EXCLUSIVE: Could Airlines With Starlink See Booking Boost? What Benzinga Reader Poll Says

Several airline companies have added Starlink internet service to their in-flight customers, adding the popular satellite internet offering from Elon Musk's SpaceX company.

A new Benzinga reader survey shows airlines that offer Starlink on flights could have an advantage as the internet service is becoming more popular.

What Happened: Starlink is used by millions of customers at their homes and businesses across more than 100 countries, as of January.

The internet service is also becoming increasingly popular in the skies with airlines signing deals to offer free internet to their passengers or charge for the premium service that could have faster speed than existing Wi-Fi services.

Benzinga recently polled readers to see how important airlines offering Starlink is for flights.

"When booking a flight, how important is Starlink being offered as an internet service in making the airline selection?" Benzinga asked.

The results were:

• Somewhat important, but not the most important booking determination: 43%
• Not important, not a factor: 36%
• Very important, won't fly without: 21%

The poll shows that 64% of readers said Starlink being on flights is somewhat important or very important and could be a determining factor in booking airlines.

Around one-third (36%) said that Starlink is not important and not a factor, a figure that could decline as more passengers experience Starlink internet and increased speeds over time.

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Why It's Important: SpaceX CEO Musk has suggested that Starlink will be available on most flights in the future, with the decision ultimately up to airline companies to carry the service.

Starlink has been used on over 55,000 flights across more than 110,000 in-flight hours and more than 55 million miles, according to the company's website.

"Starlink has provided high-speed, low-latency internet on tens of thousands of flights and counting, keeping passengers connected from the moment they step onboard their aircraft and throughout their travels all around the world," the Starlink website reads.

Several airlines have announced deals with Starlink for in-flight internet services on a portion of their flights or all of their flights.

In North America, this list includes United Airlines Holdings UAL, WestJet, and Hawaiian Airlines, which is now owned by Alaska Air Group ALK.

These stocks could have an advantage based on the survey result with more and more passengers seeking out flights that have Starlink as an option. United is rolling out Starlink to more of its flights and Alaska Air Group is looking to add Starlink to other plane units outside of just the Hawaiian Airlines brand.

In other parts of the world, the list of airlines with Starlink includes Qatar Airways, Air New Zealand, Air France and airBaltic.

Musk recently said it was "possible that Starlink may go public at some point in the future."

But while the billionaire also said there was "no rush to go public," readers are still interested in investing in the internet company and its parent, SpaceX.

In a poll of Elon Musk-related companies, Benzinga readers said they would most want to invest in Starlink (27%) or SpaceX with a minority ownership stake in Starlink (27%). These two units ranked ahead of other Musk-related companies such as X/xAI (19%), Tesla Inc (16%) and others.

The study was conducted by Benzinga from May 23, 2025, through May 27, 2025. It included the responses of a diverse population of adults 18 or older. Opting into the survey was completely voluntary, with no incentives offered to potential respondents. The study reflects results from 113 adults.

Photo: Below the Sky via Shutterstock