United Airlines forced to clarify it doesn’t have a new free perk - it was just a glitch

United Airlines has said free in-flight WiFi, that some customers were recently reportedly able to access on some planes, was just a glitch.

United started introducing high-speed Starlink WiFi on some aircraft this month. As part of the rollout, the airline will offer free Internet to MileagePlus loyalty members on planes equipped with the technology. The airline expects to add Starlink to the entire fleet, with upgrades completed in 2027.

Also this month, a deal between United and T-Mobile that offered customers complimentary WiFi on flights globally came to an end April 13. On planes without Starlink, travelers pay $8 for WiFi if they’re a MileagePlus member or $10 for non-members, according to United’s website.

However last week some United customers claimed on Reddit that they were able to connect to free WiFi onboard even though their flight was apparently not equipped with Starlink technology.

The Independent has been unable to verify which flights this occurred on and asked United for comment.

“Hopefully this means free Internet for everyone, similar to how the other guys do it,” one Reddit commentator wrote. Some U.S. airlines, like Delta, offer free Wi-Fi to customers on domestic and international flights after they sign up for the airline’s loyalty program.

While there was some wishful thinking that United was rolling out a new free WiFi option, the airline set the record straight.

“We haven’t made any changes to our current WiFi policy,” United Airlines told The Independent.

A minor technical issue last Friday caused an issue that briefly provided free WiFi access to customers on some flights, United told Live And Let’s Fly. The issue was resolved the same day.