In a significant move in the airline industry’s ongoing competition to offer superior inflight WiFi, American Airlines has announced plans to equip over 500 of its narrowbody planes with Starlink technology, beginning in early 2027.
The airline disclosed today that it intends to enhance the WiFi capabilities across its fleet of more than 500 Airbus aircraft, which includes upcoming deliveries of the A321XLR and A321neo models.
American Airlines is joining the ranks of Alaska, Southwest, and United Airlines, as well as approximately two dozen other global carriers, in adopting Starlink, a service provided by SpaceX, the aerospace company founded by Elon Musk. Meanwhile, the major alternative, Amazon WiFi, is not expected to be ready before 2028. Earlier this year, both Delta and JetBlue opted for Amazon’s future service.
The demand for reliable internet access during flights has become a priority for travelers. A recent independent customer satisfaction survey highlighted the importance of consistent inflight internet, showing a 3% increase in airline customer satisfaction compared to the previous year. This survey was conducted by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), a Michigan-based firm specializing in customer analytics.
American Airlines praised Starlink as “the world’s most advanced satellite constellation,” emphasizing its commitment to matching the high standards set by competitors like Delta and United. Heather Garboden, American’s Chief Customer Officer, commented, “As a premium global airline, we are constantly seeking world-class partners like Starlink to meet and exceed our customers’ expectations. The integration of Starlink reinforces American’s position as a leader in providing seamless connectivity for passengers during flights.”
“Starlink is widely regarded as the world’s most advanced satellite constellation,” American said.
The carrier linked the selection to its quest to become as highly regarded as competitors Delta and United. Heather Garboden, American’s chief customer officer, was quoted as saying “As a premium global airline, we are continuously seeking out world-class partners like Starlink to deliver what our customers need and want. “The addition of Starlink solidifies American as a leading airline in keeping passengers connected in flight.”
American has been gaining ground in its quest. It scored a surprising recognition in the ACSIACSI survey, when it led the industry with a 7% gain.
Delta was first in the ACSI survey. In the JD Power customer satisfaction survey, released early this month, Delta, JetBlue and Southwest topped various categories of airline passengers. That survey also showing increased satisfaction among airline passengers, particularly passengers who bought premium seats.
Just over three weeks ago, Garboden said in an interview that American’s gains were partially related to the inflight internet it currently provides. That service is offered as part of a partnership with AT&T. That partnership was announced in April 2025, and American already has free Wi-Fi on 1,400 mainline and regional aircraft. “We have free Wi-Fi on more aircraft than any other airline, and we delivered it faster,” Garboden said in an interview last month.
On six recent flights, I have found American’s AT&T WiFi to be more than adequate. Now they tell me Starlink is better. United demonstrated its Starlink during a one-hour demonstration flight for reporters during its media day in Los Angeles in March. United already has 50 mainline aircraft equipped with Starlink.
“The world is rapidly adopting Starlink as a standard,” airline blogger Gary Leff wrote three weeks ago in his View From The Wing blog. He cited two dozen global airlines who are installing Starlink. They include Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia, Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, ITA Airways, Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Jin Air, Air Busan, Air Seoul, airBaltic, Air France, Air New Zealand; Emirates; flydubai; Gulf Air; Qatar Airways; SAS; Virgin Atlantic; WestJet; and ZIPAIR.
In the press release, American says it will implement “a sweeping modernization of its narrowbody inflight customer experience with the installation of Starlink.” It said that Starlink uses “a low earth orbit to deliver broadband internet capable of supporting inflight streaming, online gaming, collaborative meeting tools and more.
“With thousands of satellites in low earth orbit, Starlink can deliver multigigabit connectivity to aircraft using its Aero Terminal, which can support up to 1 Gbps per antenna,” American said.
Garboden said, “Starlink’s high speed and low latency make the Wi-Fi more reliable, which matters when customers are trying to load pages, join real-time collaboration tools or stay connected consistently throughout a flight.”
