What happened
United Airlines is quietly rolling out free Wi-Fi to all passengers, extending the benefit beyond its Starlink-equipped aircraft to those with Viasat and Panasonic systems. While United has an aggressive Starlink rollout targeting completion by late 2027, this new development means non-Starlink planes are also offering free connectivity. The benefit appears to be triggered by logging into the Wi-Fi portal with a MileagePlus account and is not tied to elite status or cabin class. This move coincides with the discontinuation of the T-Mobile Wi-Fi benefit. The shift aims to compete with American and Delta, though limited bandwidth on older systems may result in slower speeds. No official press release has been issued yet, but widespread user reports confirm the change began recently