Delta Air Lines 'Years Behind' United After Recent Decision

Delta Air Lines and United Airlines are widely considered the top two carriers in the United States, with both trying to secure the top spot with consumers. However, a recent decision from Delta seems to have put United years ahead in one particular category.

Earlier this year, Delta declined to take part in a partnership with SpaceX's satellite internet service Starlink, instead opting to use Amazon's LEO service. However, that decision puts Delta years behind United in providing high-speed Internet service to its customers.

Delta and Starlink Deal Falls Through

While we knew of Delta's decision not to partner with Starlink, we did not know the reason why the deal ultimately fell through until this week, when early SpaceX and xAI investor, Ron Baron, spoke to CNBC for an interview.

During his interview, Baron said that the deal fell through because Delta insisted that Starlink access would sit behind Delta's branded portal rather than Starlink's own system. Essentially, Delta wanted to offer "Delta Sync" to its passengers through its own portal and interface rather than using Starlink's, leading to the deal to fall through.

SpaceX founder Elon Musk was not happy, saying in a post that Delta "wanted to make it painful, difficult and expensive for their customers," leading to the deal to fall through.

Delta Now 'Years Behind' United

The biggest issue with Delta opting to use Amazon's LEO service instead of Starlink isn't necessarily the product that the two will provide, as there's a chance the service will be quite comparable.

In fact, Abid Habib of Simply Flying points out that the Amazon partnership actually has several strategic advantages for Delta over Starlink, especially since existing user of Amazon Web Services. Amazon's LEO will offer better integration for Delta, discounted cloud computing services, and the ability to stream Amazon Studios content within the in-flight entertainment system. The antenna is also smaller, easier to install, and more aerodynamic, leading to less drag.

The real issue for Delta is simply time.

While Delta recently announced the plan to utilize Amazon's LEO service, the service won't actually be ready for customers to use until 2028. Meanwhile, United Airlines has been rolling out Starlink-equipped aircraft since 2025.

"Delta has partnered with Amazon, but the carrier is only expecting to provide LEO connectivity for passengers starting in 2028. This puts the airline at a disadvantage in a highly competitive market, where carriers such as United are already rolling out Starlink connectivity across their fleet. United operated its first Starlink-equipped flight on a mainline aircraft back in October 2025," Habib wrote for Simply Flying.

"United is progressing rapidly in its rollout of Starlink across its fleet, with the airline reporting in February that it has equipped over 300 aircraft, including the majority of its regional aircraft. Furthermore, the carrier is planning to have 800 of its aircraft equipped with the system by the end of this year and provide fleet-wide connectivity in 2027. In comparison, Delta plans to introduce Amazon LEO and scale it to 500 of its aircraft (approximately half its fleet), starting in 2028," Habib continued.

Needless to say, this is a pretty significant problem for Delta, especially considering how increasingly important Internet connectivity is to modern air travelers, especially the affluent customers that both Delta and United attempt to court.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 15, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published May 15, 2026 at 6:03 AM.