"Actually, I would like to add an extra flight to my trip," said no one, ever.
Well, until Starlink came along, apparently.
During SpaceX's Tuesday earnings call, the company's president, Gwynne Shotwell, highlighted the expansion of Starlink, the company's satellite-powered internet service, across commercial airlines.
"In fact, we heard from one of our airline customers, shockingly, customers are flying shorter hop flights instead of direct, so that they could ensure that they're on a Starlink-activated flight," Shotwell said in her opening remarks on the call. "They'd never seen this in the business before."
YouTuber MrBeast made a similar statement earlier this year on "The Good Guys" podcast, saying he would eventually choose flights based on whether the aircraft offered Starlink — even if it meant taking an extra layover.
He also joked that he would rather have Starlink WiFi than Biscoff cookies, a snack closely associated with Delta Air Lines. Delta does not have an agreement with SpaceX to use Starlink.
MrBeast says once enough airlines offer Starlink, he’ll only book those flights: “Extra layover? Don’t care—there’s Starlink. I’ll sit anywhere for it. Starlink is amazing.”
He adds: “Most people haven’t used it, but in Antarctica it was our only signal. On a four-hour drive… pic.twitter.com/ow7lzP6Xk0
Business Insider contacted 13 airlines with agreements to use Starlink and asked whether they had observed passengers choosing itineraries based on the service.
A Southwest spokesperson said he believed Shotwell was referring to another carrier, noting that Southwest does not operate regional jets and uses its Starlink-equipped aircraft across a variety of routes.
Alaska Airlines declined to comment. The other airlines did not respond by publication time. SpaceX also did not respond to a request for comment or verification of Shotwell's account.
SpaceX also touted a new agreement with American Airlines to bring Starlink to 500 planes, as well as new partnerships with Southwest, Virgin Atlantic, Iberia, and Aer Lingus. The company said enterprise and government contracts generated $1.8 billion in quarterly revenue.
Shotwell said SpaceX saw "significant growth opportunities" for Starlink and had never lost an enterprise customer.
A SpaceX first
Tuesday was SpaceX's first earnings call since its June IPO. The company reported $7.8 billion in quarterly revenue, up 92% from a year earlier, and a net loss of $541 million.
Much of the call focused on SpaceX's increasingly expansive ambitions. Shotwell said the company plans to turn Starlink Mobile into a full-fledged carrier capable of taking customers from AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile.
CEO Elon Musk, meanwhile, defended SpaceX's nearly $16 billion in quarterly spending on AI infrastructure and outlined plans that included data centers in space, factories and robots on the moon, and a possible $1 trillion in annual revenue as early as 2029.
Investors appeared less enthusiastic about the price tag: SpaceX shares fell after hours despite the company's revenue beat. The stock is down about 30% since its June IPO.
Would you change your flight path to get Starlink WiFi? We want to hear from you. Contact us at [email protected] or reach out to me privately at bshimkus.41 on Signal.
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Ben Shimkus is a reporter for the Business News desk. He writes about cars, transportation, retail, and jobs. Ben's reporting has appeared in Rolling Stone, The Verge, Automotive News, USA Today, AutoBody News, LGBTQ Nation, TopSpeed, and Out Magazine. He's also held staff writing positions at The U.S. Sun and the Daily Mail. He graduated from NYU with a Master's in journalism in 2024. Email Ben at [email protected] or message him privately on Signal at bshimkus.41.
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