United Airlines flights will have access to Elon Musk’s Starlink Wi-Fi services as early as this spring, a sign of the widening reach of the tech billionaire. United will begin testing Starlink in February, and its first commercial flight with the service will launch this spring on the airline’s Embraer E-175 aircraft. The airline plans to outfit its entire two-cabin regional fleet by the end of 2025 and have its first mainline Starlink-enabled plane in the air by the end of the year. Starlink will eventually be available on every United flight. Musk, who heads or owns a cluster of companies ranging from electric vehicle maker Tesla to Starlink parent company SpaceX, has used his portfolio of businesses — and his massive wealth — to amass influence far beyond just the tech world. The United deal is another sign of how his businesses have found their way into industries across the US economy. All of United’s MileagePlus members will have free access to Starlink, which includes streaming services, shopping, gaming and more. United and Starlink agreed to the deal in September. United isn’t the only airline offering high-speed internet on flights. In September, Hawaiian Airlines announced it would offer Starlink free to all travelers on Airbus-operated flights between the islands and the continental United States, Asia and Oceania. Semi-private charter firm JSX also has complimentary Starlink Wi-Fi on its fleet of 46 planes.<br/>
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United Airlines has temporarily closed the Polaris Lounge at its primary hub at Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) for expansion works, according to the airline. The news comes almost five months after the Chicago-based carrier confirmed the expansion project to The Points Guy. The carrier's flagship Polaris Lounge is currently undergoing renovations, which will include the addition of more premium space and amenities, such as workspaces, restrooms, and private seating. The renovation, which will increase the lounge's square footage from 16,000 to 25,000, began in September 2024, when it was only partially closed. The Chicago-based carrier plans to reopen the lounge in the spring of 2026, ahead of the busy and highly lucrative summer travel period. It is worth noting that the exact date has not yet been specified. Simple Flying has asked United Airlines for comment.<br/>
An Air New Zealand flight to Brisbane was aborted moments before take-off on Monday morning because of what the airline describes as “a suspected bird strike”. Flight NZ207 was scheduled to depart from Christchurch at 6:10am, but did not leave the airport as a result. A passenger on the flight who did not want his name published said the plane “apparently hit three to four birds” as it was about to take off. Heavy breaking followed along with “a lot of smoke and the smell of rubber”, he said. “The captain announced that we had ingested birds into two of the engines, resulting in damage to both engines damaging the turbine blades.” Air NZ chief operational integrity and safety officer Captain David Morgan said engineers are required to complete a full inspection of the aircraft after any suspected bird strike. As such, the flight has been cancelled, along with flight NZ272 from Brisbane to Wellington. Most affected passengers are expected to travel later in the day on alternative services, Morgan said. “While frustrating, bird strikes are not uncommon. Aircraft are designed with this in mind, and our pilots are fully trained for a bird strike scenario.” The Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand (CAA) reported that bird strikes tend to happen between 50 and 800 feet during the take-off and landing phases of a flight. The CAA says the responsibility of avoiding bird strikes “falls entirely on pilots”.<br/>