For years I’ve avoided flying United Airlines whenever possible knowing that the inflight wifi would be so bad that the hours on board would be completely devoid of productivity.
With retrofits of United interiors, including seat back entertainment screen and bluetooth connectivity for headphones, new bigger overhead bins, and touches like new LED lighting and refreshed lavatories it was expected that all planes would get ViaSat wifi which had been the gold standard in the industry and a mainstay of many American and Delta aircraft.
ViaSat Speed Test
However, while United has been working to improve its wifi and airline CEO Scott Kirby has even talked about offering free wifi like Delta and JetBlue once they have sufficient bandwidth – free means people use it more and United’s wifi could barely keep up (and often couldn’t keep up) with paid wifi – plans changed. It was reported back in May that United was looking at Starlink as inflight wifi provider.
Referring here to the rumor that Starlink is in the running. As one source (who has no connection to UA, simply peering in from the outside, as it were) says:
"It's only a matter of time until Starlink gets a major carrier"
And very clearly UA has been looking at if they…— JonNYC (@xJonNYC) May 20, 2024
Now aviation watchdog JonNYC says that United is close to an announcing a deal with Starlink.
and, well, I know it's the best choice intellectually, but I still hate to see it, personally, on a solely visceral level– yes, I fully assume it's going to be Starlink.
— JonNYC (@xJonNYC) September 5, 2024
Having seen Starlink perform first on JSX and more recently on Hawaiian I can say that it really is the best inflight wifi product by a lot. Beyond faster speeds, it just has very very low latency. The technical aspects of it are outside my area but signals just don’t have as far to travel with the satellites in low earth orbit. Installations can be done in a single overnight period.
Incredible. I've gotten as much as 80 Mbps down on this @flyjsx flight with @SpaceX #Starlink internet.
It's like working in my office at home… while airlines generally don't even put internet on their ERJ-145s at all. pic.twitter.com/BlAF6UKRIG
— gary leff (@garyleff) March 7, 2023
I’ve seen reports of 200 Mbps download speeds and uploads much faster as well. United could quickly go from industry laggard on wifi to the top of the charts. And while my United wifi experiences have been better than they were 5 years ago, though not quite consistently good enough, this could be a game changer for inflight productivity moving them completely from do not fly into preferred carrier territory.
Why do television viewers step on their own foot ?
To open the lid of their brain so the television trash can be dumped in .
For an elevated and premium travel experience in the sky, please consider JetBlue.
since it took United 7 years to roll out Polaris across its fleet and they are nowhere near the goals to refurb the cabins of their domestic fleet with AVOD, it is doubtful whatever they do will be fast.
DL is rolling out free WiFi across its international fleet and will extent it to the remaining domestic aircraft this year – a goal that is far more attainable than a consistent plan from United.
It is good to see United acknowledging that Delta made a decision it should follow – which itself was based on JetBlue’s decision.
It is more notable that American is apparently choosing to pass on the trend toward free global WiFi.
US carriers might lag in some regards but there will be a much higher percentage of US flights offering free WiFi and seatback AVOD than in other parts of the world.
Must be time for a refill on your meds.
@TimDunn … Free junk is not a fair trade for excessive fares .
@ Gary — Why must one work constantly? How much money is enough? Relax!
@ Tim — How’s the retirement of crappy 763s going over on Virginia Ave? I’m not sure how one can use a laptop in this horrible business class. Better off downing a bottle of DL’s finest swill and sleeping for 8 hours.
Amusing how Tim talks about the potential for slow wifi installation at United when Delta is flying mainline planes around with no internet whatsoever (never even had it) and had absolutely no planning whatsoever for their 717 fleet for nearly a decade. To say nothing of their TPAC internet provider with wifi that doesn’t exist yet over the Pacific. So regardless of a LA A350 or not, Delta customers aren’t getting wifi across the pacific…
If you’re going to critique other airlines while praising your own Delta, you should probably be, at least, slightly knowledgeable on the facts
Delta’s would be great if I could get a flight that had it. Looking forward to United getting it. since I’m shifting some of my spend to them.
@Gary – Regarding the technical aspects, low altitude is by far the largest factor (and due to increased drag, they plan on replacing the entire constellation more regularly than most providers). Part of what enables the excellent results you’ve seen is also the phase array antennas, for what it’s worth. Besides that, there’s nothing really special about the hardware on the aircraft, I expect.
On the satellite side, they’ve done some other important work, like using lasers for sat-to-sat comms, which is really impressive. It’s basically a really robust mesh network up there. However, that has nothing to do with planes.
Max,
you really don’t want to get into a pissing contest about what DL has done vs. UA.
UA took 7 years to get Polaris rolled out and it isn’t industry leading in any form now.
AA is rolling out its new suite w/ doors after DL has scores of airplanes with it. UA hasn’t even announced a new suite w/ doors.
UA said years ago that it would convert its mainline domestic fleet – older than DL’s – by adding AVOD and a very small number of conversions have taken place.
DL will have global free WiFi in place long before UA does… that is a fact.
DL is retiring 767s while UA is either going to grow at a much lower rate of pace or buy used aircraft that will take even more capacity out of the refurb pipeline. There simply is not the capacity in the supply chain for UA to do the aggressive fleet purchasing and mods it proposed.
Hopefully with airplanes becoming continuously connected to the internet, a flight like MH370 will not be lost in the future.
Not Tim changing the subject again to avoid talking about the topic where he has nothing to say about — actually having useable high speed wifi on their mainline fleet.
And as far as pissing contests… you’re really going to sit there and critique a United Polaris seat rollout when Delta has such ancient J lie-flat beds and such discrepancy between their widebody lie-flat seats? It took United a bit to install, but at least they did install something unlike Delta.
Give it up buddy, you always attempt to look smart but forget what Delta actually has.
Great and profitable company, but no execution whatsoever on a coherent lie flat strategy, unlike United, or even having aisle access on their widebody fleet (despite knowing about the LA A350s since 2019)
Much less having any internet on their full mainline fleet.
But it’s always amusing to see you try to change the subject to… Delta J seat with doors (and neglecting to mention the ancient J seat Delta flies on other birds)… to respond to a comment about Delta’s actual wifi offering.
Perhaps United will take a while to get their satellite wifi installed, perhaps not, but this potential for an announcement is news today. Delta has had a decade to get a plan for their 717 wifi and plenty of those planes are still using GoGo to say nothing of no wifi on Delta’s Pacific network (in some cases due to no satellite, some cases due to no antenna — both Delta purposeful Delta planning). Hard to argue United not even announcing a starlink announcement yet is probably more hopeful than Delta’s lack of planning for an entire fleet, aircraft acquisition, or geographic region when it comes to high speed wifi access.
As someone who works in IT, I try WiFi on all flights where it is offered. Most of them are awful.
If Starlink in the air is half as good as their ground product, it will be an exponential improvement over existing carriers.
Starlink is however only available in the USA, Western Europe, and limited parts of Asia.
Max,
see the comment below yours.
first, There is no consistently reliable high speed Wifi that covers all of the Pacific which UA flies.
second, it is absolutely relevant to talk about how fast UA will roll out Starlink- even if it is announced – given UA”s track record on other fleet projects it has announced.
third, you are free to diss on DL’s 767 fleet but 1. no other global carrier has a consistent business class product across its entire product. 2. United chose to do that w/ Polaris but it isn’t class leading and 3. it still took 7 years to roll out. and 4. DL is retiring 767s and replacing them w/ A330NEOs. There is a very good chance that UA’s 767s will remain in international service longer than DL’s – and the issue w/ the 767 is not near as much about an inch or two in the business class seat and the fact that it is not as reliable for UA as the 767 like the 757 and 777 is for DL or compared to other UA international fleets including the 787. An extra inch or two of space doesn’t matter if you can’t get on the plane because the flight is cxld.
none of which changes that DL will roll out free Wifi across its global fleet well ahead of UA.
quit arguing, MAX, because you aren’t going to change those realities.
1. Yes there is. Fly a carrier other than Delta. Plenty of airlines offer wifi TPAC the entire flight. And no, some countries aren’t offered on starlink, but that has nothing to do with the starlink network coverage (or with the Pacific coverage across the issue). Simply to do with where Starlink has the rights to operate in those frequencies. https://www.starlink.com/map https://satellitemap.space/
This has nothing to do with satellite coverage, like Viasat, it has to do with countries that don’t want to allow those frequencies to be used over their airspace.
2. No one called United perfect, simply noting your ridiculous attempt to prop Delta up as an example of doing projects quickly, particularly as it pertains to inflight wifi. “Free wifi” has been promised for years and Delta still has planes with no wifi whatsoever and entire geographic regions where their competitors offer streaming wifi on the widebodies but Delta has nothing.
3. Per the topic, yes there is. United. You’re welcome to sit here and defend the Delta 763 (that in other threads, you’ve claimed is flying for YEARS to come thus no one should think about Delta retreating from secondary markets where the 763 is used). Anyone who has flown the UA vs DL 763 will happily fly the United birds for years to come since they’ve been updated in business class. No one cares if United flies them (assuming Ops reliability) for years unlike Delta where the product is abysmal and cracking.
None of which changes we’re talking about having Actual wifi on your aircraft, not free wifi — a promise Delta made YEARS ago and still isn’t able to implement the most basic aspect of it — having wifi on your planes that works across your network.
First step for Delta: getting antennas on ALL your planes.
But again, Tim, it’s cute when you try to change the topic to one of your 4 usual go-tos when you don’t know how to respond. You might want to shelve “Free wifi” as a transition topic until Delta actually gets working wifi on their mainline fleet
If you want to diss on United, go for it, you’re not the first one to do it nor will you be the last, but trying to hold up Delta as an example of any onboard product consistency, implementation execution, or planning is just laughable.
717s with gogo
737s with no antennas
A350s with no antennas
Picking a wifi provider with no working internet over the Pacific for your widebodies (hint hint. This isn’t an issue for AA or UA’s widebodies)
https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/travel/inflight/wifi-coverage-maps.html
UA offers wifi across the globe with their widebody internet provider
https://www.delta.com/us/en/onboard/inflight-entertainment/onboard-wifi#:~:text=International%20%26%20Regional%20Flights,-Wi%2DFi%20is%20available
Delta will eventually get there with ViaSat and their widebodies but… who are we kidding. That’ a rough website to tell your customers: No wifi to Africa (or most of your flight to JNB/CPT) or anywhere in the Pacific.
Come with facts, not opinions, Tim.
I can generally rely on any United flight I take having wifi that is good enough to email and web browse, including everything but the 145’s on the regional fleet. Just have to watch out for flights from Houston to Florida / northern Latin America that operate with equipment that only works over the continental US.
But unless you’re on a 145, EVERY plane in United’s fleet, including regionals, has wifi.
And that includes over the pacific.
Starlink is getting their product installed in 6-12 hours, depending on aircraft type. AA is already moving forward with Intelsat’s ESA on the Regional fleet, with STC’s in progress for the ERJ’s and already in hand for the CRJ700. Production installations for AA REgionals will begin in Q4 2024. I believe Delta has selected Hughes for the B717 and definately for the Delta Connection fleet.
christopher,
again, the distinction is free and that only can happen w/ high speed systems.
I pretty much get ‘free’ Wifi with my T-Mobile plan and that works much better on all airplanes with United compared to AA. AA exempts their wide bodies, but with United over the Atlantic.. no problem getting WiFi included in my T-Mobile plan. I prefer that over having to share the bandwidth with all customers.
I think in the long run we will see basic wifi for free (United already has free texting) and a premium price for faster speeds – similar to what hotels offer now.
Flying Delta once in a while…are the regional jets still exempted from the free Wifi offer?
@Tim — Polaris my not be industry-leading but it is Delta-beating. Polaris is vastly superior to a crappy Delta 763 J seat or even one of the remodeled Delta 764 J seats. Yean, the two DL A350s are great, but good luck finding one.
Gene,
no one doubts that Polaris is better than the Delta one seat on the 767-300ER.
What you and a few other people can’t grasp is that United is one of the few, if not the only, large global carrier that has even tried to put the same seat on all of its multiple aircraft types.
The result was that it took 7 years to retrofit the fleet – and when it was done, it wasn’t class leading on any aircraft type.
Only a portion of the DL 767-300ER fleet operates on international flights over 8 hours; many flights are domestic transcons – competing with other carrier narrowbodies – or to Latin America or Hawaii.
Every other global carrier uses a similar strategy of using their varied international fleets where they most make sense – which is what DL does.
NONE OF WHICH changes that Polaris is just like a half dozen other fleet projects that United has announced – far too aggressive and are taking far longer than originally stated.
Good for United to realize it needs to put fast, free global Wifi on every aircraft in its fleet. They won’t finish faster than DL which has had their global WiFi project in process for years already.
Just as with every other fleet project that UA has announced, they are asking for way in excess of what the global supply chain can support. Even if they get Starlink Wifi, they will still lag in other parts of the onboard experience.
Only in aviation social media are there a handful of people that can’t stand to hear reality and so drop into all-out attacks on anyone that dares note that reality.
and Gene,
you and others that harp on endlessly about DL’s 767-300ERs somehow hypocritically manage to forget that UA operates a fleet of 757s on flights to Europe that do not even have direct aisle access in business class for every seat
just walk away and get back w/ us WHEN UA announces a contract w/ Starlink for free global Wifi and then when UA becomes the first US global airline to implement it
Funny… Delta operates A350s without direct aisle access on 12+ hour flights. Delta will even happily switch paying customers from an a350 WITH all aisle access to a surprise without all aisle access
Talk about “hypocritical” chatter today from Tim. You’re not even thinking when you type anymore. What a dumb thing to say when Delta has new planes with an equivalent product to the 25+ yr old UA 752
Delta said from the introduction of the 35Ls that they would be fitted with Delta standard cabins in the future when the supply chain permits.
None if which changes that the people like you that go nuts when any criticism of United is leveled. United operates 757s to continental Europe which do not have Polaris
United will at best follow Delta w high speed free global WiFi. Why you argue against the obvious as much as you do shows some deep personal issues
@Gene “Why must one work constantly? How much money is enough? Relax!” I no longer work, so it’s not an issue for me now. Back in the day, I found work on a flight (which didn’t require Wifi) was a great way to have more leisure time. Three hours of work on a flight meant three hours less time in the office. Your assumption that work on a plane is more total work done isn’t true for all.
1. Delta doesn’t have global wifi so there’s no following Delta in that regard. Perhaps once they make an effort to have wifi on all their planes and throughout their network, you can say that, but they don’t, unlike United and AA
2. No one is going nuts about anything, it’s just absurd for you to say something so dumb about United non-all aisle access business class seats when Delta is flying passengers around for 12+ hours with the same issue. (also with no wifi) and those planes are brand new, unlike the obvious expired timetable for the TATL 752 being replaced by the UA XLR.
It’s the height of hypocrisy to talk about United’s 752 Business class product, be reminded of Delta’s own PURPOSEFUL non all aisle access A350s (they’ve known they were coming since 2019) and then say others go nuts reminding you of your absurd positions.
I have a response to your silly comments above but they have a few links attached from delta and United so they haven’t posted until reviewed.
Simply put. Delta’s website shows they have no wifi for their aircraft through the pacific and for their routes to Africa. United has global coverage on their widebodies.
If you want to argue over this, facts just aren’t on your side, tim. Maybe just walk away.
I’m out of popcorn
you can argue til the cows come home, Max, and it is certain you will but it is absolutely correct to say that UA will be following DL with global free WiFi and that UA has repeatedly failed to deliver on the major fleet projects it has embarked on.
Stop throwing poo, MAX. Do you think it was an accident that UA failed to put Polaris on its 757s – and doesn’t intend to? Of course it was by design.
DL’s ex-Latam A350-900s will get new business class cabins – and they will be used to launch new Pacific routes.
While United threw capacity into the S. Pacific that it could not making on and is waiting for Boeing to deliver a fraction of the 787s that UA has on order, DL will be adding 2 dozen new and converted 330NEOs and 350s to its fleet in 2024 and 2025 – all before DL starts taking delivery of the A350-1000, making DL the only US airline with a new generation large widebody.
Yes, Max, DL sets the lead and UA tries to follow.
In the case of high speed WiFi, UA HASN’T EVEN ANNOUNCED THAT IT IS COMMITTING TO ANY PROVIDER LET ALONE THAT IT WILL OFFER FREE HIGH SPEED WIFI.
Put your poop thrower back in your pocket, Max. You look more like a fool every time you start arguing again.
Tim. It’s so obvious you’ve lost the argument when you bring up four other unrelated topics.
And again… trying to pivot to new topics ever so slightly related to what you said and what was responded to but… a response to something that no one even brought up.
Your knowledge of anything fleet related or widebodies between UA and DL never ceases to amuse with how illiterate it is and how little you understand the order books of the two airlines. But I don’t need to remind you of widebody orders for the30th time when you don’t even know what you’re talking about.
no Max, the fact is that United, at best, will follow Delta in offering high speed WiFi and hasn’t even committed to doing it for free.
American has a better WiFi system than United has but is making no move to make it free.
UA has missed its stated goals on multiple fleet issues; it is highly relevant to note that when talking about yet another.
My statement was correct and it is you and Gene that want to throw a million other gallons of mud to deflect from that reality.
it’s 5 o’clock somewhere. Find a bar and admit you lost another one, Max, because you just keep dinging yourself.
@ Tim — Wake up. No one follows Delta’s lead nymore. That’s been over for several years. Delta is stale and tired.
No one called United perfect or great at getting a J seat installed overnight.
You seem to project your own autistic tendencies about Delta on to others and assume I think UA is perfect in every way. I do not. You’ll notice I don’t go insane on the comments section when Gary posts something about an airline I like where I may disagree with him. He writes an opinion blog and he usually has ‘fun to read’ opinions that have made him a respected author. But I certainly don’t live and die by an airline dropping a route or United MAYBE installing starlink wifi, like you.
But.. UA does have updated business class seats across their fleet. Delta does not in any way (or all aisle access business class seats on their wide bodies, Like UA) and few people consider Delta’s “new” coffin seat with better plastic coverings to be any different from their old coffin seats.
Sorry, Tim, but it’s tough for Delta to be leading on global wifi when the wifi isn’t global (in the slightest) or even on all your mainline aircraft. They actually have the worst wifi in terms of usage of the US3.
But keep dreaming, Tim.
Funny you mention drinking, this is usually about the time when you start drinking by yourself.
enjoy
absolutely nowhere have I said anywhere here on anywhere else that DL has a functioning global free high speed network now.
I have repeatedly said that DL is building and will have and stated, accurately, that UA will follow DL’s lead – if UA even commits to systemwide high speed WiFi and makes it available for free.
I have accurately noted that UA has taken years longer than it originally stated for multiple fleet initiatives so the notion that UA will do this quickly and have a competitive hard product including seats, AVOD and WiFi is beyond laughable.
When you post stuff like:
“it’s tough for Delta to be leading on global wifi when the wifi isn’t global (in the slightest) or even on all your mainline aircraft”
all you want to do is argue or you can’t read.
I have accurately said that DL has more aircraft that are equipped with free high speed WiFi right now and they are turning on new routes every month this fall.
DL WILL HAVE a free global high speed WiFi network long before UA does.
Quit arguing and face the facts. and learn to read.
You might be better off admitting that you have hit the bottle than that you are perpetually as dense and argumentative as you are.
8 paragraph response!? You are drinking
Classic Tim after a few drinks
I’m not even going to read it, tim
Learn to stay on topic and learn something about your own airline before spending your day (under your fake name) in the comment section
You keep trying to change the topic to something not even said anyway
Enjoy your night and the spectrum, tim
@ Tim — I flew a UA Polaris flight from SFO to MEL a few weeks ago, and the FREE internet I used during the entire flight was excellent.
How nice that DL WILL add Free Global Wifi, just like DL WILL take delivery of A350s with suites beyond the two they have today. But, United is the one that is slow to adopt WiFi and install Polaris seats? Oh, OK.
United does not offer free high speed Wifi for all passengers on any aircraft, Gene.
You clearly struggle like that other guy to admit that Delta will have free high speed Wifi for all passengers on its global network long before United or any other global airline will.
As hard as it is for you to accept, Delta IS LEADING the global industry.
at least you can lead in the midst of all of your arguing
Oh tim….
What happened to us?
We used to have such pleasant disagreements… you’d use reason, be rational and thoughtful in your points , and not constantly try to change the topic when you don’t know what to say…
Oh wait… that wasn’t you. It must’ve been one of your four other alter ego handle names I know of.
Also why you’re banned on other websites.
Again. Delta does plenty of things well, but WiFi coverage and installation just isn’t one relative to AA and UA. Time to put this talking point of yours to bed.
An airline just isn’t a leader in WiFi when their own website about WiFi coverage says:
Pacific: none
Africa: none
South America: Limited
AA and UA both have global coverage with their widebodies already
It’s exciting that Delta can dream of aspiring to United’s WiFi current coverage. I can just imagine the Delta flier halfway to South Africa right now just wishing they were on United checking even the smallest email… but no.
It’s exciting that delta can aspire to follow United’s future WiFi from starlink if it happens. United needs better inflight internet; no doubt.
Perhaps delta can aspire to United’s surprisingly low bar of having any wifi on their entire mainline fleet just flying over kansas
And we haven’t even talked about AA where the entire fleet, widebody and narrowbody, has high speed WiFi even (gasp) over the Pacific.
But this article is about United and let’s hope United goes for this!
@ Tim — Delta is not leading in anything except worst treatment of long-term elite passengers and most-rapid comfiscation of mileage value. If that is how other airlines aspire to be, they should definitely look to the experts of Delta.
max,
first, it is notable that you are the one up in the middle of the night when you talk about me doing so.
the simple reason why we have so many skirmishes now is because you can’t read or you just want to argue.
I have never said that Delta currently has a free global high speed WiFi network across its fleet. I have said they will have one long before United or any other airline has one – and that is a fact.
neither AA or UA has free WiFi on their domestic narrowbody fleet.
No airline offers free global WiFi across a fleet as large as the big 3. None.
DL is turning on high speed free WiFi on multiple transatlantic routes every month this fall. AA and UA – not a chance.
All of the other things that you are Gene want to throw at the wall don’t change those realities.’
do you love to argue or can you simply not read what statements I am making?
@ Tim — I don’t read most of what you write. Did we not establish that long agao?
Gene,
of course we all know that.
and yet you continue to write and spout your non-sense.
The only consolation for you is that Max is either in the same group of people as you or just wants to argue – which is probably also true of you.
You two can both throw whatever you want at the wall but no airline has a global free WiFi system across its fleet but DL has far more aircraft with it than any other airline in the world, is rolling out routes to more places around the world where it can be found which simply means that UA will follow even if it chooses to add global free high speed Wifi which it has not done.
all the dander you two generate by the sheer suggestion that UA MIGHT sign a contract w/ Starlink.
They might also get the number of aircraft on-time they ordered from Boeing but very likely not in 2024, 2025 or likely for years to come.
I think you need to understand how timezones work, Tim. You don’t seem to.
But the irony is lost on absolutely NO ONE that you talk about others wanting to argue when your entire life is basically a comedy sketch wannabe of the argument room in Monty Python.
I can’t read? You brought up free wifi randomly as a reply to me when no one was talking about it because you had no reply to the actual fact that delta doesn’t have global wifi. They have planes without wifi entirely and they chose a provider that has ZERO coverage in large parts of Delta’s network and it is very real competitive disadvantage for Delta vs AA and UA.
“all the dander you two generate by the sheer suggestion that UA MIGHT sign a contract w/ Starlink.”
And please…. lol
…says the guy who spent his entire day on an article about UA potentially going with Starlink and brought up free wifi, Delta’s order book, United Polaris seats, United’s 752 seat…
You might be the biggest gaslighter I’ve ever seen. It’s no wonder nearly every site owner considers banning you (Lucky), reminds his readers no one wants to hear what you say (Cranky), or simply seems to enjoy letting you make an idiot out of yourself (sorry, Gary… assumption there). You attack all three randomly out of the blue anyway for attacking your dear Delta simply via mentioning Route closures.
Get a grip, get a life, and stop your stupid gaslighting. I find you terribly amusing and funny how easy it is to rile you up. And also, it’s frankly a little too easy to prove you wrong. I think my favorite though was on OMAAT the other day where another user listed 8 items where you were simply flat out lying in your other comments.
Do some research, Tim. Your autistic tendencies about delta are getting more than sad for everyone else.
Your fake name here and elsewhere is well known. It’s no wonder you’re banned on other sites.
Max,
you are laughably pathetic in the degree to which you are willing to argue.
You post late and night and early in the morning and then talk about the times other people post. if time zones matter and determine when you post, then why do you give a flying fish what time zones anyone else is in?
UA is CONSIDERING Starlink. They haven’t even committed to fleet wide high speed WiFi let alone offering it free.
DL WILL REACH the goal of fleet wide global free WiFi long before UA or any other airline with a fleet of anywhere near 1000 mainline aircraft does.
Scott Kirby himself has repeatedly said that United is doing things that Delta pioneered. Other aviation writers including Brian Sumers know it and even joke about Delta being United’s north star but you and Gene get absolutely wrapped around an axle if someone dares mention the reality which only you two refuse to see.
by the way for keeping this article at the top of Gary’s articles this week in terms of readership. It simply provides more opportunity to highlight that DL is the only one of the big 3 that is anywhere near close to providing free global high speed WiFi to all customers, building on the lead that they have in the US domestic market
Tim,
I’m flattered that you’re monitoring my bedtimes. I guess a post at 624pm (per the website time) and 448am (per the website time) is me not getting enough sleep and posting late into the night and early in the morning…?
Again, I’m flattered about your concern for my bedtime, but I can assure you 624pm isn’t late into the night for most people. I’m not the one posting past midnight on a Friday like you have repeatedly on other sites.
Is that now 4 attempts to pivot the conversation away from the topic? You keep trying to bring up random statements that have nothing to do with the topic. You also seem to think throwing them in my face is somehow proving your point.
Free wifi “at some point”. Good for delta? They’ve been saying that for years now. And as I’ve stated, free is great, but fundamental to that free wifi is being able to provide it on your network which delta is woefully behind American and United on that front.
Scott saying Delta does well? Ok…? I say the same.
Get a grip on reality buddy. You’re losing it.
I’m thrilled for Gary and his clicks.
But you are correct, this once again highlights that Delta is the only airline outside of the ULCCs with mainline planes purposefully flying without wifi over Kansas and the only airline among the US3 without global wifi coverage and that will only get worse if UA goes with Starlink. (you’re welcome to look at Delta and United’s links on wifi coverage above:
Delta: Asia: no. Africa: no. South America: Limited.
How many different times do you need to be wrong? Above you seemed to think Starlink doesn’t cover Asia yet you’ve quickly moved past that and done your usual pivot to a new unrelated topic when you know your’e wrong
.
Let’s hope Delta fixes their wifi problem quickly. Those 717s aren’t going to fix themselves.
Thankfully, that Delta flyer on ATL-JNB only has about 90 more minutes of wishing they chose United to have inflight wifi for 15 hours…
Keep climbing, buddy (aka take the stairs out of your mom’s basement for once)
AA and UA simply do not have free global high speed WiFi and DL will get there first.
DL will have high speed WiFi – free or not – across its mainline and regional fleet.
The only one that needs to get a grip is you in incessantly arguing about something that everyone else can see is fact.
I could care less about your bedtimes and you should about other people’s too – but you have specifically commented on the time I and others post only to expose your own hypocrisy
I’ve simply noticed that you stay up well past midnight to post on blog comment sections and everyone would love for you to get a life.
And per free wifi, again. not the topic though it’s the only one you seem capable of talking about since Delta is so woefully behind on global wifi coverage vs AA and UA.
Frankly, you have no idea who will get free wifi first. American could make the decision tomorrow to make their wifi free. Their planes can already handle it. I doubt they will but Delta can’t control their own ability to get to free wifi first since they’re relying on their own poor planning decisions with the 717 and they’re entirely reliant on Viasat’s ability to deliver on satellite launches. Delta doesn’t control their own destiny. Frankly, United could also beat Delta to the “free wifi” moniker since Starlink can be installed so quickly. Who knows… but you have no idea but we do know that Delta is woefully behind their competitors when it comes to global coverage wifi and placing antennas on their own planes.
“The only one that needs to get a grip is you in incessantly arguing about something that everyone else can see is fact.”
It might be time to start noticing that no one ever agrees with your perception of reality/fact and you rarely seem to even talk about facts, you just change the topic from facts to marketing gimmicks like “free wifi” that actually doesn’t exist still on much of Delta’s network, even domestically, since many of their planes can’t support it. To say nothing of their VERY lacking global coverage.
When nearly every blog owner either considers banning you or reminds their readers that no one cares what you say, it might be time to start questioning your own perception of “fact”. Because it doesn’t seem like everyone else sees anything you say as “fact”.
“I could care less about your bedtimes” — Thank god… I was thinking about staying up past 745pm tonight and I’d hate for you to worry while you’re commenting here until 2am.
Toodles, Tim
DL will have the first free global WiFi network among US global carriers; it already has the largest fleet of aircraft that offer it now.
The notion that AA or UA or any global airline is going to surpass Delta is beyond laughable.
You really do desperately want the last word. lol.
It’s a pretty simple idea that AA could offer free wifi globally and across their ENTIRE fleet tomorrow. AA has had the infrastructure to do that for quite some time.
Delta needs a mainline fleet equipped with:
1. Wifi first. They don’t. Some of their planes don’t even have that.
2. High Speed wifi — those 717s aren’t making anyone happy with gogo (again. Horrible planning by delta. what happened to seat back entertainment for these planes?)
3. Viasat to get their global coverage active. But Delta is the ONLY carrier that chose a satellite provider that has no coverage in HUGE swathes of Delta’s network.
Tim, I know it’s tough for you… but United and AA customers can check their email on every mainline plane on every route each carrier flies. Delta can’t say that, at all. Not even close.
Time to relax, tim. you lost this one because you clearly have no idea about what delta offers vs their marketing that you, apparently, bought without any thinking.
Free is great until you’re on a 12 hour flight to Sydney and realize you ended up on the ONLY US carrier with no wifi on a brand new plane.
Just ouch…
@ Tim — I love the way you sidestep my continuing complaint about Delta — management’s dishonesty. That may not matter to the average customer, but it does to me. I would like Delta better if they wold just be honest about how they have stolen from their customers and intend to continue stealing from their customers. People call them “devaluations,” but let’s be honest, it is just good old fashioned stealing.