texting on UA wifi?
 

I recall being able to continue texting ground-based colleagues on my iPhone during United flights using their "free" wifi... but on a recent trip (DEN-ORD-CLE), it did not appear to work on either leg (I dont recall which specific planes were used) - except on the DEN-ORD flight (I think a 737 class), the messages came through on the MacBook pro......has this changed? usually I got it working automatically over the years.....was I doing something wrong?

-m

This has never been a supported feature and the assumption is there was an open port or artifact of lower-level software.
Likely some system change and its gone is not surprising

It is not a supported feature but it does work on some of the airplanes.

There are currently four different satellite internet systems on the UAL mainline fleet. https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...ight/wifi.html

My understanding is that the iMessage feature (bug?) works on the Thales system but not the others. Maybe others can confirm and/or fill in more details on that.

true
maybe it should be supported as a desirable benefit.

It is supported, just not for free

I have had it work on some mainline aircraft but not the E-175

This is because United (for various reasons some logical, like weight/STC availability, some seemingly random) uses several different wireless platforms and each of UA's wireless platforms uses completely different … well just about everything .. behind the scenes. Including, for the purposes of this thread what they have in the pre-authorization access control list (i.e. what you're allowed to visit before you've purchased access) - it seems that the Thales platform has basically allowed *.google.com and *.apple.com (probably not actually that broad) while others have allowed only the specific URLs that the various devices try to verify that they're connected to something with Internet access.

All of the express aircraft use GoGo which of the 4 platforms seems to be both the most restrictive as well as the most underwhelming in terms of pricing, reliability, availability throughout flight, etc.

I've also had iMessage as well as a couple other apps work for free. However, it's definitely not supported for free, and just a consequence of lax networking. I've also been able to fully bypass any restrictions via a VPN connection.

iMessage and What'sApp messaging is free on several other carriers, notably DL, AS, and WN.
DL and AS give free messaging on their gogo served flights. So the issue is not the platform, it's the carrier.

IME, iMessage go through the entire flight for me on 737s - so whatever system that is. Also IME, it only works for text - not if sending photos/other media. I also often get push notifications on the 737 - at least from some apps, but I’m not sure if all of them.

Yes. It has worked for a long time on 737s. Both iMessages and push notifications. I thought it was just a known UA feature after coming from a long stretch as an AA flyer where it was not available. However, it does not work on the A 319 or 320.

That was true but not anymore.

The 737 fleet was entirely on the Thales system which is the system that (unofficially) supported iMessage.

When the 737-9 MAX aircraft arrived, they introduced a new system, the ViaSat system. ViaSat has an expanded coverage area and better reliability but does not seem to allow iMessage without purchasing internet access. A number of 737-900, A319, and 757-200 have had the ViaSat system installed as well.

Pre-COVID, the plan was to find the most reliable system and deploy it across the narrow-body fleet. I haven't heard if that plan has changed due to COVID. My experience with the airplanes with ViaSat is that the system is much more reliable than the Thales system.

Our aviation weather app on our company iPads connects to the aircraft's wifi to give us updated weather maps during flight so it's very obvious to us when the connection is not working, or not working well.

Again, this is a UA limitation, not a ViaSat limitation. The AS Airbuses utilize ViaSat and free messaging is offered.

My understanding is that free messaging is not offered on any UAL airplanes at this time. iMessage, and some Google services, work on the Thales system but that is only because they haven't taken the steps necessary to block them. It is not a service that is being intentionally provided.

Long-term, internet access will likely be included for everyone. That has been mentioned by Oscar, Scott, and others. Before they do that, though, they have to find and install more robust systems on the airplanes which can support the increased usage that will follow.

If there's any way for UA to implement not providing a service such as this, they won't.
It's the UA way, after all.

Munoz/Kirby have been teasing better WiFi for years now.