United Airlines is offering a status match to members of Delta SkyMiles and American AAdvantage to try its in-flight Starlink Wi-Fi, according to Skift. The match, announced Thursday, is live on a dedicated United webpage with the tagline “Don’t keep buffering: switch to United and get the fastest Wi-Fi in the sky.”
United status match spending thresholds
Delta and American frequent flyers can earn United status by spending specific amounts and flying United at least once within the next 90 days. Status granted through the match is valid through January 2028.
Here are the spending thresholds to qualify:
- Silver: $1,500
- Gold: $3,000
- Platinum: $4,500
- Premier 1K: $7,000
The offer applies to members of both Delta SkyMiles and American AAdvantage programs who want to try United’s Mileage Plus loyalty tiers.
What the match means for Delta flyers
The airline is betting that Starlink, the SpaceX satellite internet service it has been rolling out across its fleet, will be a major draw, according to USA Today. Delta has faced pushback online for not selecting Starlink as its provider, making the service a selling point for United in an industry where premium Wi-Fi has become a loyalty driver.
Status-match members get the same priority boarding, seat upgrades, lounge access and other perks that elite frequent flyers normally earn. The low barrier to entry, spending $1,500 for Silver status, means casual Delta flyers can test drive United’s higher tiers and their onboard benefits.
What’s next
The 90-day window means interested Delta and American flyers have until early January 2027 to book and fly the airline to lock in their matched status.
Reporting from Skift, USA Today and Cnn contributed to this story.
