngNGS\">\n<div class=\"xkItPk\" style=\"background-color:transparent\">\n<div class=\"_30SBGi x6Nm1J\"><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"yYnXEF\"><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_3VJt4n\">\n<p class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\"><span class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\">Speeds were slightly slower on my laptop, but they were still impressive. One test showed 200 Mbps download and 45 Mbps upload. I was able to watch multiple YouTube videos concurrently without issue.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_3VJt4n\">\n<p class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\"><span class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\">Contrast that with the regional flight for media, where I had issues with YouTube thumbnails loading slowly. That wasn\u2019t the case this time around, but it probably helped that there weren\u2019t as many media members on this flight. (The person across the aisle from me, however, did bring at least five devices to test the system.)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_3VJt4n\">\n<p class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\"><span class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\">Starlink uses a group of low Earth orbit satellites that allow for significantly faster speeds in the air. The Starlink equipment is also lighter than traditional United Wi-Fi systems, which helps improve fuel efficiency, according to Mara Palcisco, United\u2019s vice president for engineering and reliability.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_3VJt4n\">\n<p class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\"><span class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\">Another benefit: The technology is not affected by weather the way traditional systems can be, Palcisco said at the event.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"_3P4ktl zeCuXk _28z5Fp _2w4PM3 _1My7YX\" data-currency=\"Text\" id=\"how-do-you-sign-on-to-starlink\"><span class=\"_3P4ktl zeCuXk _28z5Fp _3-to_p\">How do you sign on to Starlink?<\/span><\/h2>\n<div class=\"_3VJt4n\">\n<p class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\"><span class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\">To use Starlink on United, you\u2019ll need to have a United MileagePlus account. If you don\u2019t have one, you can sign up onboard.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_3VJt4n\">\n<p class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\"><span class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\">Starlink allows for gate-to-gate connectivity, meaning you should have access once you board the plane. All you need to do is connect to the \u201cunitedwifi.com\u201d network and follow the prompts in the pop-up window that opens.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_3VJt4n\">\n<p class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\"><span class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\">I would recommend installing the United app and signing into your account before the flight. That way, the system will automatically recognize you as a MileagePlus member and you can bypass additional login screens.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_3VJt4n\">\n<div class=\"_3wlVa6 _2247K8\" style=\"width:1440px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;max-width:100%\">\n<figure class=\"_3ngNGS\">\n<div class=\"xkItPk\" style=\"background-color:transparent\">\n<div class=\"_30SBGi x6Nm1J\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Text, Business Card, Paper\" class=\"Zsn_9Z\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/tachyon\/2025\/10\/image1-2.png?fit=1440%2C1214\" credit=\"nerdwallet\" id=\"1850858\"><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"yYnXEF\"><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_3VJt4n\">\n<p class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\"><span class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\">Once you\u2019re in, you\u2019ll be greeted with some snazzy graphics that will take you through the rules of using the in-flight Wi-Fi. In short, passengers are not allowed to make voice or video calls and should avoid watching content that others might find offensive.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_3VJt4n\">\n<p class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\"><span class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\">You\u2019ll need to watch a brief ad (mine was an advertisement for <\/span><span class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\">United credit cards<\/span><span class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\">), and then you\u2019re ready to browse to your heart\u2019s content.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_3VJt4n\">\n<p class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\"><span class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\">If you have other devices, you\u2019ll follow similar steps to connect the unitedwifi.com network. However, instead of signing in again, you\u2019ll find a QR code that you can scan with your phone\u2019s camera to automatically log you on.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_3VJt4n\">\n<div class=\"_3wlVa6 _2247K8\" style=\"width:1440px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;max-width:100%\">\n<figure class=\"_3ngNGS\">\n<div class=\"xkItPk\" style=\"background-color:transparent\">\n<div class=\"_30SBGi x6Nm1J\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Nature, Night, Outdoors\" class=\"Zsn_9Z\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/tachyon\/2025\/10\/image4-1.png?fit=1440%2C1026\" credit=\"nerdwallet\" id=\"1850846\"><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"yYnXEF\"><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"_3P4ktl zeCuXk _28z5Fp _2w4PM3 _1My7YX\" data-currency=\"Text\" id=\"how-starlink-changes-the-passenger-experience\"><span class=\"_3P4ktl zeCuXk _28z5Fp _3-to_p\">How Starlink changes the passenger experience<\/span><\/h2>\n<div class=\"_3VJt4n\">\n<p class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\"><span class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\">United is billing Starlink as a game-changer for flights because of the ways it can improve the passenger experience, especially via the seatback screen.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_3VJt4n\">\n<p class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\"><span class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\">With Starlink enabled, United is able to feed live data to the seatback, which can help, for example, passengers with connecting flights because it can show live gate updates and flight status. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_3VJt4n\">\n<p class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\"><span class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\">United has also recently announced digital content partnerships with Spotify and Apple TV, with more announcements expected in the coming months.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_3VJt4n\">\n<p class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\"><span class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\">The Starlink rollout comes as United has invested in the passenger experience, with plans to install more than 300,000 seatback screens across its fleet (the most of any airline). In May 2025, United demoed its <\/span><span class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\">\u201cUnited Elevated\u201d<\/span><span class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\"> interiors on new Boeing 787-9 planes, which will include 13-inch 4K OLED screens in coach.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_3VJt4n\">\n<p class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\"><span class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\">\u201cThe notion of why we\u2019re doing what we\u2019re doing really started around all the stuff we take for granted on Earth: 24\/7, across any device and you can do whatever you want. This doesn\u2019t exist in the sky,\u201d United MileagePlus CEO Richard Nunn said at the event. \u201cWith Starlink, that partnership really enabled us to do that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"_3P4ktl zeCuXk _28z5Fp _2w4PM3 _1My7YX\" data-currency=\"Text\" id=\"when-will-my-united-flight-have-starlink\"><span class=\"_3P4ktl zeCuXk _28z5Fp _3-to_p\">When will my United flight have Starlink?<\/span><\/h2>\n<div class=\"_3VJt4n\">\n<p class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\"><span class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\">As of June 2025, United has 1,039 planes in its mainline fleet, and 812 of those are narrowbody planes, like the Boeing 737-800. That means it\u2019ll take some time for the rollout to finish.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_3VJt4n\">\n<p class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\"><span class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\">United says it expects to install Starlink on up to 15 Boeing 737-800 planes a month. Unlike the regional planes, these will have two antennas each, essentially doubling the available bandwidth for these larger aircraft.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_3VJt4n\">\n<p class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\"><span class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\">Grant Milstead, United\u2019s vice president of digital technology, says the airline is focusing on planes that need the technology the most, particularly those that currently use air-to-ground technology, which communicate with cell towers on the ground.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_3VJt4n\">\n<p class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\"><span class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\">Following the 737-800s, United\u2019s focus will turn to installing Starlink on its 737-900s and 737-900ERs. Existing widebody planes will get the Starlink upgrade later, although the new Boeing 787-9 planes are expected to come with Starlink equipped.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_3VJt4n\">\n<p class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\"><span class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\">On the regional front, United has moved quickly since May 2025. More than half of the airline\u2019s regional fleet is equipped with Starlink. By the end of the year, the service is expected to be on nearly 300 regional planes.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_3VJt4n\">\n<p class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\"><span class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\">Earlier this year, those regional planes encountered static interference issues that forced United to shut down Starlink service. However, Doug Stoltz, United\u2019s director of cabin systems engineering, says the airline tested the issue to make sure it wouldn\u2019t be a problem with the mainline planes. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_3VJt4n\">\n<p class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\"><span class=\"_98KgO7 _28z5Fp _3-to_p\"><span class=\"_28z5Fp _3-to_p\">Top photo by Benjamin Din\/SS.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_3wlVa6 _2247K8\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"_3wlVa6 _2247K8 _3eCw6n\">\n<h3 class=\"_21EZtY eHXiWO _3_uGsM _28z5Fp _28CJ7N _1My7YX\" data-currency=\"Text\" id=\"how-to-maximize-your-rewards\"><span class=\"_21EZtY eHXiWO _3_uGsM _28z5Fp _3-to_p\">How to maximize your rewards<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/travel\/news\/united-starlink-mainline-rollout\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>United Airlines is rolling out Starlink Wi-Fi to its Boeing jets, which make up a significant portion of its large mainline fleet. The first plane with Starlink Wi-Fi, a Boeing 737-800, will take flight Oct. 15, 2025, from Newark, New Jersey, to Houston. The flight number is UA 2940 \u2014 the same as the approximate<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21786,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[195],"tags":[7923,2787,6099,1053],"class_list":{"0":"post-21785","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-personal-finance","8":"tag-bringing","9":"tag-fast","10":"tag-starlink","11":"tag-united"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/finderica.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21785","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/finderica.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/finderica.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/finderica.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/finderica.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=21785"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/finderica.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21785\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/finderica.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/21786"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/finderica.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=21785"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/finderica.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=21785"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/finderica.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=21785"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}