United Expands Free Inflight Wi-Fi Beyond Starlink Offerings

Updated: April 17, 2026, 2:41pm CDT

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United Expanding Free Viasat Wi-Fi Access
Final Thoughts

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Update:

After publication, United clarified that this was a temporary technical glitch offering free Wi-Fi on some flights. That glitch has been fixed, and Viasat-equipped planes are once again charging the standard price for inflight Wi-Fi.

United Airlines has been rolling out Starlink inflight Wi-Fi, and passengers seem to love it. It’s free, and it’s fast.

Interestingly, the carrier is also expanding free inflight Wi-Fi on planes that don’t have Starlink. This unadvertised expansion could help United catch up with other airlines that already offer free internet to passengers.

Here’s what you should know about this expansion, and how you might score free internet on your next United flight.

United Expanding Free Viasat Wi-Fi Access

Officially, United Airlines doesn’t offer free Wi-Fi on planes that don’t have its latest Starlink service. That high-speed offering is both free and fast, but unfortunately, it’s still limited to certain aircraft.

Recently, we saw the end of free inflight Wi-Fi for T-Mobile customers flying on United. Interestingly, United passengers seem to have gained free Wi-Fi, but the airline hasn’t publicized it at all.

On aircraft equipped with Viasat Wi-Fi service, United would typically charge $8 for MileagePlus members and $10 for non-members. However, reports across online forums (including Reddit) suggest that some passengers are receiving free Wi-Fi on their United flights.

United planes at night at ORD — United planes at night in Chicago. Image Credit: Ehsan Haque

To be clear, this isn’t just a messaging pass or limited-time access. Travelers are reporting a full-flight pass offering streaming, emails, and full internet access. Video conferencing and video calls are still not supported.

United currently uses Viasat Wi-Fi on select narrow-body aircraft, including its Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A320 family planes.

Meanwhile, the carrier’s Starlink rollout covers more than 25% of its daily departures. The airline plans to install Starlink on more than 500 mainline jets by the end of 2026, in addition to the 300+ regional jets that already offer it. Until every United plane has fast, free Starlink Wi-Fi, the carrier is giving many passengers free Viasat internet to catch up with free internet offerings from other airlines.

Hot Tip:

Our complete guide to inflight Wi-Fi explains how internet services work on flights and which airlines offer free connectivity.

Final Thoughts

Normally, airlines make big announcements when they start offering something for free. United seems to be taking a different approach here. While not officially confirmed, the growing number of reports suggests the airline may be testing or gradually expanding free Viasat Wi-Fi behind the scenes.

This may be a way to catch up with competitors in the “free internet” space while continuing to expand Starlink connectivity. It lets United offer free Wi-Fi to more passengers at present while working to catch up with other U.S.-based airlines, which it will likely do once its Starlink service is available on all flights.

Viasat isn’t as reliable or as fast, but free is definitely better than paid. And if you happen to get it on your next United flight, it’s a pretty great surprise.