United Says the Reason You Pick Its Flights May Be the Wi-Fi

United Airlines says in-flight internet is now influencing which airline passengers choose. On its third-quarter earnings call, CEO Scott Kirby said Starlink Wi-Fi is installed on 43 percent of the fleet and described it as a motivating factor for customers deciding where to fly.

The rollout is moving quickly. Kirby expects Starlink on 61 percent of aircraft by the end of this year, 87 percent by June 1 and the full fleet by the end of next year. United has also launched a tracker website that shows installation progress and whether a given booked flight will have the system, and it has made aggressive status-match offers to Delta and American elites.

Rivals are following at different speeds. Southwest began installations in June and plans to finish by next fall, American intends to start early next year, and Delta will use Amazon Leo, a competing low-earth-orbit service, starting in early 2028.

The financial picture is less rosy. Third-quarter operating revenue rose 17.4 percent to $17.9 billion, but fuel costs jumped 61.6 percent, or $1.9 billion. United is targeting a 10 percent pre-tax margin for 2027 after posting 4.9 percent over the first nine months, and Kirby said Starlink alone will not close the gap. He also predicted more U.S. airlines could fail by 2028 if fuel stays expensive.

Sources: Travel Weekly