There’s an exciting update for United’s free Starlink Wi-Fi

Faster, more reliable — and free — Wi-Fi is nearly here on United Airlines.

The Chicago-based carrier announced Monday that it has received its first Federal Aviation Administration certification for installing Starlink's satellite Wi-Fi on board the Embraer E175 regional jet.

This certification, called a Supplemental Type Certificate, is required for each aircraft type receiving Starlink equipment.

Inside scoop: United's tech chief reveals the fate of 'Expert Mode,' free Wi-Fi and more

United will need at least 16 STCs to bring Starlink Wi-Fi to nearly every aircraft in its regional and mainline fleets.

United will need to perform the requisite design, installation and testing procedures for any planes that will receive this FAA certification.

An STC is issued after the FAA certifies the first Starlink-equipped planes of a given fleet type. Once the certification is in hand, United can then install Starlink across the rest of the fleet.

With its first STC secured, United has reiterated that it now plans to install Starlink on approximately 40 regional jets each month, with the entire two-cabin regional fleet getting the upgrade by the end of 2025.

United's update comes just a few weeks after the airline completed its first Starlink installation on an Embraer E175, registered N127SY, at a maintenance hangar in Nashville.

Daily Newsletter

Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter

Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts

By signing up, you will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.

As the installation wrapped up, I got an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to actually enable this faster Wi-Fi and heard from the airline's tech executives who are in charge of the project.

Landing gear in the kitchen? Touring United's renovated Chicago headquarters in the Willis Tower

Now that the first Starlink-equipped plane is flying, United says that it will run a beta test of the new technology on select flights between now and the first customer flight, which will officially happen in May — in line with the airline's promise that it would happen this spring.

First announced in September, United said it would roll out fleetwide Starlink Wi-Fi across more than 1,000 jets, bringing best-in-class connectivity to nearly its entire fleet. (The only planes not getting Starlink are single-cabin regional jets.)

While the speed and reliability upgrades will most certainly be appreciated — Starlink delivers a living-room-like streaming experience — perhaps the best news is that connectivity will be entirely free. All that will be required is signing in to your MileagePlus account.

The airline will debut a new landing and entertainment page for Starlink-enabled aircraft. This upgraded experience will offer access to streaming services, shopping, gaming and more.

For years, United has offered a subpar inflight connectivity experience. It has partnered with four different Wi-Fi providers, each offering varying speeds and reliability.

This mishmash of providers has left some loyal flyers wondering if the Wi-Fi service will work on their flight or if they can stream their favorite shows or browse data-heavy social media apps.

The good news is that the first provider that United has chosen to replace with Starlink is the most outdated: Wi-Fi Onboard (formerly known as Gogo), which offers excruciatingly slow air-to-ground connectivity across the regional fleet.

Starlink, an arm of Elon Musk's SpaceX, provides satellite internet access in more than 100 countries worldwide. While the company's customers range from individual homeowners to the U.S. military, perhaps the most exciting development for travelers is Starlink's deployment on commercial airplanes.

The satellite internet provider offers download speeds of up to 250Mbps per second — fast enough to support gaming, VPN access, streaming and much more. (Inflight calling still won't be allowed, per FAA rules.)

Once the rollout is complete, United will go from offering a subpar connectivity experience to providing one of the best in the sky.

In addition to United, Starlink is either installed or being installed on some major carriers worldwide. They include JSX, Hawaiian Airlines, airBaltic, Zipair, Qatar Airways, Air France, Air New Zealand, Scandinavian Airlines and WestJet.

United's Starlink rollout schedule

Related reading:

• United Airlines MileagePlus: Guide to earning and redeeming miles, elite status and more
• Best United Airlines credit cards
• United Premier status: How to earn it — and is it worth it?
• Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights
• The best credit cards to reach elite status
• United basic economy: What you need to know about bags, seats, boarding and more