Skip to main content

United’s first Starlink-equipped flight is ready for takeoff

By Mark Reif Published October 14, 2025

United Airlines 737 — United Airlines / United Airlines

Tomorrow at 8 a.m., United Airlines will debut technology never before offered on a mainline flight: Starlink W-Fi. Flight 2940 will embark from Newark/New York (EWR) and arrive in Houston (IAH), while providing Starlink across in-flight entertainment screens and personal devices like your favorite travel tablet.

United begins Starlink rollout on 737s

“We’re committed to raising the bar when it comes to the onboard experience, and with Starlink, we’re changing how people fly,” said David Kinzelman, United’s Chief Customer Officer. “Whether it’s catching a live game, streaming an award show or working, United customers won’t miss a beat when they’re onboard a Starlink-equipped flight.”

Recommended Videos

While over half of United’s regional fleet offers Starlink, the airline expects to equip up to 15 mainline 737-800s with the technology each month. By the end of 2025, the airline plans to obtain Starlink certification for another aircraft type.

Key to in-flight Starlink is its high-speed, low-latency connection — just like passengers experience at home. That’s especially useful for streaming, live TV, and gaming at 35,000 feet.

Following Flight 2940, the same aircraft will continue onward with Flight 365 to Fort Lauderdale (FLL), before returning to Houston on Flight 445. Flight 2940 isn’t just another number — it symbolizes the 2,940 Starlink antennas the airline will install fleet-wide.

In-flight Starlink is free for MileagePlus members, and passengers will receive a pre-flight notification when their aircraft offers the technology. United debuted Starlink on a regional flight in May 2025, and its implementation coincides with the airline’s plan to offer 300,000 seatback screens — more than any other domestic carrier — while retrofitting current aircraft and taking delivery of hundreds more.

Mark Reif is a storyteller focused on the intersection of outdoor culture, travel, and design. From the peaks of Banff to the…

Travel

The Palouse: America’s Most Underrated Scenic Drive

Waterfalls, barns, and the wide open spaces the West is known for. All at the tip of your fingers in the Pacific Northwest

Field, Grassland, Nature

When Americans talk about spectacular landscapes, they usually mention the obvious headliners: the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite, the Rocky Mountains, or the dramatic coastlines of California and Oregon. Far fewer people have heard of the Palouse, a remarkable agricultural region straddling eastern Washington and western Idaho.

That is a shame because the Palouse is one of the most visually distinctive landscapes in North America—and one of the most rewarding road trips you can take in the Pacific Northwest. I have visited this area several times, both as a destination in its own right and on my way through to the Idaho Panhandle.

Travel

Inside Gordon Ramsay’s spectacular new London restaurant in the sky

From skyline views to Gordon's famous fried chicken, Lucky Cat delivers on every level

City, Urban, Metropolis

I'm not saying Gordon Ramsay is the reason I booked a dinner reservation in London.

But after my partner and I binged Being Gordon Ramsay on Netflix earlier this year, visiting Lucky Cat suddenly shot to the top of our list.

Travel

London has no shortage of rooftop bars. Florattica still stands out

This East London rooftop bar proves you don't need to be 50 floors up to impress

Bar, Person, Candle

London does not need another rooftop bar. The city has them stacked on top of skyscrapers, tucked behind hotel lobbies, and squeezed onto buildings where you'd swear there isn't room for a bar, let alone a view. So when a new one claims to be worth your evening, it has some convincing to do.

Florattica, perched on the 11th floor of Canopy by Hilton London City, did the convincing. It just recently picked up its first PIN from The Pinnacle Guide, and after a night spent working through its cocktail menu (slowly, responsibly, mostly), it's easy to see why.