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United rolls out Spotify seatback app on Starlink Wi-Fi
United Airlines is rolling out a native Spotify app on seatback screens so passengers can log into their accounts, powered by Starlink Wi-Fi, The Verge reported, citing United executives.
- New headline Was: “Spotify is coming to United Airlines seatbacks — with help from Starlink”
- Our desk filed its story
United Airlines is rolling out a custom Spotify application on seatback screens so passengers can sign in to their own accounts and stream music and video podcasts in flight, The Verge reported Thursday, citing United executives1.
The airline said the feature is enabled by Starlink satellite Wi-Fi, which United is installing across its fleet, according to the report1. Passengers can stream through the seatback display or on personal devices, The Verge said1.
United announced a partnership with Spotify a little more than a year ago to explore preloading music on seatbacks, the account said1. Mark Muren, managing director for product marketing, told The Verge the airline instead chose a personalized login so customers could use their own libraries1.
Grant Milstead, United's vice president for digital, said fast, low-latency connectivity made the product possible and that Starlink's coverage, including polar routes, reduced the engineering work older in-flight systems required1. "Without Starlink, we couldn't generate that living-room-in-the-sky experience," he told The Verge1.
The Verge said Starlink operates more than 11,000 satellites in low Earth orbit, which it described as supporting lower latency than geostationary systems1. United has not published independent performance figures in this account1.
Muren said Spotify would serve as a blueprint for other streaming apps and that United wants platforms customers already use at home or work1. The Verge noted other carriers, including American, Qatar, Emirates, Lufthansa, Air France and British Airways, are also installing Starlink, while Delta is working with Amazon's LEO project and JetBlue uses Viasat1.
Milstead said Starlink would be a differentiator only for a time, and that United is counting on its mobile app and seatback experience once fast Wi-Fi is common, according to the report1. The Verge did not quote Spotify1.
