Delta Air Lines is the only major U.S. carrier that won’t use Starlink for in-flight Wi-Fi, and Elon Musk is furious. Musk has been attacking Delta CEO Ed Bastian on X, posting “He will lose his job over this” after unconfirmed reports that Bastian criticized him in employee meetings. Delta instead chose Amazon’s satellite internet service, Leo.
Musk wrote that Delta “wanted to make it painful, difficult and expensive for their customers.” Rival airlines are capitalizing on the feud. United offered to match frequent-flier status for Starlink-curious Delta and American customers, while American and Frontier also promoted their own Wi-Fi plans.
Bastian has largely ignored the attacks, telling Bloomberg in May: “Of course, we expect Starlink will be warning people that we’re going to go with an inferior product. But I’m not too worried about partnering with Amazon.” Delta declined to comment on recent reports of Bastian’s remarks about Musk’s reputation.
The dispute highlights a broader battle over airplane Wi-Fi. Free, fast in-flight internet has become a key amenity. Delta tested Starlink years ago but opted for Amazon’s Leo, which won’t launch until 2028. The airline currently uses providers Viasat and Hughes Network Systems for streaming-quality connectivity on most planes.
Source: Wall Street Journal US Business · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing