Two Major US Airlines Are Changing The Game For Travelers' Wi-Fi Experiences

With more and more airlines offering free in-flight Wi-Fi, it's easier than ever to stay connected while traveling. But frequent flyers know that internet service in the air can be spotty at best, and sometimes it cuts out altogether. Good news for those with upcoming reservations on Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines: the two airlines are changing the game by installing stable, high-speed Wi-Fi across a significant portion of their combined fleet.

The two airlines, owned by the same parent company, now have 150 aircraft equipped with Starlink, dubbed the "fastest Wi-Fi in the sky" in a press release from Alaska Airlines. (A 2025 report from CNET described Starlink as "the fastest in-flight internet option by far" and "nearly twice as fast as any other in-flight Wi-Fi option.") For context, Alaska Air Group currently has a fleet of 413 aircraft, and that number is growing: in January 2026, Alaska Airlines announced the company had purchased more than 100 new aircraft, the largest order in the airline's history. 

The plan moving forward, according to the press release published on June 25, 2026, is to install Starlink on the airlines' entire widebody fleet by this fall, then complete the process "across the remaining mainline fleet by 2027." Traveling on Alaska or Hawaiian and wondering if your plane will have Starlink installed? Check out the installation status of any aircraft using this online tracker. 

So how will travelers access the airlines' new high-speed Wi-Fi? The new Starlink feature is provided through a partnership with T-Mobile, but you have to be a member of Atmos Rewards (the airline group's loyalty program) to access it. If you're not already a member, join the program for free online. Once you board an aircraft with Starlink, you'll connect to the airline's Wi-Fi network to enjoy free, fast internet service throughout the flight.

Like United, another popular U.S. airline that's modernizing in-flight technology with TVs and free Wi-Fi, Alaska and Hawaiian are upgrading the in-flight experience by making it easier for travelers to work and relax on board. Starlink's quick speeds allow browsing, scrolling, and streaming with fewer slowdowns. Passengers can also connect multiple devices at no additional cost.

The technology, which supports download speeds of up to 300 megabytes per second, is "out-of-this-world," journalist Gabriel Leigh wrote in a recent article for Monocle. "The big breakthrough of the moment in aviation doesn't have wings or turbines," Leigh wrote. "A reliable, no-fuss, high-speed data connection will be the real game changer." Apart from Alaska, Hawaiian, and United, travelers can look for Starlink internet service on Southwest Airlines, the underrated U.S. airline with big seats, simple rules, and tons of nonstop flights.