Airplane mode might soon be a thing of the past—at least if you’re flying United. The airline just became the first U.S. carrier to fully embrace SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet across its fleet, promising fast, free Wi-Fi from gate to gate. That means no more anxiously waiting for “10,000 feet” to reconnect or squinting at offline games while your messages go undelivered.
The new service, powered by Starlink’s low-Earth orbit satellite network, launched this month on select domestic flights. United says the rollout will rapidly expand to more planes throughout 2025, particularly targeting narrow-body jets like the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 families—the ones most often used for U.S. flights.
Unlike traditional in-flight Wi-Fi, which is often slow, spotty, and expensive, Starlink’s system boasts speeds fast enough to stream videos, send large files, or even hop into video calls (if you really must). That puts it miles ahead—pun intended—of most current airline internet options. And yes, United says the service will be free for all passengers.
What does this mean for airplane mode? Technically, your phone still needs to stay in airplane mode to avoid connecting to ground-based cell towers. But with Starlink providing a stable, high-speed internet connection from takeoff to touchdown, the limitations of airplane mode could start to feel irrelevant. Messaging apps, streaming, cloud docs—they’re all back on the menu.
It’s a big step not just for passengers, but for the airline industry. Fast, reliable in-flight Wi-Fi has long been a passenger pain point. By partnering with Starlink, United is signaling that the era of midair disconnection may finally be ending.
Of course, all this midair connectivity isn’t without a few downsides. For starters, the blissful quiet of being unreachable while flying—something some travelers have come to cherish—could soon be gone. With fast, free Wi-Fi available from gate to gate, the temptation to keep working, doomscrolling, or hopping on video calls could make flights feel a lot less like a break. There’s also the potential for crowded networks; if everyone on board is streaming Netflix or downloading large files at once, performance could suffer. And while United says the service is free, there’s always the question of whether costs will eventually be passed on through higher ticket prices. Lastly, privacy advocates have raised concerns in the past about how in-flight internet data might be monitored or collected—something worth keeping an eye on as these systems expand.
Reddit users are buzzing about United Airlines’ rollout of Starlink-powered Wi-Fi, with many expressing enthusiasm over the promise of faster, more reliable in-flight internet. One user shared their experience flying on a Hawaiian Airlines flight equipped with Starlink, noting, “It was really fast and worked consistently, no glitches. Will be a nice upgrade.” Another user highlighted the impressive speeds, stating, “I clocked 120-160 MBs down during a few tests throughout the flight.”
However, not all feedback is positive. Some users express concerns about potential downsides, such as increased noise from passengers making calls or playing videos aloud. One commenter remarked, “Just in time for people to FaceTime their family on speaker and play YouTube videos loud.” Others worry about the loss of a digital detox during flights, with one user noting, “The blissful quiet of being unreachable while flying could soon be gone.”Reddit
Despite these concerns, the general consensus among Redditors is that the introduction of Starlink Wi-Fi on United flights is a significant improvement over previous in-flight internet options, offering passengers enhanced connectivity and the ability to stay productive or entertained during their journeys.
So, next time you fly United, don’t be surprised if your seatmate is live-streaming from 35,000 feet. Just maybe keep your video calls on mute—we’re not quite ready for that.
Would you use full-speed Wi-Fi on your next flight, or do you prefer the digital detox?
