Back in August, Alaska Airlines announced plans to introduce free Starlink Wi-Fi, which probably didn’t come as much of a surprise. There’s now an exciting update, as the airline has moved forward the timeline for this debuting, and the first several planes with the service are already flying.
In this post:
Alaska’s free Starlink Wi-Fi for Atmos Rewards members
Alaska Airlines is working with SpaceX to introduce Starlink Wi-Fi throughout its fleet, including on all Boeing 787s, Boeing 737s, and Embraer E175s. The Seattle Times reports that this service is now live — the first four Embraer E175s are now flying, and you can expect for that fleet of regional aircraft to be retrofitted pretty quickly.
Then in early 2026, we can expect Starlink to debut on Boeing 737s, followed by Boeing 787s later in 2026. The plan is for the project to be complete by early 2027.
Best of all, Alaska is offering this for free to all members of its Atmos Rewards loyalty program (the new branding for Alaska’s loyalty program, which is free to sign-up for), in partnership with T-Mobile. Members are able to connect on multiple devices, including laptops, tablets, and smartphones.
Starlink is known for its high-speed, low-latency broadband internet, and the service is offered gate to gate. Starlink Wi-Fi allows for live streaming, productivity similar to on the ground (with high upload and download speeds), gaming, e-commerce, and more.
Starlink is becoming increasingly popular with airlines. So far we’ve seen carriers like airBaltic, Air France, Air New Zealand, British Airways, Emirates, Hawaiian Airlines, Iberia, Korean Air, Qatar Airways, SAS, United, Virgin Atlantic, and WestJet, all announce plans to install the service.
What’s also great about Starlink is that the installation process is pretty quick, once aircraft are certified to have it installed.
This is a positive and sensible development!
I don’t think many people will be surprised by Alaska introducing Starlink Wi-Fi. Keep in mind that Hawaiian Airlines was the first commercial airline to introduce Starlink Wi-Fi, and Hawaiian is of course now part of Alaska Air Group.
Hawaiian already offers Starlink Wi-Fi on its Airbus A330s and Airbus A321neos. So by early 2027, we’ll see Alaska Air Group offer Starlink Wi-Fi fleetwide, except on Boeing 717s, which are exclusively used on inter-island flights. I have to imagine that’s because those planes will likely be replaced sooner rather than later, given that they’re an average of around 24 years old.
For context, up until now Alaska has offered Intelsat 2Ku on its mainline fleet, so the Starlink Wi-Fi should be a very nice upgrade, in terms of both speeds and value.
United is the only other major US carrier that has committed to Starlink, so Alaska and United will have a nice advantage. Meanwhile Delta offers free Wi-Fi, and American plans to offer free Wi-Fi as of early 2026, and those two airlines primarily use Viasat.
Bottom line
Alaska Airlines has started its rollout of free Starlink Wi-Fi, with the first regional Embraer E175s now having the service. We can expect Boeing 737s to get Starlink as of early 2026, and Boeing 787s to get the new connectivity as of later in 2026, with rollout complete by early 2027.
This is being offered in partnership with T-Mobile, and is free for Atmos Rewards members. This is a fantastic development, and shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, given Hawaiian already offering Starlink on a widespread basis.
What do you make of Alaska introducing free Starlink Wi-Fi?
I wish there was WiFi reciprocity between American and Alaska with the intro of starlink on both airlines and its limitation to FF program members.
I wanted to provide a correction to your post: The aircraft with Starlink are "Skywest" E175 aircraft and not Horizon E175's. Horizon E175's, Alaska 737's and 787's will get Starlink in 2026.
I have never understand, nor do I currently understand, nor will I ever understand WHY people can not fly for 45 minutes without INTERNET. Good lord. Take a look out the window, have a drink and be happy!
I fly Alaska regularly TPA-SAN and have been really happy with the quality of the WiFi and I am thrilled that it will be free soon ! Great News !
I'm hoping this covers Horizon and Skywest E175's. Right now, many of the Skywest E175's have dreadful internet speeds - so bad that it's not worth paying for it.
Delta will still be flying mainline planes with GoGo in 2027... likely the only airline left in the US (aside from WN...) with such a bad internet experience. Their own customers will prefer the regionals...
just give it a rest, moron.
Delta has more aircraft with free high speed WiFi than any other airline on the planet and that has been the case for years - but you are emotionally incapable of admitting that DL can do anything better than your dearly beloved.
Please for all our sake lose the insults. Your post would have been far more effective if you had just posted...
"Delta has more aircraft with free high speed WiFi than any other airline on the planet and that has been the case for years."
And left it at that.
Resorting to insults in an argument, known as an ad hominem attack, is a tactic where you attack the person, not their idea, often signaling you're losing the logical debate, showing emotional immaturity, and shutting down productive discussion by polarizing the issue. It replaces reasoned points with personal attacks, making resolution impossible and building resentment, though some argue it has limited use against harmful, oppressive ideas.
Why people resort to insults:
Intellectual defeat:...
Resorting to insults in an argument, known as an ad hominem attack, is a tactic where you attack the person, not their idea, often signaling you're losing the logical debate, showing emotional immaturity, and shutting down productive discussion by polarizing the issue. It replaces reasoned points with personal attacks, making resolution impossible and building resentment, though some argue it has limited use against harmful, oppressive ideas.
Why people resort to insults:
Intellectual defeat: A sign you've run out of logical points to make.
Emotional immaturity: Anger overwhelms reason, leading to verbal aggression.
Insecurity/Control: A way to feel superior or gain dominance when lacking skills.
Escalation: A tool to intimidate or humiliate rather than persuade.
Effects on the argument:
Counterproductive: Prevents persuasion and fosters resentment.
Polarizes: Turns a discussion into an adversarial fight.
Undermines credibility: Makes the insulter seem foolish, even if they have a valid point.
'
you are clearly new here.
insults are appropriate when you are dealing w/ the same issue and same manipulation of facts from the same person for the 67,000th time.
there is something pathological about someone that cannot mentally or emotionally admit that DL recognized the value of high speed free WiFi - which B6 pioneered in the US - far before any of the other big 4 and has rolled that out to...
'
you are clearly new here.
insults are appropriate when you are dealing w/ the same issue and same manipulation of facts from the same person for the 67,000th time.
there is something pathological about someone that cannot mentally or emotionally admit that DL recognized the value of high speed free WiFi - which B6 pioneered in the US - far before any of the other big 4 and has rolled that out to a far greater degree than any other airline on earth.
Until some other airline matches or surpasses DL's level of high speed internet availability, the comparison needs to be dropped, esp. from people that can't help but make their own false and inflammatory comments.
and it is beyond laughable beyond lectured by UA employee media team member rebel who does the same thing as Max but on steroids regarding anything financial.
Again, rebel, when UA consistently matches or exceeds DL's financial performance AND PAYS ITS EMPLOYEES DL comparable salaries and benefits, then you can crow.
For now, you and MAX are two versions of the same plague
Tim Dunn, "insults are appropriate when you are dealing w/ the same issue and same manipulation of facts from the same person for the 67,000th time.
there is something pathological about someone that cannot mentally or emotionally admit that..."
Yikes.
Max, kudos on the new ‘Dining Room’ extension to the Polaris at EWR… it’s like a knockoff DeltaOne ‘Brasserie’ at JFK.
Don’t worry, Tim, Delta’s still ahead on that at least. However, I gotta say, UA’s 1-1-1 763 Polaris is slightly ahead of DL’s 1-2-1 763…
1990,
the point is it is simply not necessary nor does it add anything to manipulate reality in order to prove a point that no one except you are arguing.
the topic of this article is WiFi. DL has led the global industry in rolling out high speed WiFi and no one else is even close and esp. any carrier that is installing Starlink.
The notion that faster speed that most people won't...
1990,
the point is it is simply not necessary nor does it add anything to manipulate reality in order to prove a point that no one except you are arguing.
the topic of this article is WiFi. DL has led the global industry in rolling out high speed WiFi and no one else is even close and esp. any carrier that is installing Starlink.
The notion that faster speed that most people won't even notice is supposed to overcome a headstart that amounts to more than 700 aircraft to the next closest competitor with high speed WiFi - B6 - with none of AA, UA or WN anywhere close - is beyond childish and foolish.
And for the 66,000th time, you can't accept that DL's 767-300ERs competed most directly with UA 757s and UA high density 777s - neither of which come anywhere close to the level of comfort in ANY cabin on DL's 763s.
good for AS for going with Starlink.
Tim, as always, I admire your passion. I’ll keep seeking the best that any airline has to offer, and call out all of them whenever they don’t uphold their standards. You bet I’m pleased with Delta’s WiFi (and have been for years); I’m also a huge fan of the DeltaOne lounges (enjoyed JFK and LAX many times; checking out BOS, soon); and Diamond and Platinum for the GUC and RUC have treated me very well...
Tim, as always, I admire your passion. I’ll keep seeking the best that any airline has to offer, and call out all of them whenever they don’t uphold their standards. You bet I’m pleased with Delta’s WiFi (and have been for years); I’m also a huge fan of the DeltaOne lounges (enjoyed JFK and LAX many times; checking out BOS, soon); and Diamond and Platinum for the GUC and RUC have treated me very well over the years; even during IROPS, while never fun, DL came through for me in the end with a reimbursement for alternative transportation following Crowdstrike. DL is still my preferred US-carrier, especially while based in NYC; jetBlue is my second, so long as it’s Mint; previously, when I was in SoFla, I was more beholden to AA, because MIA had the most nonstop options, especially to the Caribbean, yet, their lack of IFE and paid WiFi was no bueno, and SWU were not as reliable as GUC/RUC; likewise, UA really disappointed me with their PlusPoints; died on the Waitlist as a 1K far too many times, and, yeah, they charged for WiFi, too, which was also not-cool. The three alliances are good, so long as you achieve SE+, *G, and OWE, which I still try to do each year. Yes, I like some foreign carriers (like AF/KL, QR, EK, SQ, JAL, ANA), and no I’m not gonna justify any state-owned autocracies (after all, shame and hypocrisy have no affect anymore). Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, IHG, in that order. Amex, Chase, Citi in that order. BILT is going under after WF exits. C1 won’t approve, so… wish we had better worker rights, consumer protections, and meaningful air passenger rights protections. I’m no fan of autocrats, including our own, as well as Putin, Xi, Erdogan, etc. We got real economic headwinds on the horizon. There, that’s how I’m feeling these days about all of them that matter. (Oh, and there’s a guy impersonating me on here, so some of the comments using my name aren’t me. How convenient. Plausible deniability. I think you know this one is me, though, right?)
1990
the only passion I have is for the truth = and as much as you or others believe otherwise, it isn't just about DL.
regarding this subject, there is simply no debate that DL has the most aircraft in the world equipped w/ high speed WiFi which is free to loyalty program members. There is no need to continue debating it or to tolerate people that want to make digs because they can't...
1990
the only passion I have is for the truth = and as much as you or others believe otherwise, it isn't just about DL.
regarding this subject, there is simply no debate that DL has the most aircraft in the world equipped w/ high speed WiFi which is free to loyalty program members. There is no need to continue debating it or to tolerate people that want to make digs because they can't accept reality.
and regarding DL's 763ERs, you would do well to accept that DL uses them where they are competitively as good or superior including against UA's 757s and 777s. And, unlike UA, DL is retiring its 767s.
There is no need to incessantly bring up the 767s any more than there is to discuss the blow by blow differences - perceived or real w/ each carrier's WiFi strategies
Excellent. Jetblue and Delta lead the way. United, American, and now Alaska are catching up. All airlines should be able to offer free, reliable WiFi in 2025, even LCCs.
Very excited for this. Had to listen in to a call during the flight I'm on and my connection dropped about every 15 minutes. (Note, I was just listening, not having to speak during said call...)
Does Starlink include a virtual “I bought this before Elon went off the deep end” bumper sticker, or do users just quietly adopt the same self-important coping mechanism as the people who think that decal is doing real work?
So much for those stupid wifi vouchers from the summit card. When the WiFi starts on the plane are they gonna do something instead of wifi vouchers?
My thought exactly.