Southwest Airways to launch free inflight Wi-Fi in October

One other main U.S. airline is leaping on the free Wi-Fi bandwagon. Southwest Airways on Thursday introduced it is going to make its inflight web free to prospects beginning subsequent month.

The one requirement? You may must be a Fast Rewards loyalty member.

Southwest will finish its charges for inflight connectivity beginning Oct. 24.

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The Dallas-based provider unveiled its complimentary web shift as a part of a partnership with T-Cell (although flyers will not must be a T-Cell wi-fi buyer to realize free entry to the service).

Southwest joins a rising listing of main U.S. airways which have both already shifted to free on-board connectivity or introduced plans to take action.

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The truth is, with Southwest’s announcement Thursday, every of the six largest U.S. carriers have now both began deploying free Wi-Fi service throughout their fleets or stated that complimentary web is coming quickly.

“That is a part of our ongoing dedication to raise the cabin expertise, with free WiFi being simply one of many many enhancements prospects will see within the months forward,” Tony Roach, Southwest government vice chairman and chief buyer and model officer, stated in a press release saying the information.

Southwest’s shift to free Wi-Fi wasn’t totally surprising. For one week final month, the provider trialed free service to check whether or not its on-board bandwidth might assist extra prospects connecting their units.

The airline at present provides Wi-Fi at a flat (and pretty inexpensive) $8 per flight. Nonetheless, making it complimentary will definitely be welcome information for frequent Southwest flyers — particularly on the heels of the airline’s transfer to finish free checked baggage earlier this 12 months.

Southwest’s Wi-Fi announcement got here on the identical day that competitor JetBlue revealed plans to improve its longstanding free service via a brand new partnership with Amazon’s Venture Kuiper.

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