Updated

Updated · Yahoo Finance · Aug 24

Musk Says Delta's WiFi Will Get Worse After Choosing Amazon's 3,236-Satellite Leo Over Starlink

Updated

Updated · Yahoo Finance · Aug 24

Musk Says Delta's WiFi Will Get Worse After Choosing Amazon's 3,236-Satellite Leo Over Starlink

Q: What secret partnership perks did Amazon offer Delta to win a major aviation contract over Elon Musk's vastly larger Starlink network?

There is no public evidence of any “secret” perk. What Delta and outside reporting have described points to a straightforward commercial and strategic package from Amazon: a much lower price than Starlink, claims of stronger future bandwidth, and a broader technology partnership that went beyond in-flight internet. Delta CEO Ed Bastian said Amazon Leo offered “improved bandwidth” at a “much lower price point” than Starlink. That mattered because Delta is funding free Wi‑Fi for SkyMiles members, so lower bandwidth costs directly support its business model. Delta and people familiar with the decision also pointed to Amazon’s wider ecosystem as part of the appeal. Reporting said Delta valued the potential for a broader partnership with Amazon beyond connectivity, including its existing use of Amazon Web Services and possible ties into Delta’s digital products, retailing, entertainment, and customer-engagement strategy. Some reports said Amazon’s package fit Delta’s Delta Sync platform better and gave the airline more room to prioritize its own branding and onboard portal. So the “perk” was not a hidden concession that has been publicly documented. It appears to have been a bundled business offer: cheaper service, promised long-term performance, and deeper integration with Amazon’s cloud and digital-commerce tools. That package helped Amazon win despite Starlink’s much larger and more mature satellite network.

2 articles · Updated · Yahoo Finance · Aug 24

Musk on Aug. 19 seized on passenger complaints about Delta wifi, saying the airline made a “grave error” by rejecting Starlink and warning, “It will get much worse.”
Delta chose Amazon Leo in May because CEO Ed Bastian said it offered improved bandwidth at a far lower price than Starlink, even as passengers on X complained the current service was slow, unreliable or failed.
Starlink already supplies in-flight internet to United, Southwest and Alaska, while Amazon Leo remains much smaller at 3,236 satellites versus more than 9,000 for Starlink.
Delta says free wifi for SkyMiles members has reached nearly 1,200 aircraft across almost its entire global network, with transpacific routes due to come online in fall 2026.