It is actually quite a useful benifit...
allows me to communicate re pick up, etc. I think the issue is that UA lacks the capacity having (cough, cough) not invested in its product. Per the article:
"Other airlines are expected to try to match the offer, but Delta could have an advantage, one aviation analyst said, because it has been investing heavily in equipment to help bolster its connectivity.
“There will undoubtedly be attempts by other carriers to try to match this, but it comes down to whether they have the hardware to do it,” said Robert Mann, president of R. W. Mann & Company, an airline consulting firm.
American Airlines and United Airlines did not immediately respond to requests for comment."