In brief: United Airlines has teamed up with Spotify to make in-flight travel more entertaining. From today, passengers on United flights will have access to more than 450 hours of curated playlists, including audiobooks and video podcasts, via seatback screens.
Spotify said the partnership marks the first time they've offered audiobooks and video podcasts on aircraft.
The deal sounds like a win-win for everyone involved. For United, it's yet another perk that the competition does not offer. Spotify, meanwhile, is getting a brand new opportunity to showcase its product to consumers that might not have otherwise checked out their service. For travelers, it's essentially a free Spotify trial at 35,000 feet.
Already have a Spotify account? No problem. On Starlink-equipped flights, customers can stream content from personal devices from gate to gate, free of charge. You'll need a MileagePlus account to do so but otherwise, it's complimentary. Those new to Spotify Premium Individual that sign up for MileagePlus will receive 1,000 bonus miles.
United partnered with SpaceX in late 2024 with the goal of bringing Starlink Internet to all flights, free of charge. The airline said the rollout would take several years to complete once testing got under way in early 2025. United operates and is planning to install Starlink on more than 1,000 jets over the course of the rollout, making it the largest carrier to commit to offering Starlink at scale. In the Spotify release, United said it plans to put the service on more than 130,000 seatback screens.
The airline did not lay out a target speed, but a support document for Starlink Aviation claims the service can deliver download speeds between 40 Mbps and 220 Mbps.
Looking ahead, United is working to allow passengers to log into the Spotify app on the in-flight entertainment screen. Such flexibility would allow travelers to enjoy video content on a large screen without having to reach for a tablet or laptop. This integration is expected to be launch sometime in 2026.
Image credit: Omid Armin