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United Airlines has launched a groundbreaking collaboration with Spotify to offer passengers free access to more than 450 hours of curated content directly on seatback screens, marking the first time Spotify’s audiobooks and video podcasts are available onboard an airline.
The new entertainment offering, now available on more than 680 United aircraft, includes popular shows such as Good Hang with Amy Poehler, The Dave Chang Show, and The Comment Section with Drew Afualo. United’s latest seatback screens support 4K resolution and Bluetooth connectivity, enhancing the inflight listening and viewing experience.
“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,” said Richard Nunn, CEO of MileagePlus. “Together, we're giving millions of customers an entirely new way to experience and explore premium content.”
A dedicated “Spotify” category now appears in United’s inflight entertainment menu, replacing the former “Audio” section. This includes separate channels for podcasts, video podcasts, audiobooks, and music playlists. In the coming months, a majority of United aircraft will also feature a Spotify-branded channel for easier navigation.
Starting in 2026, United passengers will be able to log into their Spotify account directly from the inflight screen using their own devices. This feature will enable personalized content syncing so travelers can resume playback from where they left off at home.
Ian Geller, Spotify’s VP of Business Development, emphasized the platform’s commitment to expanding accessibility: “At Spotify, we're dedicated to being everywhere our users are... I'm especially looking forward to bringing an even more personalized app streaming experience to seatbacks next year.”
On aircraft equipped with Starlink Wi-Fi, Spotify users can also stream content gate-to-gate using their personal devices after signing into their MileagePlus account and accepting Starlink’s usage terms.
As part of the launch, new Premium Individual subscribers to Spotify who are MileagePlus members can earn up to 1,000 bonus miles. United and Spotify are leveraging Kinective MediaSM, the airline’s traveler media network, to promote this offer through various touch points across the travel journey.
This strategic alliance brings together the world’s largest airline and the leading audio streaming service, marking a milestone in inflight entertainment innovation.
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Jeff Colhoun
Jeff Colhoun is an acclaimed travel writer, photographer, and filmmaker, whose work is respected both in the United States and internationally.
