Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines accelerate Starlink rollout

Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines are accelerating their Starlink inflight WiFi rollout across the combined fleet, delivering free, high-speed connectivity and a seamless new onboarding experience via Atmos Rewards.

Summary:

Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines have expanded their Starlink-powered free inflight WiFi rollout across approximately 150 aircraft, ahead of schedule.
A new onboard portal linked to the Atmos Rewards loyalty programme enables seamless access to high-speed connectivity across Starlink-equipped flights.
The initiative strengthens the airlines’ digital transformation strategy, delivering faster, more seamless inflight connectivity across their combined fleet.

Alaska Airlines – a Corporate Partner of the FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub – and Hawaiian Airlines have announced major progress in the rollout of free, lightning-fast WiFi across the combined fleet, with approximately 150 aircraft now equipped, putting the airline ahead of schedule in enhancing connectivity.

As part of this rollout, Alaska and Hawaiian are introducing a new onboard portal that makes it easy for travellers to access fast, complimentary inflight WiFi by joining Atmos Rewards, the airline’s combined loyalty programme. The experience will become standard across Starlink-equipped flights by mid-July, with existing Atmos Rewards members connecting automatically through a streamlined interface and new customers able to sign up in just a few steps. The airline’s inflight WiFi, which is complimentary thanks to T-Mobile, is powered by Starlink.

“For years, T-Mobile has played a key role in keeping our guests connected, and we’re proud to now offer Starlink, the fastest WiFi in the sky, to Atmos members for free, made possible through our work with T-Mobile,” said Shane Jones, Senior Vice President of Fleet, Products and Guest Experience, Alaska Airlines. “We’ve seen an overwhelmingly positive response from our guests, and we couldn’t have done it without T-Mobile as we continue to raise the bar for the experience across Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines.”

Following Hawaiian’s lead in becoming the first U.S.-based major airline to bring Starlink to the skies in 2024, Alaska began installation of high-speed WiFi service on its fleet late last year. Within months, Alaska became the first U.S. carrier to install Starlink across its entire regional jet fleet. With installations now underway across the mainline fleet, Alaska is on track to bring Starlink to its entire widebody fleet this fall. This includes its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, operated on the carrier’s long-haul international flights between Seattle and Incheon, London, Rome and Tokyo beginning this fall. The airline expects to complete installation across the remaining mainline fleet by 2027.

“Our relationship with Alaska Airlines has helped redefine what travellers can expect from inflight connectivity, and today’s milestone is another important step forward,” said Mike Belcher, Head of Partnerships & Business Development, T-Mobile. “Bringing complimentary inflight WiFi to more travellers across both Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines makes it easier to stay connected throughout their journey. The new, streamlined experience for accessing WiFi reflects our shared commitment to delivering a better, more seamless travel experience.”