May 22, 2013, 7:52 am
Last edit by: gengar
Wifi Completion Status (Last Updated: 1/16/2015)
United Wi-Fi installation
Mainland USA
Worldwide Coverage
Worldwide Coverage Area
Satellite coverage may experience outages for reasons such as government regulations, weather and switching between satellite regions.
Gogo (PS Flights) Coverage Area
Pricing Data Points
City Pair / ~ Duration / Standard Cost / Premium Cost / Comments on Quality
747-400 (Panasonic):
A319/A320 (Panasonic):
City Pair / ~ Duration / Standard or Limited Access Cost / Premium or Full Access Cost / Comments on Quality
737s (Thales LiveTV): [prices are per-hour]
United Wi-Fi installation
Mainland USA
- B737 - 187/253 Complete (74%)
- B757 - 26/133 Complete (20%)
Worldwide Coverage
- A319 - 55/55 Complete (100%)
- A320 - 97/97 Complete (100%)
- B747 - 24/24 Complete (100%)
- B767 - 2/51 Complete (4%)
- B777 - 42/74 Complete (57%)
- B787 - 3/14 Complete (21%)
Worldwide Coverage Area
Gogo (PS Flights) Coverage Area
Pricing Data Points
City Pair / ~ Duration / Standard Cost / Premium Cost / Comments on Quality
747-400 (Panasonic):
- SFO-FRA / 10 hrs / ?? / $22.99 / (5/2013) Peak speed was 6.5Mbps down, 2Mbps up. 700ms latency. awesome. (unavaca)
- HNL-NRT / 8 hrs / $14.99 / $22.99 / The service worked all the way across the pacific, I was surprised at how reliable it was. The speediest I did topped out at .26mb, hardly "premium", but if you're ok with general web browsing and chatting with iMessage, it worked like a champ.
- LAX-SYD / 14 hrs / $16.99 / No premium options. (Col Ronson) 3Mbps download speed test, worked for 95% of flight
- SFO-HKG / 15 hrs / $16.99 / No premium option / (1/2014) (unavaca) speedtest immediately after wi-fi was available gave 700ms, 7Mbit down, 0.5Mbit up
- BKK-NRT / 5 hr / $16.99 / No premium option / (SS255)
- PEK-SFO / 11 hr / $16.99 / No premium option / Net access kept going down over the Pacific / Ookla speedtest 3.09 Mbps down, 0.23 Mbps up, 894ms RTT.
A319/A320 (Panasonic):
- EWR-SFO / 6 hrs / $12.99 / $19.99 (IIRC)
- EWR-SFO / 6 hrs / $14.99 / no premium option (3/2014) (greg99) speedtest 2498kbps d/l and an awesome 95kbps u/l (not a typo) 578ms latency
- SFO-PHL / ~5.5 hrs / $14.99 / no premium option (4/2014) (qisu) didn't do speed test. good part of the flight had slow speed or no connection at all.
- PHL-SFO / 6 hrs / $12.99 / no premium option (4/2014) (qisu) speedtest 2-3megabits down.
- PHL-IAH / 4 hrs / $9.99 / $12.99 (IIRC, standard may have been $7.99?)
- PHL-IAH / 3 hrs / $6.99 / no premium option [10/2013]
- ORD-LAS / 3.5 hrs / $7.99 / No premium option. (lenscap)
- ORD-SEA / 4 hrs / $9.99 / No premium option. (qisu)
- ORD-LAX / 4 hrs / $8.99 / No premium option / speedtest peak 3mbps, average 600kbps to 1.5mbps
- ORD-YVR / 4 hrs / $8.99 / No premium option / speedtest 3.86 Mbps to 10.70 Mbps down / 0.18 to 0.37 Mbps up - very reliable throughout the flight
- IAD-LAX / 5 hrs / $12.99 / No premium option / speedtest peak 1.5mbps, average 400kbps to 800kbps, worked for 80% of flight but pretty spotty at times, but at least FA announced signal was poor
- IAD-SEA / 5 hrs / $12.99 / No premium option / A319
- SFO-LAX / 1 hr / $3.99 / No premium option / A319 (greg99)
- SFO-ORD / 4 hr / $9.99 / No premium option / A320 / Pretty reliable, up most of the flight
- IAH-SEA / 4.5 hrs / $8.99 / no premium option A320 (6/2014) (qisu) speedtest 5megabits down, 0.2 megabits up.
City Pair / ~ Duration / Standard or Limited Access Cost / Premium or Full Access Cost / Comments on Quality
737s (Thales LiveTV): [prices are per-hour]
- IAH-TPA / ?? / $1 / $2 / (2/2014) (ssullivan) 23-25Mbps downstream (Premium/full access service). No service over Gulf of Mexico.
- MIA-EWR / 2 hr / $1 / $2 / (3/2014) (hirohito888) 16Mbps down, 1Mbps up [not sure if this is for the regular or full access]
- PDX-IAH / 4 hr / $1 / $2 / (4/2014) (qisu) regular was very slow, speed test about 100kilobits down.
- SEA-IAH / 4 hr / $1 / $2 / (5/2014) (edcho) full access was speedy. 22 Mbps down and 2 Mbps up. Ping was 700ms.
- SEA-IAH / 4 hr / $1 / $2 / (6/2014) (qisu) full access, 5-15 Mbps down, 0.2 Mbps up.
United Launches Satellite-Based Wi-Fi Service
Sep 29, 2014, 8:21 pm
#511
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: 4éme
Posts: 12,042
I had WiFi and a recent IAH-SAL and on the return trip but it was only available when in US Airspace. I was able to connect to united.com and it was pretty slow. Then on my connection from IAH-MCO there was WiFi on an A320. On the IAH-MCO segment the IFE was streamed across the WiFi and free while normal internet access had to be paid for. Since I didn't the United App installed I couldn't try the streaming movies. I did access united.com and it was slow as on the first flight.
Sep 29, 2014, 9:38 pm
#512
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,854
Nov 19, 2014, 8:41 am
#513
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: LHR (sometimes CLE, SFO, BOS, LAX, SEA)
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 5,893
WiFi coverage on SFO-ICN was really bad — something like 15-20% of the time I tried to use it, there was connectivity, and the system often didn't acknowledge that it wasn't actually connected. A bit disappointing; I was expecting something like the LH wifi experience I'd had previously which worked flawlessly all the way KIX-FRA-BOS.
I did not write in and complain. However, a few days after travel, UA spontaneously credited the $20.99 wifi fee back to my credit card, which is a nice gesture.
I did not write in and complain. However, a few days after travel, UA spontaneously credited the $20.99 wifi fee back to my credit card, which is a nice gesture.
Nov 19, 2014, 9:14 am
#514
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: DEN
Programs: AA EXP 1MM, UA 1K 1MM, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Plat
Posts: 400
Another WiFi fail
I continue to have very bad luck (or their system does not work very well) with wifi on United metal. Most recently, 17 NOV on UA 1158 DEN-ORD 737-900 (N75410). I was excited that the equipment showed the wifi availability when checking in and on board, as I had some work to complete in flight. Once at cruising altitude, I find and connect to the symbol, but just the portal page indicating wifi will be available after take-off will load on all browsers. The FAs reset the system once then ignored/brushed off all other complaints I overheard -- I guess they are tired of the ongoing issues too.
I chuckle whenever I see "wifi-friendly" advertisements...I mean I understand United has elected a different technology which may be better and have more entertainment options in the long-run, but GoGo has been up on US, AA and DL for YEARS. I am tired of waiting.
I chuckle whenever I see "wifi-friendly" advertisements...I mean I understand United has elected a different technology which may be better and have more entertainment options in the long-run, but GoGo has been up on US, AA and DL for YEARS. I am tired of waiting.
Nov 19, 2014, 11:25 am
#515
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Daly City, CA
Programs: UA 1K, SPG Plat, Turkish Gold, Marriott Gold, HH Gold
Posts: 186
trie it last week and it wasn't too bad. at least I can complete my works successfully
Nov 21, 2014, 7:29 am
#516
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: LGA/JFK/EWR
Programs: UA 1K1.75MM, Hyatt Globalist, abandoned Marriott LTT (RIP SPG), Hertz PC
Posts: 21,169
Total bust EWR-HKG 11/20
Sent a email ahead of time that our flight would have it, looked good once in the air. Paid the $16.99 - worked for 10 minutes, then the signal went out for the next 15 hours 
UA wifi - still not a prime time player
UA wifi - still not a prime time player
Nov 21, 2014, 7:39 am
#517
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: MKE
Programs: Fly: AA EXP UA Gold MM Stay: Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LT Plat Drive: Avis PC, Hertz PC
Posts: 782
Nov 21, 2014, 7:42 am
#518
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2012
Programs: UA PP, AA, DL, BA, CX, SPG, HHonors
Posts: 2,002
recently flew a A320 with the new pricing structure of $1/hr for apps and $2/hr for full browsing
strong signal the entire hour I used it (domestically), quite satisfied, and VERY reasonably priced. way better than the crazy $22/flight gouging that DL wants for their gogo service.
strong signal the entire hour I used it (domestically), quite satisfied, and VERY reasonably priced. way better than the crazy $22/flight gouging that DL wants for their gogo service.
Nov 21, 2014, 7:49 am
#519
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: LGA/JFK/EWR
Programs: UA 1K1.75MM, Hyatt Globalist, abandoned Marriott LTT (RIP SPG), Hertz PC
Posts: 21,169
Nov 21, 2014, 8:09 am
#520
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 1,116
Hey,
I am flying EWR-HKG on a B777 in a few weeks (dec 13). I see they have 35% of the 777 fleet wifi-enabled. what are the odds this flight has wifi?
I am flying EWR-HKG on a B777 in a few weeks (dec 13). I see they have 35% of the 777 fleet wifi-enabled. what are the odds this flight has wifi?
Nov 21, 2014, 8:19 am
#521
Moderator: Midwest, Las Vegas & Dining Buzz
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Posts: 17,976
Nov 21, 2014, 8:22 am
#522
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: MKE
Programs: Fly: AA EXP UA Gold MM Stay: Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LT Plat Drive: Avis PC, Hertz PC
Posts: 782
Agreed. Cut out the middle (wo)man. 1K Voice would likely send you to the wifi refunds anyway, so I'd suggest going there directly. I've received refunds quickly that way before, although lately I haven't had many wifi issues-knocking on wood.
Nov 21, 2014, 8:28 am
#523
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 1,116
yes i know that. my question is are they favoring their international fleet or their hawaii fleet? are any routes more likely to have it...
Nov 21, 2014, 9:06 am
#525
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Perth, Australia
Programs: UA Gold
Posts: 24
Well I'm a 839 to Sydney and it's been working great.
It has also saved me some headaches being able to contact United's twitter team so they can get me on a later QF flight to Perth as our flight left an hour and a half late due to mechanical problems.
It has also saved me some headaches being able to contact United's twitter team so they can get me on a later QF flight to Perth as our flight left an hour and a half late due to mechanical problems.