Why Delta passed on Starlink, and why Elon Musk, Mike Lee and rival airlines won't let it go

SALT LAKE CITY — The fight for better Wi-Fi at 30,000 feet landed on X this week, where Elon Musk said Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian would "lose his job" after the airline rejected Starlink in favor of Amazon's satellite service.

According to the aviation industry account JonNYC, Bastian told employees at a recent company event that Delta didn't want to work with Musk. Delta's decision to forgo partnering with Musk has escalated into a high-profile online feud, complete with reported insults and competing airlines promoting their own partnerships to court Delta customers.

Utah Sen. Mike Lee, a self-proclaimed "loyal, longtime Delta customer," has commented on the situation.

"Delta's WiFi is abysmal," Lee posted on X. "It works sporadically at best and often not at all. Either offer WiFi or don't."

Delta disagrees with comments on their in-flight internet access, telling the Deseret News that the airline "leads the industry in Wi-Fi."

"With nearly 1,300 Wi-Fi-equipped aircraft, we offer more fast, free Wi-Fi than any other airline in the world," a Delta spokesperson told the Deseret News. "And, with trans-pacific routes coming online soon, we'll be the only U.S. airline to provide it across our entire global network. "

How the Delta-Starlink fight took off

Delta's decision to pass on Starlink initially flew under the radar. In March, Delta announced a deal with Amazon Leo to provide in-flight Wi-Fi on 500 planes starting in 2028, presenting the partnership as an extension of its already existing relationship with Amazon Web Services.

"Our long-term strategic partnership with Amazon Leo will provide high-bandwidth connectivity while creating opportunities to bring their broad ecosystem of entertainment and digital services to the skies," a Delta spokesperson told the Deseret News. "Our vision is about more than a wireless signal, and we remain fully focused on our customers' experience and investing for the future."

According to Delta, Amazon Leo brings benefits that Starlink doesn't, such as retail, Amazon Prime, video and gaming at a much lower price than Starlink.

"This agreement gives us the fastest and most cost-effective technology available to better connect the world today," Bastian said in the initial announcement.

But it was not long before the seemingly straightforward partnership decision hit turbulence. In May, Musk claimed that Delta turned down Starlink not because Amazon Leo is better, but because Delta wanted passengers to log in through its own Delta Sync portal. The login system would funnel passengers into Delta's loyalty program, show Delta who is online on each flight and present the Wi-Fi as a Delta perk rather than a Starlink service.

"SpaceX requires that there be no annoying 'portal' to use Starlink," Musk posted on X. "Delta wanted to make it painful, difficult and expensive for their customers. Hard to see how that is a winning strategy."

Delta pushed back and called Musk's claim inaccurate, although no further explanation was given.

The latest exchange

The feud escalated this week after known aviation insider JonNYC reported that Bastian told Delta employees, "We do not want to be with Elon Musk. Trust me." At an earlier event, Bastian reportedly said of Musk, "If you know his reputation, it's all true what they say about him." The remarks have not been independently verified or confirmed by Delta.

JonNYC presented the remarks as quotes but noted they may not be word for word. That didn't stop Musk from seizing on them, or rival airlines from using the feud to court Delta flyers.

"Our fast, free inflight Wi-Fi from Starlink is game-changing," United Airlines posted. "Now it's time for you to make a change."

American Airlines has also leaned into the fight, inviting those "suddenly reconsidering" their airline loyalty to fly American.

"We can match your status and keep you connected at 35k feet with Starlink soon," American posted Thursday morning.

Musk reposted United and American's posts online, emphasizing that both airlines have Starlink. He also stepped up his online jabs at Delta after Bastian's alleged comments surfaced.

"Best way to sandbox an AI is to put it on a Delta flight," Musk posted. "It will have no chance of accessing the Internet!"

Bastian stands by his bet

Bastian told Bloomberg in May that he is confident in his decision to forgo Starlink.

"I think the opportunities, in terms of the improved bandwidth with a much lower price point than what we've ever seen from Starlink, will make a big difference," Bastian said.

He also acknowledged that rivals using Starlink pose a competitive challenge and that he anticipated pushback.

"Of course, we expect Starlink will be warning people that we're going with an inferior product," Bastian said. "But I'm not too worried about partnering with Amazon."

Amazon Leo remains unproven. It won't enter beta until 2027, and installation doesn't begin until 2028. Rival airlines like United and Emirates are already using Starlink, and may have their entire fleet connected before Delta even begins installing Amazon Leo.

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