United Adds Starlink Wi-Fi Flight Tracker as Service Reaches Nearly Half of Daily Departures
United Airlines has launched a tracker that lets passengers check whether their flight has Starlink Wi-Fi, as the carrier says nearly half of daily departures now use the satellite internet service.
United first announced its partnership with SpaceX's Starlink in September 2024 and began testing the service in January 2025, according to Engadget. The airline has already flown more than 37.7 million passengers on Starlink-equipped aircraft across more than 538,000 flights, powering 14 million devices, 9to5Mac reported. United said more than 250,000 customers on average fly on a Starlink-equipped plane every day aboard more than 2,500 flights.
The new tracker is intended to supplement preflight emails and text notifications, which United will still send when a flight is scheduled to have Starlink. The tracker can provide updates if equipment changes occur, such as when United swaps an aircraft. Travelers can enter their flight number and travel date to see whether their flight has Starlink or whether a last-minute hardware change has affected the aircraft assigned to the route.
The two reports differ on how far in advance the tracker gives a reliable answer. Engadget said passengers can enter their flight number and travel date within three days of departure, and the tracker will show updates or last-minute hardware changes in real time. 9to5Mac said travelers should use the tracking link within two days of departure, or 48 hours, to get a generally reliable answer; if they check earlier, the tracker will show the percentage likelihood based on recent flights on the same route.
According to Engadget, the tracker can also show daily departures with Starlink onboard and allow users to explore how many regional, narrowbody and widebody airplanes offer the service. It can display Starlink availability by hub, specifically for flights in Chicago, Newark, Washington, DC, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston and Denver.
United is installing Starlink on about 20 aircraft per week and plans to complete installations by the end of 2027, according to Engadget. 9to5Mac reported that United intends to reach 100 percent Starlink coverage by the end of next year. Current installation rates vary by fleet, with mainline aircraft flying long-distance routes at 37 percent and United Express regional jets at 68 percent, 9to5Mac reported. United has more Starlink-equipped planes than any other airline, according to Starlink Flights, which tracks availability by carrier. Other airlines offering Starlink internet include Emirates, Qatar Airways, WestJet, SAS, Alaska Airlines and Air France.