United Thinks Wi-Fi Is Now a Reason to Pick an Airline

United Airlines says Starlink Wi-Fi is now on 43 percent of its fleet and is starting to influence which airline customers choose. On the company’s October 21 earnings call, CEO Scott Kirby said there is evidence that Starlink is a motivating factor in booking decisions, and he laid out a rollout schedule.

Installations are expected to reach 61 percent of the fleet by the end of 2026 and 87 percent by June 1, 2027, with every aircraft equipped by the end of 2027. United has also launched a tracker website showing install progress and which booked flights will have the system, and it is running status-match offers aimed at Delta and American elites.

Rivals are on different clocks. Southwest began Starlink installs in June and plans to finish by fall 2027, American starts in early 2027 without a plan yet for its regional fleet, and Delta will install Amazon Leo Wi-Fi beginning in early 2028.

The numbers behind the call were mixed: third-quarter revenue of $17.9 billion rose 17.4 percent but missed estimates by $30 million, fuel costs jumped $1.9 billion, and net income was $1.02 billion. Kirby said Starlink alone will not deliver United’s 10 percent pre-tax margin target for 2027, and warned that more U.S. airlines could fail by 2028 under high fuel costs.

Sources: Travel Weekly