United says in-flight Starlink Wi-Fi is winning over loyal flyers of rival airlines

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said on an earnings call Wednesday, Oct. 21, that Starlink Wi-Fi is getting people who have flown other airlines for years to try United. Once they do, he said, many stay. The claim is mostly anecdotal, but the rollout behind it is large and moving fast.

What changed

In a press release on Tuesday, Oct. 20, United said Starlink Wi-Fi is installed on more than 640 of its planes. It adds the system to three more planes every day. The airline expects to have it across the whole fleet by the end of 2027. Kirby said United offers more Starlink flights than the rest of the U.S. airline industry combined.

What Kirby says is happening

Kirby said it is hard to win over brand-loyal flyers. Still, he said customers loyal to other airlines for years have switched to United solely because of Starlink. He called the evidence mostly anecdotal, meaning it comes from examples, not hard numbers. His view is that they stay after trying United because of the rest of the experience.

• New aircraft
• Larger seatback screens in every class of service
• Oversized bins
• ConnectionSaver, United's tool for holding flights for connecting passengers
• A mobile app Kirby called dramatically better than what flyers have used before

The app and the tools behind it

ConnectionSaver is an AI-powered tool. It finds departing flights that can be held for connecting customers without making already-boarded passengers arrive late. United said in June 2025 that it had saved more than 3.3 million connections since 2019. In the third quarter, the app added a standby feature. Rebooked customers can stand by for up to three earlier flights and get a text when a seat opens. On Oct. 16, the app became available in Japanese with yen support.

What to do

If Wi-Fi matters on your trips, United has launched a Starlink tracker that shows whether a given flight has it. Check it before you book. Since planes are being upgraded daily, the answer for a route can change over time.

What happens next

Kirby said fast, low-earth orbit Wi-Fi like Starlink will eventually become an industry standard. Low-earth orbit means the satellites circle relatively close to the planet. He expects United to remain the only global airline offering Starlink at scale during 2027 and 2028. The material does not say how many flyers have switched, or what the Wi-Fi costs.