United Airlines has added a new onboard amenity to more than half of its flights, just in time for the Thanksgiving travel rush.
The Chicago-based carrier announced that more than 50% of its daily flights are now equipped with free Starlink Wi-Fi capability.
The announcement is a major milestone in United’s initiative to roll out Starlink access across its entire fleet.
With the ultra-fast connection, travelers have the ability to use Wi-Fi from gate to gate the same way they would on the ground, including streaming videos and music, playing games, and editing live documents and more.
United passengers also have access to live NFL games and the ability to pair their Spotify accounts to the airline’s Starlink-enabled seatback screens.
To be ready to access the carrier’s Starlink Wi-Fi during the busy Thanksgiving season, travelers must create an account with United’s Mileage Plus loyalty program and use their credentials to access the connection.
Thanksgiving travelers can also check to see if their flight is Starlink-equipped by using United’s new Starlink tracker site.
During the Thanksgiving travel period from November 19 to December 1, United expects to fly more than 6.6 million passengers, with an average of about 500,000 fliers per day.
The airline’s busiest travel day is expected to be Sunday, November 29, when about 600,000 passengers are planning to fly.
"From staying connected with Starlink Wi-Fi to making it easier for families to navigate the airport and know what to expect along the way, we're focused on giving customers the tools and information they need to make every step of their journey easier and more enjoyable, especially during the busy holiday season," said United's Chief Customer Officer, David Kinzelman. "And with our teams across the airline ready to take great care of customers, we're looking forward to helping make holiday travel as seamless as possible."
United plans to have Starlink installed on 64% of its fleet by the end of 2026 and on all of its planes by the end of 2027.
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