Getting on a plane used to be a communications blackout, which was fine if you didn't have work to catch up on -- or you weren't flying during clutch live sporting events. Airlines now offer expensive in-flight Wi-Fi, but it tends to be riddled with limitations.

United Airlines is betting that its new Starlink Wi-Fi service will leave those frustrations grounded. The company is rolling out the technology to mainline 737-800 aircraft in its fleet, starting with a demonstration flight I boarded with other journalists in Chicago last week to learn firsthand whether satellite internet at 30,000 feet is an improvement or a gimmick.

At a time when our phones and smartwatches have satellite connectivity options -- helping us reach emergency responders or send text messages when we're out of

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