United Airlines, the US carrier, launched a tool called the Starlink WiFi Tracker on Thursday, 15 October 2026, letting passengers type in a flight number up to three days before departure to see whether that flight is scheduled to carry SpaceX’s satellite internet service. According to Insider, the tracker also follows the progress of Starlink installation across United’s fleet, and TechRadar reports it sits on both United’s website and its app.
Key facts
- The tool is called the Starlink WiFi Tracker and went live on Thursday, Insider reports.
- Lookups run by flight number and open three days before departure, per both outlets.
- Insider put the equipped count at 639 aircraft, about 43% of the fleet, as of Thursday morning; TechRadar said 636.
- TechRadar’s breakdown: 351 regional jets, 280 narrow-body mainline aircraft and five wide-bodies. Insider said Starlink is on six of United’s 248 wide-bodies.
- United is installing the service on about 20 aircraft a week and plans to finish by the end of 2027, Insider reports.
- Among the seven hubs shown, Chicago O’Hare is highest at 54% of daily departures and San Francisco lowest at 36%, according to Insider.
- TechRadar says United operates 1,492 aircraft in total, mainline and regional.
The two totals are readings of a live counter taken at different moments rather than competing figures: Insider timestamps its 639 to Thursday morning, and at roughly 20 installations a week the number on the page keeps moving, which also accounts for the one-aircraft gap in the wide-body count.
Why it matters
TechRadar describes flying United before the tracker as a guessing game over whether you would luck out, and says the airline’s digital team has taken note of that frustration. Insider notes United already pushed texts, emails and app notifications for flights scheduled to have Starlink, and frames the tracker as the piece that catches late aircraft swaps.
What the tracker shows
Hub coverage
TechRadar lists the hubs as Newark, Chicago, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston and Denver, each shown as a share of daily departures. Insider reports United is now close to half of its daily departures fleet-wide; our fleet-by-fleet rollout breakdown has the wider context on that milestone.
Aircraft-type coverage
TechRadar says availability is also broken out by aircraft type, shown as the percentage of each type on which installation has started. The same outlet flags one limit on the whole tool: because the lookup only opens three days out, it will not help at the moment of booking.
The long-haul gap
The figures Insider reports show the rollout is thinnest on the aircraft that fly the longest: all United Express regional aircraft are equipped and about a third of other narrow-bodies such as the Airbus A321 and Boeing 737, but only a handful of wide-bodies.
TechRadar says most of United’s longest flights still do not offer Starlink and instead carry Panasonic Wi-Fi, which it describes as among the slowest and least reliable in the sky, citing Zach Griff, author of the travel newsletter From the Tray Table. Griff wrote: “On recent cross-country flights, I had multiple hours-long periods when I couldn’t establish a strong enough connection to send more than a text.”
Where Starlink is fitted, TechRadar reports a night-and-day difference from other in-flight Wi-Fi, with speeds closer to a home connection or cellular — the reviewer cites streaming, music, browsing and email all working faster. On the ground the same network is sold as a paid monthly consumer subscription with hardware costs on top; our comparison of Starlink against 5G home broadband found it wins on speed but loses on price.
How United’s rivals compare
Insider reports that Starlink has become a notable advantage for United because its main rivals do not have it. American Airlines has also opted for Starlink, but Insider says installations start next year and TechRadar specifies early 2027. Delta Air Lines chose Amazon Leo, Amazon’s low-Earth-orbit satellite network, in March 2026 and will not begin installation until 2028, according to TechRadar, which says that gives United a substantial head start.
TechRadar also frames the past few weeks as an escalating fight over in-flight connectivity, reporting that Delta chief executive Ed Bastian made choice comments about Starlink and Elon Musk, which prompted United’s status-match response.
The status-match campaign
United is courting rivals’ frequent flyers alongside the tracker. Insider reports an offer that matches a traveller’s loyalty status on Delta or American, promoted with the line about switching to United for the fastest Wi-Fi in the sky.
TechRadar reports the ‘Switch to Better Wi-Fi’ status match has been extended through 22 October. Eligible Delta and American members can earn United Premier status through January 2028 by meeting a spending threshold — $1,500 for Silver up to $7,000 for 1K — and flying United within 90 days. TechRadar notes the extension lands as United has raised the requirements to maintain status in 2027.
Background on the rollout
TechRadar reports United began installing Starlink across its fleet in 2025, starting with the United Express regional jets, with mainline aircraft coming online since; both outlets describe the end-of-2027 completion target as covering mainline and regional aircraft alike.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the tracker guarantee my flight will have Starlink?
No. Insider reports the airline can swap which plane operates a flight, and United says the tool carries real-time updates for those last-minute changes. TechRadar adds that aircraft and tail numbers can change and that assignments are typically confirmed within 24 hours of departure.
Which aircraft types does the tracker list?
According to TechRadar, the breakdown covers the Boeing 787, 777, 767, 757, 737 and 737 Max; the Airbus A321 (including Neo and XLR), A320 and A319; plus the E-175 and CRJ regional jets. Each type shows the share of planes already started, or “coming soon” if installation work has not begun — the 757 is among the types still listed as coming soon.
Do passengers pay for Starlink on United?
No. TechRadar reports that Starlink on United is free for MileagePlus members, and that a MileagePlus account is itself free to open.
How many flyers have taken up United’s status-match offer?
United told Insider that thousands of customers signed up within two weeks of the campaign starting. The airline added that status-match applications are up 275% compared with the period before the campaign.
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