How United is leveraging Starlink and the cloud to enhance IFE

United Airlines joined the premium travel arms race after Delta — after all, seatback inflight entertainment screens only started to make a return to its domestic fleet in 2021 — but the US major is now moving with speed to equip its jets with the hardware and reimagine the IFE experience using connectivity.

Leveraging Starlink’s high-speed, low-latency connection as a foundation, United is integrating new cloud-based applications directly to the seatback and personal devices, with the latter serving as a dual-screen “complement” to the former.

Two key projects are underway, and the core technological innovations driving them have been shortlisted for the prestigious 2026 Crystal Cabin Award (CCA).

A connected, omni-channel experience

In June 2025, United announced an agreement with audio streaming giant Spotify to bring curated Spotify content to seatback IFE as piped from a traditional onboard server. “But this is just the start of what we have planned,” the airline vowed at the time.

“In 2026, United passengers will be able to use their personal devices to log in to the Spotify app on the inflight entertainment screen. This will allow passengers to enjoy their favorite personalized content on the seatback so they can pick up their favorite podcasts, music, and audiobooks from right where they left off.”

This connected omni-channel platform, which United reckons is an “industry first,” represents a collaboration with Starlink, Spotify and cloud-based IFE and DRM experts Axinom. It blends a passenger’s entire journey “into a seamless and personal audio experience,” United explains in its 2026 CCA application.

Axinom’s role is material here, as the German firm delivers the studio-approved entertainment solution that streams directly from the cloud, via Starlink, without the need for dedicated onboard infrastructure. This architecture simplifies maintenance and increases agility, says United.

It’s also an elegant way to ensure that music licensing rights are honored, and to avoid the licensing concerns and abuses that bubbled up over a decade ago.

“The result,” says United, “is a path forward into a truly digital world for inflight entertainment and connectivity. With our cloud-based approach, content expansion is limitless, updates are seamless and the experience is fully customizable, providing a consistent, engaging, and personalized passenger journey.”

That sounds very much like a “stay tuned for more” prompt from the Star Alliance member.

Cloud-based map

Syncing nicely with this broader omni-channel experience, and delivered by its inflight map partner FlightPath3D, United is also rolling out a new cloud-based 3D flight map, which is designed for mobile devices, narrated by AI, and already flying on more than 200 regional aircraft fitted with Starlink.

Highlighting United’s aircraft livery, the 3D immersive, cloud-based map provides real-time flight status, flight deck and window views to passengers’ own devices. But it also goes further than a traditional inflight map.

Passengers can get trip inspiration “by exploring 10,000-plus short videos of 100+ destinations or United’s Three Perfect Days and create shareable destination itineraries directly from your phone,” the airline tells Runway Girl Network.

An AI companion ‘Luci’ narrates flight progress, landmarks and destination highlights within the Cloud Map.

“As United continues to roll out Starlink Wi-Fi across its mainline fleet, the new flight map will complement United’s seatback screen flight map, offering a dual-screen, connected experience between phones and inflight entertainment screens,” explains United, which is laying claim to being “the first major U.S. airline” with the Cloud Map.

Starlink customer WestJet is flying its version of the FlightPath3D Cloud Map on 100 aircraft, FlightPath3D CEO Duncan Jackson tells RGN.

Within the ‘IFEC & Digital Services’ category of the 2026 Crystal Cabin Award, United has been shortlisted for its connected omni-channel platform, whilst FlightPath3D has been separately shortlisted for Cloud Map.

They face competition from a raft of innovators within the space, including Delta with its Connected Onboard Platform.