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The Complete Guide to United’s Inflight Wi-Fi Service [2025]

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Spencer Howard
Updated: 
Edited by: Jessica Merritt
& Michael Y. Park
The Complete Guide to United’s Inflight Wi-Fi Service [2025]
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Key Takeaways

  • United Airlines offers inflight Wi-Fi in most of its fleet, with pricing varying based on the destination and length of the flight.
  • Wi-Fi is suitable for general browsing and email, but may not support streaming services.
  • If you’re a frequent traveler, purchasing a monthly or annual subscription can be more cost-effective.

U.S. carriers began rolling out inflight internet services over a decade ago and have been slowly improving the experience. Nowadays, travelers expect most airlines to have Wi-Fi on their flights.

United Airlines does not use a consistent Wi-Fi provider. Instead, the Wi-Fi provider United uses depends on the type of aircraft.

Following are the details of United’s Wi-Fi, including its providers, what kind of Wi-Fi service you can expect, and how much you may (or may not!) have to pay for it.

Which United Aircraft Have Wi-Fi, and Who Provides It?

United has fitted almost all of its aircraft with Wi-Fi capability and has 4 Wi-Fi providers across its fleet:

SCROLL FOR MORE

Wi-Fi Provider

Select Aircraft

Gogo

  • Embraer 170
  • Embraer 175
  • Bombardier CRJ-700/550

Panasonic

  • Select Airbus 319
  • Airbus 320
  • Select Boeing 757-200/300
  • 767-300ER/400ER
  • 777-200/200ER/300ER
  • 787-8/9/10

Thales

  • 737-700/800/900
  • 737-900ER
  • Select 757-300s

Viasat

  • Select Airbus 319s
  • A321neo
  • Select Boeing 737-900s
  • 737 MAX 8/9

United Wi-Fi Coverage Maps

United Airlines Wi-Fi Coverage
United Airlines Wi-Fi Coverage. Image Credit: United

Note that coverage is limited when traveling over polar regions, some countries with regulations restricting inflight Wi-Fi access, and other government-restricted areas.

Is United’s Wi-Fi Reliable?

Reliability has long been an issue for inflight internet services, but it’s certainly better than a few years ago. While providers have been working with airlines to improve speed and reliability, you shouldn’t be surprised if you find slower speeds (if not failing Wi-Fi) on some of your flights.

Hot Tip:

Wi-Fi speed and availability can be hit or miss. If you have important work that can only be done via Wi-Fi, we don’t recommend planning your day around doing it in the air.

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Can You Stream Video?

United is still rolling out the ability to use streaming services across its network. Most flights will not allow you to stream videos such as Netflix, YouTube, or Hulu, but you can access select movies and TV shows through the United app.

However, you can stream videos from your device on select Airbus 319 aircraft, select Boeing 737s (including the 737 MAX 8 and 9), and Boeing 757-300 planes.

How Much Is Wi-Fi on United?

United Airlines Wi-Fi Fees

Pricing for United’s Wi-Fi varies. On U.S. domestic and short-haul international flights, such as those from the U.S. to Mexico and Canada, Wi-Fi is $8 or 800 miles for MileagePlus members and $10 for everyone else. 

For all other flights, prices depend on where you’re headed and how long your flight is. United MileagePlus cardholders get 25% back on all onboard purchases when using their card, including Wi-Fi.

Even if you don’t pay for Wi-Fi, you can still activate free messaging and access united.com and the United app. This includes United’s entertainment options.

With United’s T-Mobile partnership, T-Mobile customers can use 1 hour of free Wi-Fi on each flight. If you need a connection for the entire flight, T-Mobile customers get free Wi-Fi for the duration of the flight 4 times per year. This includes unlimited Wi-Fi, texting, and streaming on domestic and international United flights.

United Wi-Fi Day Pass

United allows MileagePlus members to purchase a Wi-Fi day pass for their entire trip. You add the Wi-Fi pass either during booking or by adding it to an existing trip in the trip details.

Your Wi-Fi day pass begins working 1 hour before your first flight of the day is scheduled to leave and expires 24 hours later. It costs the same amount as it would to buy Wi-Fi for each flight during the 24-hour period.

Hot Tip:

United MileagePlus cardholders get 25% back on all United Wi-Fi subscription purchases, including Wi-Fi Day Pass.

United Wi-Fi Subscriptions

With United Wi-Fi subscriptions, you can pay for a month or year of Wi-Fi usage in advance through your MileagePlus account. Prices start at $49 or 7,500 miles per month.

When picking subscriptions, you must first select the region where you’ll travel during your subscription. The regions are:

  • North America (including Central America)
  • Global

You then pick how long you want your subscription to last:

  • Monthly
  • Annual

If you fly with United often, an annual subscription can save you up to $139 a year. The most expensive option is an annual global subscription, which costs $689 or 100,000 miles.

Bottom Line:

If you are a frequent United flyer, picking up a Wi-Fi subscription may be worthwhile.

Best Ways To Save on United’s Wi-Fi

Purchase a Pass

If you’re a frequent traveler, buying a monthly or yearly subscription pass can be a good way to save on Wi-Fi.

For example, a monthly pass can present decent savings if you fly 6 or more times per month and spend $8 to $10 per flight. The savings are more significant the more frequently you fly.

Use a United Co-Branded Credit Card

United credit cardholders can use their card to purchase Wi-Fi on board and get a 25% statement credit. This includes annual and monthly subscriptions as well as day pass purchases.

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  • Debut Offer: Earn 80,000 bonus miles
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The New United Club℠ Card is a premium card designed for the most dedicated of United frequent flyers who are looking for a card that provides the opportunity to earn extra United MileagePlus miles and receive lounge access via a yearly United Club membership.

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Pros & Cons
Pros
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Cons
  • $695 annual fee
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Card Highlights
  • Debut Offer: Earn 95,000 bonus miles
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  • United Club℠ membership - at least a $750 value
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  • Member FDIC
Financial Snapshot
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The United Quest card is a fantastic option for United flyers looking to earn more miles and enhance their flights.

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Cons
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Card Highlights
  • Debut Offer: Earn 90,000 bonus miles and 500 PQP
  • 3x miles on United® purchases
  • 2x miles on all other travel, dining, and select streaming services
  • 1x mile on all other purchases
  • Receive a $200 United® travel credit and 10,000-mile award flight discount on each account anniversary (terms apply)
  • Earn a 10,000-mile award flight discount after spending $20,000 each calendar year
  • Earn 2 global Economy Plus® seat upgrades after spending $40,000 each calendar year
  • Get a jump start on earning Premier status with 1,000 Card Bonus PQP each year, awarded within 6 to 8 weeks after February 1 each year, starting in 2026.
  • Member FDIC
Financial Snapshot
  • APR: 20.49% - 28.99% Variable
  • Foreign Transaction Fees: None
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The United Gateway card is a great option for those looking to earn more United miles without paying an annual fee.

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The New United Gateway℠ Card is a great option for those looking to earn more United miles without wanting to pay a credit card annual fee. Plus, the card offers other solid benefits like a 25% back on United inflight purchases, purchase protection, and rental car insurance.

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Cons
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  • No annual fee
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  • Earn 2 checked bags after you spend $10,000 in a calendar year
  • Member FDIC
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Pros
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Use an Eligible American Express Credit Card

If your United flight offers Wi-Fi through United’s Wi-Fi portal, you could use an eligible American Express card to get United Wi-Fi for free.

American Express cards like The Platinum Card® from American Express and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express offer up to $200 of airline incidental credits upon enrollment. If you select United as your airline of choice for the year, the credits can offset the cost of Wi-Fi.

Redeem United Miles for Wi-Fi

Flights equipped with United’s new Wi-Fi portal allow you to redeem MileagePlus miles to purchase Wi-Fi access. However, this is a poor value for your hard-earned United miles!

We value United miles at a minimum of 1.3 cents per mile. You won’t even get 1 cent per mile when you redeem miles for Wi-Fi. You’d be better off saving your miles for future flights.

Use Your Existing Phone Plan

If you are a T-Mobile customer with a T-Mobile Magenta or Magenta MAX plan, you receive free United Wi-Fi with streaming services and unlimited texting. Wi-Fi benefits vary based on your plan.

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Is Buying United Wi-Fi Worth It?

Whether buying Wi-Fi is worth it to you depends on your priorities. Staying connected during flights makes the flying experience more enjoyable for some people, and for them, it might be worth it.

It might also be worth it if you hope to get some extra work done (or your employer is paying for it).

Final Thoughts

Inflight internet has improved significantly over the last few years, with more coverage options and airlines, including United, offering free service to eligible customers on select flights.

Fortunately for United flyers, United has fitted almost all its aircraft with Wi-Fi capability so it’s available almost anywhere you’re going on United. If you’re a frequent United flyer, purchasing a subscription or getting a United credit card may be worth it.

Featured Image Credit: United

Frequently Asked Questions

Which United aircraft have Wi-Fi?

United has fitted almost all of its aircraft with Wi-Fi capability. The exceptions are 737 aircraft operating in Guam and Micronesia.

How much does United Wi-Fi cost?

Pricing for United’s Wi-Fi varies. On U.S. domestic and short-haul international flights, like those to Mexico and Canada, Wi-Fi is $8 or 800 miles for MileagePlus members and $10 for everyone else.

How do you sign on to United Airlines Wi-Fi?

With your wireless device in airplane mode with only Wi-Fi enabled, locate the United_Wi-Fi wireless network, then launch a browser. If you aren’t redirected to the Wi-Fi portal, type unitedwifi.com in the URL. You can then purchase a plan and begin using it.

How do I purchase Wi-Fi on United before a flight?

You can purchase a United Wi-Fi day pass when you are booking your reservation. You can also select your trip from My Trips and view the Wi-Fi day pass option above your flight information.

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About Spencer Howard

Always a fan of flying, it was only natural that Spencer was drawn to finding a way to improve the travel experience.

Like many, he started this journey searching for cheap flights to take him around the world. This was fun for a while, but Spencer was intrigued by the idea of flying in business and first class!

Throwing himself into what became an extensive research project, Spencer spent 3-4 hours per night learning everything he could about frequent flyer miles over the course of several months (he thinks this is normal). He runs Straight to the Points, an award-seat alert platform.

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