Spotify fans just got another free in-flight upgrade, thanks to this Starlink and United Airlines collab rowan.davies@futurenet.com (Rowan Davies) | usagoldmines.com

• Spotify and United Airlines have announced a new partnership that enhances in-flight entertainment for passengers
• Now you can access over 450 hours of in-flight Spotify content, including curated playlists, audiobooks, and video podcasts – the first for any airline
• As of 2026, passengers will be able to log into their own Spotify account on seatback screens to pick up where they left off with their favorite music and podcasts

Spotify has announced a new partnership with United Airlines that aims to enhance your in-flight experience by giving you access to free content while onboard. Now, passengers will be able to stream over 450 hours of Spotify-curated playlists, podcasts, and audiobooks for free on over 130,000+ seatback screens.

Spotify is already available on the in-flight entertainment systems of several other airlines, including Emirates, Delta Airlines, and Virgin America – though they don’t offer video podcasts.

In Spotify’s blog post, the streaming platform said that this collaboration ‘marks the first time [we’ve] offered audiobooks and video podcasts onboard an airline’. Passengers will have access to a selection of titles including popular shows Good Hang with Amy Poehler, The Dave Chang Show, and The Comment Section with Drew Afualo.

But that’s not all. This new partnership will also let travelers on Starlink-equipped aircraft stream Spotify on their personal devices between gates – without interruptions, and free of charge.

The only requirement is that you log into your MileagePlus account, United’s frequent-flyer program, and accept the terms and conditions. From there, you’ll be able to stream content in Spotify as normal on the Starlink network.

Following these announcements, CEO of MileagePlus, Richard Nunn, provided a comment on the collaboration: “Spotify has a huge audience and people love their content. And now our customers can enjoy it all in a simple and easy way, at 35,000 feet”.

There’s more to come…

When it comes to United’s new collaboration with one of the best music streaming services, this is just the beginning of their growing relationship and as of 2026, users will be able to have more freedom with the in-flight Spotify content they choose to stream.

Next year, passengers will be able to use their personal devices to log into the Spotify app in United’s in-flight entertainment system to display their account on the seatback screen. The aim of this is to allow United passengers with a Spotify Premium to access and enjoy their own personal content beyond what’s already available for free on United’s system.

Having this freedom will allow you to pick up where you left off with your favorite albums, audiobooks, and podcasts, and give you wider access to Spotify content as you fly. Though we don’t know if United’s in-flight Spotify content is ad-supported, we’ll bring you updates as soon as more details are announced.

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