United Airlines says Starlink is now available on more than half of its daily flights, just ahead of the Thanksgiving rush. If you’re flying United this month, you can look up your flight three days before departure to see whether it has the free service. Check each leg of a connection separately, and look again on departure day if you need internet in the air.
United’s Nov. 12 announcement puts the change in the middle of a busy stretch. The airline expects more than 6.6 million passengers from Nov. 19 through Dec. 1, with about 600,000 flying on Sunday, Nov. 29. The share of flights with Starlink reflects the planes United schedules across its network. Coverage can look quite different at your airport or on your aircraft type.
Check each flight number before you leave
Open United’s Starlink tracker, choose the departure date and enter your United flight number. The tracker uses the flight number on your itinerary. If you fly out on Wednesday and return Sunday, you’ll need to wait until the return is within the same three-day window to check it. United also says it will tell you about availability when you check in.
The tracker showed 697 equipped aircraft and 46% of the fleet in its Nov. 13 update. That day, it estimated that Starlink would be available on 69% of departures from Chicago O’Hare and 41% from San Francisco. Those airport figures describe scheduled departures. Use the result for your flight when deciding whether you can count on a connection, then check again after any rebooking. United says it sometimes changes aircraft at the last minute.
What free Starlink covers
On an equipped United flight, a MileagePlus account gives you free Starlink access in any cabin. The airline says you can use it on multiple personal devices for tasks such as streaming video or working on a shared document. United’s Starlink information page says only members can use Wi-Fi on upgraded aircraft. If you don’t have an account, enroll while you’re still on the ground. United’s onboard entertainment remains available without an account.
Once aboard, use airplane mode, turn Wi-Fi back on and join the onboard network. Open unitedwifi.com if the sign-in page doesn’t open automatically, then follow the prompts. United’s inflight policy prohibits voice and video calls. If you’re planning to work, save a local copy of what you need before boarding so you can keep going if the connection drops or the plane changes.
What Wi-Fi costs on other United planes
United still uses other providers. Its standard Wi-Fi page lists a price of $8 or 800 miles for MileagePlus members on domestic and short-haul international flights without Starlink. Other passengers pay $10 on those routes. On long-haul international flights, the price depends on the route and flight length. United also offers free messaging on its standard Wi-Fi service. Its support page lists iMessage, WhatsApp and Messages by Google. For two eligible legs without Starlink, paying separately at the listed rates would come to $16 or 1,600 miles for a MileagePlus member, or $20 for a nonmember. Check both flights before budgeting for two paid sessions.
The kind of plane can give you a clue before the tracker opens for your date. The tracker lists all 252 Embraer E175s as equipped, while just five of 96 Boeing 777s and two of 100 Boeing 787s were equipped in the Nov. 13 snapshot. The airline operated its first Starlink-equipped widebody flight across the Atlantic in June, on a Boeing 777 from Newark to London. An aircraft type or a hub percentage is a starting point. The flight number is what gets you an answer for the plane United expects to put at your gate.
