如果你搭乘美国联合航空公司（United Airlines）的航班并希望使用星链（Starlink）服务，现在可以更轻松地了解你的航班是否提供快速、免费的互联网服务。该航空公司于周四推出了一款名为“星链WiFi追踪器”（Starlink WiFi Tracker）的工具。你可以在起飞前最多3天输入航班号，查询该航班是否支持星链服务。
If you're flying with United Airlines to capitalize on Starlink, it's now much easier to know whether your flight will include the fast, free internet service. The airline released a tool on Thursday called the Starlink WiFi Tracker. You can enter your flight number up to 3 days before departure to check its Starlink availability.
不过，这一工具并非绝对可靠，因为航空公司可能会更换执行该航班的飞机。但联合航空表示，该工具会实时更新此类临时变更的信息。此前，联合航空已通过短信、电子邮件和应用程序通知乘客其航班是否计划配备星链服务，而这款新工具则让乘客能够查询临时变更的情况。该工具还追踪了星链服务在全机队中的安装进度。
This isn't infallible, though, as the airline might switch which plane it uses for your flight. However, United says the tool includes updates made in real time for such last-minute changes. United already used texts, emails, and its app to notify passengers if their flight was scheduled to have Starlink, but the new tool lets you check for last-minute changes. It also tracks the progress of Starlink installation across the fleet.
截至周四上午，已有639架飞机配备了这项服务，约占联合航空机队的43%。其中包括所有以“联合快运”（United Express）品牌运营的区域性飞机，以及约三分之一的其他窄体飞机——例如空客A321和波音737。然而，在248架宽体飞机中，只有6架配备了星链服务，这些飞机主要执飞长途航线。联合航空表示，目前每周约有20架飞机正在安装星链服务，并计划到2027年底完成全部安装。
As of Thursday morning, 639 aircraft, or about 43% of United's fleet, are equipped with the service. That includes all of its regional airplanes, operated under the United Express brand, and about a third of its other narrow-body airplanes — like the Airbus A321 and Boeing 737. However, Starlink is only on six of its 248 wide-body airplanes, which operate long-haul flights. United said it is installing Starlink on about 20 aircraft a week and plans to complete installations by the end of 2027.
其工具还显示了从七个主要枢纽机场出发的每日航班中，配备星链服务的航班所占比例。芝加哥奥黑尔机场以54%的比例位居榜首，而旧金山机场则以36%垫底。联合航空表示，其每日出港航班中近一半已配备星链服务。由于主要竞争对手尚未提供这项服务，星链已成为联合航空的一大显著优势。美国航空（American Airlines）计划从明年开始安装星链服务，而达美航空（Delta Air Lines）则已选择亚马逊的“莱奥”（Amazon Leo）项目。
Its tool also shows the percentage of daily flights departing from each of its seven hubs that are equipped with Starlink. Chicago O'Hare leads the way at 54%, with San Francisco's 36% at the bottom. Nearly half the airline's daily departures are equipped with Starlink, United said. Starlink has become a notable advantage for United since its main rivals don't have it. American Airlines plans to install Starlink starting next year, while Delta Air Lines has tapped Amazon Leo.
为了吸引新客户，联合航空还推出了一项优惠，可匹配旅客在达美或美国航空的会员等级。
United is trying to win over new customers by launching an offer that matches travelers' loyalty status on Delta or American.
该优惠称：“别再卡顿了：转投联合航空，享受天空中最快的WiFi。”联合航空表示，两周内已有数千名客户报名。该公司还称，与活动开展前相比，状态匹配申请增加了275%。如今，该公司还将该优惠再延长一周。
The offer said, "Don't keep buffering: switch to United and get the fastest WiFi in the sky." Thousands of customers have signed up within two weeks, United said. It added that status match applications are up 275% compared to before this campaign. And now, it's also extending the offer for another week.