WestJet and Telus have announced a new partnership that will bring SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet to passengers by the end of the year with the service being free to WestJet Rewards members.
In a press release, WestJet and Telus said that this is “the first step in a multi-year strategic partnership” and that “announcement marks the beginning of a fully integrated partnership between WestJet and TELUS, and a significant leap forward for the airline’s inflight connectivity. “
The companies said that “additional, exclusive benefits and perks for WestJet Rewards members and TELUS customers” are also coming.
John Weatherill, WestJet Group Executive Vice-President and Chief Commercial Officer said, “Through our strategic partnership with TELUS, we are setting a new standard in the Canadian airline industry by offering Starlink’s revolutionary inflight connectivity, and thanks to TELUS we are able to bring this inflight experience to WestJet Rewards guests for free.”
There was no mention of cost if you aren’t a rewards member.
WestJet said the new inflight system will be begin rolling our by the end of the year with “installation on WestJet’s modern narrow-body fleet by the end of 2025” and wide-body aircraft will be upgraded by the end of 2026 for the service.
Jason Fritch, SpaceX’s Vice President of Starlink Enterprise Sales said, “With more than 1,000 aircraft committed to Starlink worldwide, high-speed, low-latency internet is the future of aviation connectivity and we’re excited to work with WestJet to bring Starlink technology to their guests in the coming months.”
While inflight wifi has been available for sometime, this new partnership through Starlink promises the “enough bandwidth and lowest latency internet for every guest onboard to live-stream videos or online game direct from their devices as if they were at home.”
