United is accelerating the rollout of fast, free Starlink WiFi for MileagePlus members, with the technology offered for the first time on a widebody transatlantic flight this week.

The service was flown by a Boeing 777-200 from Newark/New York to London Heathrow and was the first of nearly 60 United widebody aircraft expected to have Starlink this year.

United expects to have its entire widebody fleet outfitted by next summer as the airline expands Starlink’s high-speed, reliable internet across its fleet.

International travellers can expect to see Starlink-enabled 777-200 aircraft on routes between United’s hub airports in Newark/New York, Washington D.C, Houston and San Francisco and popular international destinations like London, Frankfurt, Zurich, Paris, Amsterdam, Buenos Aires, Tokyo and more.

“United is changing what it means to stay connected on an overseas flight,” said United’s Chief Customer Officer, David Kinzelman.

“Starlink offers the same fast, reliable internet access and connectivity we’re all used to at home, delivered in the air at 35,000 feet, flying anywhere around the world.

“This technology has the potential to transform how we think about the inflight experience for both our customers and our employees.”

Since launching Starlink WiFi last spring, the airline has flown more than 18.6 million passengers on Starlink-equipped aircraft across more than 311,000 flights, powering 9.9 million devices – and Wi-Fi customer satisfaction scores on those airplanes nearly doubled during that time.

More than 400 United planes have Starlink today, and the airline expects to outfit close to 1,000 aircraft before the end of this year.