Southwest To Offer Free Wi-Fi On Some Flights
If you are going to be taking a flight out of town anytime soon and you happen to be flying Southwest Airlines, it's possible that a perk might be coming your way absolutely free.
Southwest Airlines is reportedly testing out new hardware that is supposed to deliver faster internet to those on board. Typically, if a customer wants to use internet on a flight it costs about $8 for the day. Starting this week though, select flights, about 40 aircraft total will have the new hardware with the faster internet and customers will be asked to try it out as they fly.
According to CNBC, the faster internet and free trial period will allow Southwest time to evaluate the new hardware.
The airline currently offers Wi-Fi for $8 per day and says on its website that it blocks access to some high-bandwidth sites such as Netflix, HBO Max and Zoom.
“This trial will allow Customers to stream, browse, and engage on the internet at no cost just like other complimentary services,” Roach wrote. “Our goal is to evaluate how the new hardware improves performance while delivering a reliable internet experience used by a large volume of Customers.”
Southwest Airlines will have the free internet available on select flights from now until June 10th. Could Southwest offer a free internet option and a "premium" internet option where you get access to sites like Netflix, HBO Max, and Hulu? Time will tell, but it's good to see Southwest attempt to bulk up the wi-fi as more people return to flying after the pandemic.