Inflight connectivity has come a long way over the years. Going back just a few years, Viasat was considered the gold standard of inflight connectivity, while nowadays Starlink is stealing the show.
thank you for covering this development, Ben. It has been known to be "in the works" for quite some time as well as the new satellite over Asia/Pacific.
We have incessantly heard that Starlink would be so much greater - even though B6 and DL and more recently AA have much more extensive deployment of free WiFi on their fleets.
There simply is no public data that shows that customers did not choose carriers other than B6 and DL that did not have free high speed WiFi at all (or, at best was T Mobile's "free" on low speed systems)
Conversely, there is no data that shows that airlines that have Starlink or other higher speed systems - which will include Amazon Leo - will be able to take passengers from carriers that have extensive high speed WiFi but at slower speeds.
on another note, DL's 717s are beginning to get Hughes antennae and are moving through mods at a fairly fast rate while the 359 WIFi antenna installation is nearly complete, in time for the aforementioned Flight 3 deployment.
DL is very likely to reach 100% global high speed WiFi coverage well before any other US or global airline of even remotely comparable size.
i swear im not BS'ing here: have you ever thought about running for political office? your ability to twist words and announce superlatives in such a careful way is genuinely impressive.
Think you'd do a great job of disappointing constituents some day!
Don't take the bait, Tim. We need you on here (and at VFTW, LALF, Cranky, etc.) Am I missing any other blogs? Oh, of course, Seeking Alpha!
"... Wifi doesn't matter..."
"... but it matters that Delta will have more free Wifi..."
Perfect example of the spin master at work.
TD said: "on another note, DL's 717s are beginning to get Hughes antennae and are moving through mods at a fairly fast rate while the 359 WIFi antenna installation is nearly complete, in time for the aforementioned Flight 3 deployment.
DL is very likely to reach 100% global high speed WiFi coverage well before any other US or global airline of even remotely comparable size."
Did you catch it?
TD says the 717s are getting Hughes wifi (one of, if not THE single slowest service provider on the market) and then he claims - IN THE SAME PARAGRAPH - that Delta "will very likely reach 100% global high speed WIFI" first.
One can easily take issue with Viasat's service being touted by TD as "high speed" - but now he thinks Hughes is "high speed"? Delusional!
Everything is relative and other providers’ WiFi is relatively slow and high-latency compared to Starlink. It is painful watching Delta struggle to finally finish installing and bandaid-ing substandard WiFi.
I wonder how this upgrade benefits Viasat in the long-run if they're about to lose almost all market share to Starlink and Leo. Sure, it'll be great for customers in the short-term, but, I imagine, that Viasat has spent serious $$$ getting their next-gen satellites into space, preparing for service, getting regulatory approvals, etc., only to lose most of their customer base in N. America. Maybe they'll make up for it in other countries?
It's 2026. Reliable WiFi should be standard, 'included' for all passengers, all airlines, all aircraft. Some of you will argue over who's provider is best, whether it's on all aircraft, whether free or not is better, etc. Here's where we're at in late-July 2026:
JetBlue: Introduced in 2013 | Free since January 2017 (No account required)
Delta: Introduced in 2008 | Free since February 2023 (SkyMiles account required)
Hawaiian: Introduced in 2024 | Free since September 2024 (No account required)
Southwest: Introduced in 2010 | Free since October 2025 (Rapid Rewards account required)
American: Introduced in 2008 | Free since January 2026 (AAdvantage account required)
United: Introduced in 2012 | Rolling out free Starlink through 2026–2027
Alaska: Introduced in 2009 | Rolling out free access through 2026–2027
Oh, and here's the baddies (US carriers without any WiFi, whatsoever): Allegiant, Frontier.
So it will take Viasat at least nine months from launch to service for the Americas. That would mean 1/27 before the Delta Pacific wifi coverage hole is fixed?
Viasat-3 Flight 2 (Americas) launched in 11/25, enters service 8/26? 9 months ∆.
Viasat-3 Flight 3 (Asia-Pacific) launched in 4/26, enters service 1/27?
And this is for slow-speed, high-latency wifi relative to Starlink. Yikes!
except actual facts and data including from Viasat disagree with your poor math skills.
and tell us when UA will have 100% free Starlink across the Pacific. Not any time soon since the FAA has YET to approve it on 787s.
UA is going to have Starlink on 100% of its wide body aircraft before next summer compared to relatively slow, high-latency WiFi on DL. Starlink doubles NPS for United. Amazing!
"Not any time soon since the FAA has YET to approve it on 787s."
1) UA has no plans to have Starlink on 787s as of today - they are planned for next year. So this is a big, ol' nothingburger.
2) Has an airline applied for one, and the FAA is holding back? That's what you are implying. Or, are you implying that the FAA will NEVER approve it? Again, your statement is meaningless if no airline has sought the STC for the antenna install.
3) Qatar and British Airways are already operating 787s with Starlink installed. Virgin Atlantic will begin 787 installs in the 3Q of this year. Alaska is still saying they will start installs - including on the 787s - this fall. There will be plenty of data out there for the FAA to analyze to give any US Airlines that want Starlink on their 787s an STC.
So when United gets their 787 fleet installed on schedule/ on time next year, will you admit you were wrong to think the lack of an FAA 787 STC right NOW would affect the install rollout timeframe NEXT YEAR?
so you thnk that UA is going to pull almost 100 787s from service and have Starlink installed in 5 months?
You WILL BE drug tested next time you show up for work.
AS can say what they want but the FAA - which must approve STCs for US airlines - has not approved Starlink on the 787
You will be the one that will have to admit that you were wrong in denying my statement that DL would be the first to have fleetwide and global WiFi before AA and UA.
But I know full well you are incapable of admitting you were wrong and I was right.
Jeez, Tim - start drinking early again tonight?
"so you thnk that UA is going to pull almost 100 787s from service and have Starlink installed in 5 months?"
No - because United hasn't said they are going to do that either. Apparently your memory is slipping, because this topic and the details were covered in an article less than two months ago, right here on OMAAT. You even posted in the comments, so you either failed to remember what you read, or you posted without reading the article.
To refresh your memory:
https://onemileatatime.com/news/united-airlines-free-starlink-wi-fi/
If you are choosing to not read the article again, I'll give you some quotes and the cliff notes from it:
"United now shares that it expects to have Starlink on 1,000 aircraft by the end of 2026."
That "1000 aircraft" number includes regional aircraft, like the -170s and the -550s. United is including them to make the biggest number possible. And they have said in some other places "nearly 1000" to give the wiggle room in case they don't make it to exactly 1000. There is no plan to put Starlink on the 787s before the end of this year.
"United has just operated its first Boeing 777 flight with Starlink, with the goal being to have 60 wide body aircraft with Starlink by the end of the year, and to have Starlink on all wide body aircraft by the summer of 2027."
So, no - they don't have to pull almost 100 787s from service to meet their goals. Try some basic reasoning with me. If "60 widebody planes" is the goal for the end of 2026, United is already operating a 777 with Starlink, it takes under a day to actually do the antenna install, and United currently has 95 777s - can you guess which Widebody fleet United is preparing to do the 60 Starlink installs on this calendar year? Common, Tim - you can do it!
The remainder of the wide body fleet (787s, 767-300s and 767-400s) would get the installs during the winter off-season, when there isn't as much wide body flying and more heavy maintenance is done on wide body fleets by most airlines. That's why the "Summer 2027" goal for those planes is in place.
That really wasn't too hard to figure out, and completely makes sense. Well - at least for everyone else.
The gaping hole of no WiFi over the pacific on delta is ridiculous. Granted I do like to sometimes ‘disconnect’ on flights but when I need it it sure is frustrating. Love when I happen to end up on an older A350 that still has Gogo which is a wild thing to say. It’s about time…
Ben, I think you should mention the back story that Viasat has f**ked up previous launches which is the real reason why connectivity is so bad. Let’s hope this one won’t have the same fate
glad to hear DL tpac is finally making it into the 21st century, welcome!
glad to hear DL tpac is finally making it into the 21st century, welcome!
DL will have free WiFi across the Pacific on all of its flights long before any of AA or UA do and well ahead of most of its competitors.
Doesn't matter according to you - because according to you, there's no public data that Wifi will drive passengers from an airline with a form of functioning Wifi to another with better Wifi.
Or are you trying to have it both ways?
I have it one way and one way only.
IF you are convinced there is some superiority to some product attribute, then be prepared to show it.
The UA fan nuts are convinced they are the best and yet over and over, they can't show how it translates into an advantage in real hard numbers.
We have been told for years that UA's Starlink WiFi - which won't be completed for 18 more months would be superior to anything else but not a soul has been able to tell us the revenue or passengers UA did not get - esp. in NYC when B6 and DL did have widespread WiFI, in Chicago now that AA has substantially more WiFi coverage and within months when Viasat will deliver huge upgrades to Viasat N. America coverage and DL will be able to turn on TPAC coverage for free.
Just stop unless you come with facts and not your usual hot air.
ALL OF YOU.
Still trying to reconcile how Delta's Viasat can be so good and "high speed" that all the other airlines' upgrading to Starlink isn't going to make a difference for them... yet Delta is going to invest a ton on money in a few years to leave Viasat and go to LEO.
So... either Viasat IS a competitive alternative to Starlink, and Delta made a huge financial blunder and is wasting their money with LEO. Or, Viasat ISN'T a competitive alternative to Starlink, as Delta's planned LEO investment clearly shows it's worth the money to get better bandwidth and faster service. But it can't be both.
Since TD doesn't directly address other points, but will likely pivot to something else (expect the "Free" argument to come up again), I'll essentially answer myself.
1) Delta's Viasat isn't even remotely "High Speed", especially by today's standards.
"Trust but verify" - but here's what AI says in summarizing customer's reports of internet speeds seen today on Delta planes equipped with Viasat:
"The typical download speed on Delta Air Lines' Viasat in-flight Wi-Fi ranges from 15 to 54 Mbps, depending on network traffic, the specific aircraft, and the generation of Wi-Fi hardware installed.
Performance Breakdown:
Download Speeds: Frequently test between 30 and 40 Mbps on well-connected domestic mainline aircraft, with independent performance data showing median speeds hitting around 54 Mbps.
Upload Speeds: Generally much slower, typically measuring under 1 Mbps"
Now, here's the summary of United planes equipped with Starlink:
United Airlines' Starlink in-flight internet typically delivers download speeds ranging from 100 Mbps to 250 Mbps, with performance frequently peaking near 379 to 400 Mbps.
Speed Breakdown
Download Speeds: Average between 100 Mbps and 250 Mbps in-flight, capable of reaching up to nearly 400 Mbps under optimal conditions.
Upload Speeds: Range more modestly between 6 Mbps and 30 Mbps.
2) Viasat will be WAY slower than LEO, depending on the subscription model - so IMO Delta knows that Viasat isn't good enough any more.
Again, "trust but verify" - this is an AI summary:
Expected download speeds for Amazon Leo (Project Kuiper) range from 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps, depending on the specific hardware terminal model chosen.
Tiered Speeds by Terminal
Nano: Up to 100 Mbps download speed for basic connectivity needs.
Pro: Up to 400 Mbps download speed designed for standard residential and business use.
Ultra: Up to 1 Gbps download speed built for high-performance enterprise and aviation applications
as I noted, there is no public evidence that a higher speed WiFi is superior to a carrier that has a service but at a lower speed.
I am sure there is some internal data to show changes in purchase behavior but no one that is commenting on here has it.
If that kind of data existed, then there has to be a time when carriers like UA - which were fairly late in the game suffered revenue losses because they weren't competitive with B6 and DL - and yet evidence that didn't happen even at a macro level.
and the second part of your question gets to the whole issue that airlines buy bandwidth from WiFi providers and not just equipment.
UA could never have obtained the volume via Viasat or any one of their half dozen providers to offer free WiFi so they moved to Starlink.
AA had a more extensive fleet of Viasat equpped aircraft than B6 or DL but they didn't buy the bandwidth to offer free so they have no choice but to equip some airplanes w/ Starlink which is what WN is doing.
And as carriers leave Viasat and Viasat increases their own capacity, their service might well be well within the level of competitiveness with faster alternatives; they have every reason to not grow obsolete which is why they are investing in new technologies.
Technology evolves but the vast majority of people don't ditch what they have or expect to reach the newest level of technology as soon as something new comes out.
that is not only true of airilnes and other businesses but also expectations for consumers.
AA, B6 and DL will have well functioning Viasat (and Hughes) aircraft as well as other providers.
as noted, DL is already equipping some aircraft with dual antennae to pick up low earth and high earth signals.
like a whole lot of things, internet chatter is disconnected from reality
"like a whole lot of things, internet chatter is disconnected from reality"
That's about the most accurate thing you've ever posted - but not in the way you think it applies.
all of that keyboard banging and you can't address the real point which is that there is ZERO public evidence that faster WiFi is a purchase driver that moves passengers away from carriers that already have some form of functional WiFi, whether you think it is fast enough or not.
If you hold an FAA certificate, you have to demonstrated at least some basic skills of logic. Do you think you could use them to answer the basic question of where these supposed advantages actually show up?
"ZERO public evidence"
- CEOs of airlines, whether it's Delta's, American's, United's, etc. don't rely on the "public" evidence you and I can find. They have plenty of proprietary evidence to base their decisions on.
- Oh, yeah! I forgot! You're smarter than everyone else, and you have access to more booking details than the management teams of American Airlines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Lufthansa (including Air Dolomiti and Austrian Airlines), Air France, International Airlines Group's British Airways & Aer Lingus, Korean Air (including Air Busan and Air Seoul), airBaltic, Air New Zealand, Qatar Airways, and WestJet - all of which are committed to installing Starlink on their fleet in the near term.
And because all these airlines are all going to spend a boatload of money to do it, they must all know that having faster and reliable Wifi will not pay off and will not drive additional passengers (particularly business travel) to their airlines over their competitors that do not have it, so they know they are wasting their company's (and their shareholders') money.
And they know this because Tim Dunn, apologist and propagandist for Delta Air Lines, says so.
Which he says with ZERO public evidence that it DOESN'T drive traffic to an airline with better WiFi.
"Do you think you could use them to answer the basic question of where these supposed advantages actually show up?"
Rebel already addressed it for you, if you'd bother to read the posts. Doubles NPS. Cannot say the same thing about Delta with Viasat vs without.
rebel Diamond
July 30, 2026, 11:41 am
UA is going to have Starlink on 100% of its wide body aircraft before next summer compared to relatively slow, high-latency WiFi on DL. Starlink doubles NPS for United. Amazing!
in other words, you JUST LIKE REBEL, endlessly tout things that don't translate into any kind of verifiable superiority - other than your own bragging.
You STILL can't tell us how many passengers or revenue UA has moved becaues of the PROMISE of Starlink that might be completed over a year from now.
JUST LIKE REBEL you are incapable of admitting that DL started something before AA or UA or WN and will finish the first phase of its complete installation before any of those 3.
when you find the data to show how much revenue or passengers a Starlink carrier has actually moved over other types of WiFi, do be share and post it.
You can't because no such data exists.
"when you find the data to show how much revenue or passengers a Starlink carrier has actually moved over other types of WiFi, do be share and post it.
You can't because no such data exists."
Lack of data you can look at does not mean lack of the phenomena. To me, the very fact that MULTIPLE airlines are spending money to get Starlink on their fleet is all the data I need to see to prove it's worth it.
But, again, YOU seem to believe that YOU are smarter than the corporate executives that DO have access to their proprietary, "non public" data, which includes the higher NPS scores. These same execs have said - at quarterly investment Q&As - that Starlink alone improves NPS scores significantly. This includes Alaska, who's execs have also said their satisfaction scores increase by 20%+ solely due to Starlink.
So keep thinking you're smarter than everyone, and that Starlink doesn't matter.
So if I'm reading this correctly, August 2026 will be the soonest that Delta can offer this (or any) wifi over the Pacific?
I'm assuming they're going to have some latency of their own, after that date. Or will they be able to basically flip a switch, and immediately activate it using the receivers/antennae that they already have?
incorrect.
DL has paid WiFi on most of its TPAC flights; coverage may be limited geographically but that is true on every carrier.
DL has timed the completion of antenna installation on the expected entry of Flight 3 into commercial service within the next 2 months.
again, the FAA (according to Starlink's own page) has not even granted an STC for the 787.
Panasonic is failing to provide reliable WiFi coverage for carriers including AA and UA.
DL will have working free high speed coverage across its TPAC fleet and network, the only remaining part of its network that does not currently have free WiFi.
The bigger question is when AA and UA will get past a handful of token flights w/ free WiFi to Latin America and across the Atlantic. DL has done that for well over a year
No, you had it 100% right. Look at the map Delta puts out themselves, instead of the propaganda Tim is spewing. No Wifi coverage. period, unless you are going over Hawaii where you get it for a few hours and then lose it on the other side. You also have zero coverage over the Pacific south of the equator, according to Delta themselves. Check out the link, and expand the map.
https://www.delta.com/us/en/onboard/inflight-entertainment/onboard-wifi
Because flights follow a great circle route (some go up towards Alaska, putting several Asian destinations outside the available "Hawaii Wifi Corridor" shown on Delta's own map), you often lose Wifi pretty quickly going to:
- Tokyo-Haneda (HND)
- Seoul-Incheon (ICN)
- Shanghai Pudong (PVG)
- Hong Kong (HKG)
Delta's flights to Australia might stay roughly along their "Hawaii Wifi Corridor" so these might get Wifi for a few hours longer over water, before dropping off completely, to:
- Sydney (SYD)
- Auckland (AKL)
- Melbourne
"DL has paid WiFi on most of its TPAC flights"
Webster: "Trans-" (Prefix): "on or to the other side of : across : beyond"
No, Delta has ZERO Wifi on Transpacific flights ("Trans-Pacific" means "Across the Pacific", i.e. "to the other side of the Pacific" - not just a small little patch of the Pacific to/from Hawaii). Delta confirms this themselves, on their own website, via their own Wifi coverage map. There is Wifi towards Hawaii, but not Transpacific. And "Geographic" limitations (like China rules) have nothing to do with it. There is no coverage approaching China on Delta.
"DL has timed the completion of antenna installation on the expected entry of Flight 3 into commercial service within the next 2 months."
Come back in two months to see if this is complete. Tim will remember he said this if they do finish it on time, and conveniently forget he said it if they don't.
"again, the FAA (according to Starlink's own page) has not even granted an STC for the 787."
Doesn't matter. There's no FAA certification for the antenna on the 747-800, on the 707-200, on the Spruce Goose, or on my lawnmower. Tim is trying to imply there's some problem getting an STC for the 787 (several airlines Worldwide already operate 787s with Starlink installed) but NOBODY HAS APPLIED FOR AN FAA STC YET - so of course there's no approval yet. Total Red Herring argument and classic propaganda from Tim. Alaska is planning on being first this fall to install Starlink on their 787s, by the way.
"Panasonic is failing to provide reliable WiFi coverage for carriers including AA and UA."
As Tim will often point out - some wifi (like United and American have on actual, TRANS-Pacific flights... like flights that CROSS the pacific... have SOME Wifi which is clearly better than NONE - which is what Delta currently offers.
"DL will have working free high speed coverage across its TPAC fleet and network, the only remaining part of its network that does not currently have free WiFi."
It's also the only part of their network that has NO Wifi. Don't fall for his "free" qualifier. What he says is technically true. They have no "free wifi" on TPAC routes - because they have no Wifi on TPAC routes at all. They also lose Wifi coverage on near-polar flying, and on some Alaska flights.
"The bigger question is when AA and UA will get past a handful of token flights w/ free WiFi to Latin America and across the Atlantic. DL has done that for well over a year"
The big answer has already been talked about on here. United says they will have nearly 1,000 total planes with Starlink by the end of the year. Installs are apparently accelerating (+/- half the 737-800 fleet is done, according to sites that track it). The wide body fleet will be compete by sometime next summer, according to what United has said publicly. The same details are not publicly tracked as thoroughly for American's progress, so I cannot speak for them.
Ooh, now Viasat has FIVE satellites in orbit. Take that, Starlink, your measly 11125 satellites can't possibly hope to compete with the mighty Viasat constellation.
Ben, for the love of inflight WiFi, can you make it more clear in your “updated” articles what’s changed? This article doesn’t even say “published July xx; updated September 17” it just says published 16 minutes ago as of the time I write this comment. However, the comments show it’s a month and a half old. Can you put a text box at the top with the recent updates or something? Otherwise it’s very confusing to tell what’s new and what’s not.
Many thanks. 🙂
@ Timtamtrak -- Hey, totally fair, and I understand the confusion. I covered this several weeks ago when we knew this would launch within weeks, and the update here is that this change is now live. So I updated the post to reflect that, included some more information Viasat provided about what people can expect, added some quotes, etc.
However, I made the decision to keep the comments, since I figured they were still relevant, as the topic of discussion hasn't changed. I'll brainstorm how I can do a better job of making that clear, without increasing confusion.
Thank you! The comments are still relevant but the only “material” difference is the coverage change with the new satellites going online, I think. Appreciate you responding.