Investor and All-In Podcast host Jason Calacanis said Starlink availability has become his top priority when booking commercial flights, arguing that reliable high-speed internet now matters more to him than travel time, route or price as airlines race to improve in-flight connectivity.
Starlink Becomes Deciding Factor for Calacanis
"I’m picking commercial flights based on Starlink, not total time, route or price," Calacanis, who also hosts the All-In podcast, wrote on X. He praised Japan’s low-cost carrier ZIPAIR Tokyo for equipping all eight aircraft with Starlink and said he plans to "drive to Houston to take them going forward."
Calacanis also pressed United Airlines Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:UAL): "Get moving on long haul flights @united!!! Thank you for your attention to this matter!" Elon Musk reposted the message, amplifying the argument that Starlink can influence which airline passengers choose.
Airlines Accelerate Starlink Rollouts Across Fleets
ZIPAIR said in May that it had completed fleetwide Starlink installation. The airline offers the service free on every flight and seat, marketing it as high-speed connectivity suitable for work and entertainment.
United is scaling quickly. Its second-quarter results showed Starlink installed on 450 mainline and United Express aircraft, with nearly 1,000 expected by year-end. The carrier said Starlink-equipped flights generate Wi-Fi satisfaction scores more than twice as high as aircraft using other systems and began widebody transatlantic deployments during the quarter.
Musk recently made a similar prediction, saying whether an airline has Starlink "will be a deciding factor for consumer choice, especially on long flights." Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ:SPCX) has also said it deliberately accepted lower-revenue airline deals to make Starlink easier and more broadly available to passengers.
Reuters reported in June that Starlink had signed 11 new airline customers in 2026 and held contracts covering more than 7,000 aircraft. American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ:AAL) plans to install Starlink on more than 500 narrowbody jets starting in 2027.
Starlink Growth Fuels SpaceX Revenue Ambitions
The aviation push feeds into Starlink’s broader growth story. SpaceX’s first public quarterly report showed second-quarter revenue of $7.81 billion, up 92% year over year, while connectivity revenue rose 66% to $4.29 billion. Starlink subscribers doubled to 12 million across 167 countries.
Musk said SpaceX expects to exceed $100 billion in annual recurring revenue by December and moved its internal target for $1 trillion in annual revenue forward to 2030, with "a non-zero chance" of reaching it in 2029.
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