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Which airlines have Starlink Wi-Fi right now?
The list is long and still growing. Airlines that already fly Starlink-equipped planes include United, Alaska, Hawaiian, Southwest, WestJet, JSX, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Iberia, Air France, airBaltic, SAS, Emirates, Qatar Airways, ZIPAIR and Copa, according to Upgraded Points' airline guide (updated Sept. 17, 2026). Rollouts are partial. Many of these carriers have only some of their planes fitted, so having a deal does not mean your flight has it.
The access rules differ too. Some airlines make it open to everyone (British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Emirates, Qatar, Hawaiian). Others tie it to a loyalty account: United MileagePlus, Alaska Atmos Rewards, Southwest Rapid Rewards, WestJet Rewards, SAS EuroBonus.
Which airlines are adding Starlink next?
Announced but not yet flying, per the same guide: American Airlines (new Airbus deliveries from early 2027), Frontier (early 2027), Lufthansa Group (first aircraft expected in the third quarter of 2026, fleet complete by 2029), Korean Air and its group airlines, El Al (from 2027), and LEVEL. Skift's Sept. 13 report says most major US airlines have signed with Starlink. The exceptions it names are Delta, JetBlue and Allegiant.
Why is Delta in the middle of a Starlink fight on X?
Delta chose Amazon Leo instead. In March it announced a deal for Leo Wi-Fi on 500 planes, starting in 2028, according to Deseret News. Delta says Leo offers more features, such as Amazon retail and video, at a lower price. In May, Elon Musk said on X that Delta rejected Starlink because Starlink does not allow a login portal, and Delta wanted passengers to sign in through its own portal. Delta called that inaccurate.
The latest flare-up came in the past few days. An aviation account reported that Delta CEO Ed Bastian told employees, "We do not want to be with Elon Musk." Musk replied that Bastian "will lose his job." The Bastian remark is a secondhand report and has not been independently verified. Delta told Deseret News it has nearly 1,300 Wi-Fi-equipped aircraft and "leads the industry in Wi-Fi." Meanwhile United is offering Delta customers a status match to try its Starlink service, and Sen. Mike Lee posted that Delta's Wi-Fi is unreliable.
How do airlines make money from Starlink Wi-Fi?
Mostly indirectly. Starlink on a plane has been free to passengers at most airlines, so the return comes from customer loyalty and satisfaction rather than a Wi-Fi fee. United reported in its second-quarter 2026 results that Starlink-equipped flights scored more than twice the Wi-Fi satisfaction of planes with its other Wi-Fi systems. CEO Scott Kirby tied the Starlink investment to winning loyal customers. Virgin Atlantic says satisfaction on its Airbus A350s rose after Starlink went in (Aerospace Global News, Aug. 10, 2026).
Loyalty sign-up is the second payoff. Requiring a MileagePlus or Rapid Rewards login turns Wi-Fi into a reason to join the program. That is the portal approach Musk criticized in the Delta dispute.
Charging is new and rare. Copa Airlines, which began Starlink flights on July 4, 2026, charges some passengers. Business class and top-tier members fly free, and so do Starlink Residential and Roam subscribers; everyone else pays (Upgraded Points, Head for Points).
What does Starlink cost an airline?
Estimates vary a lot, and none are official prices. Upgraded Points puts it at about $200,000 per aircraft to install plus $4,000 to $20,000 a month in service fees. Skift cites roughly $500,000 to install on a Boeing 737-800 and about $180,000 a year in fees, which would put United's 141 older 737-800s at about $28.2 million to install. Head for Points notes Starlink's own aviation page lists up to $20,000 per aircraft per month, with likely volume discounts. Ryanair's CEO has said fitting its fleet would cost about 218 million pounds and that only about 5% of passengers would pay for Wi-Fi.
How fast is the rollout?
United said it had more than 450 mainline and United Express aircraft with Starlink by mid-July and expects nearly 1,000 by the end of 2026. Skift counted 563 of United's 1,658 aircraft (about 34%) in September. Southwest, which started in June, had about 1% of its fleet fitted. Southwest plans more than 300 of its roughly 800 aircraft by the end of 2026. Counts differ by source and date, so treat them as snapshots.
How can you get Starlink on the ground too?
If in-flight Starlink is what impressed you, the home version is the same constellation, with plans from $55 a month in the US after the June 2026 price change. Prices and availability depend on your address, so check starlink.com first. If you order through our referral link, you get one free month, applied to your second invoice, and you need to stay subscribed through two billing cycles. See the referral terms and the Starlink vs Amazon Leo comparison. Amazon Leo is the service Delta chose, and it has no consumer pricing yet.
Frequently asked questions
Which US airlines have Starlink Wi-Fi?
United, Alaska (including Hawaiian), Southwest and WestJet (Canada) are flying it now, with partial fleet coverage. American and Frontier have announced installs starting in early 2027. Delta, JetBlue and Allegiant have not signed with Starlink, according to Skift (Sept. 13, 2026).
Is Starlink Wi-Fi on planes free?
At most airlines, yes, though several require a loyalty account (United, Alaska, Southwest, WestJet, SAS). Copa Airlines charges some passengers, the first airline reported to do so.
Why doesn't Delta have Starlink?
Delta signed with Amazon Leo in March 2026 for about 500 planes starting in 2028 and says Leo offers more features at a lower price. Musk says Delta wanted a login portal that Starlink's terms do not allow. Delta disputes that.
How much does it cost an airline to install Starlink?
Published estimates range from about $200,000 to about $500,000 per aircraft, plus roughly $4,000 to $20,000 a month in service fees. These are third-party estimates, not official pricing.
Does Starlink Wi-Fi make passengers happier?
United says Starlink-equipped flights scored more than twice the Wi-Fi satisfaction of its other Wi-Fi systems in its Q2 2026 results. Virgin Atlantic also reports higher satisfaction on its Starlink-equipped A350s.
Sources
- Upgraded Points: Airlines offering Starlink Wi-Fi (updated Sept. 17, 2026)
- Skift: Starlink is a must-have for airlines, but somebody's got to pay (Sept. 13, 2026)
- Deseret News: Delta snubbed Starlink, now Musk says its CEO will lose his job (Oct. 2, 2026)
- Aerospace Global News: Starlink WiFi is boosting airline customer satisfaction (Aug. 10, 2026)
- Head for Points: Is Starlink's promise of free in-flight Wi-Fi about to end? (July 16, 2026)
- United Airlines newsroom: DISH football on Starlink-enabled seatback screens (Sept. 17, 2026)