Southwest Airlines shows its LUV with free inflight Wi-FiRunway Girl

Southwest Airlines last year vowed to bring free inflight Wi-Fi to its passengers. Now, the Dallas-based heavy-hitter is making good on that commitment via a sponsorship arrangement with T-Mobile.

Beginning 24 October, Southwest will offer “free unlimited Wi-Fi for all Rapid Rewards members,” the airline says in a statement.

“This marks the first-ever collaboration between Southwest and T-Mobile, bringing together two brands dedicated to putting customers first and keeping them connected on all Southwest flights — at no extra cost.”

Southwest currently charges passengers $8 to browse the Internet. It has taken a multi-source approach to inflight connectivity. Its stalwart provider, Anuvu uses Ku-band geostationary (GEO) satellites — and new MicroGEO satellites — to power the service, whilst Viasat utilizes high-capacity Ka-band satellites. Viasat’s capacity over the Americas is poised to get a boost with the October launch of its much anticipated ViaSat-3 F2 satellite.

While Southwest is trailing other carriers in its decision to adopt free Wi-Fi, it boasts that it will be “the largest domestic airline to implement free Wi-Fi on every flight this year” when it flips the proverbial switch on the T-Mobile sponsored service on more than 800 aircraft in its fleet. And that’s fair enough.

JetBlue pioneered free, fast Wi-Fi in 2013, but it operates a fleet of less than 300 aircraft.

Southwest’s rival over in Fort Worth, American Airlines, intends to launch free Wi-Fi on 90% of its fleet in January 2026. And while Delta and United are in the process of bringing free Wi-Fi to their entire fleets, those programs are ongoing (and include a fair number of widebodies flying internationally). Alaska Airlines, meanwhile, recently brokered an arrangement with T-Mobile that will see the telco sponsor free onboard Internet for passengers as the carrier rolls out SpaceX’s Starlink service.

Notably, all of these US operators, and indeed many other carriers around the globe, are tying the offer of free inflight Wi-Fi to membership in their loyalty programs.

“We are focused on making sure our customers have a great experience from the time they book a flight to the time they reach their destination,” said Southwest executive vice president, chief customer & brand officer Tony Roach.

“We’re pleased to partner with T-Mobile to bring free WiFi to all Rapid Rewards members. This is part of our ongoing commitment to elevate the cabin experience, with free WiFi being just one of the many enhancements Customers will see in the months ahead.”

Both Viasat and Anuvu are celebrating the news.

“At Viasat, we’re proud to power this offering with our high-quality, streaming-capable connectivity, helping Southwest deliver what travelers increasingly expect: fast, reliable Internet from gate to gate. This move reflects how leading airlines are competing on passenger experience — with connectivity at the heart of it,” said the satellite operator and aero ISP in a statement published on LinkedIn.

Likewise, Anuvu took to LinkedIn to express its excitement. “This marks a special milestone in an incredible 15-plus year partnership with Southwest, and we’re excited to see how the passenger experience will evolve with our new satellites,” said the firm, which is in the process of being acquired by Platinum Equity.

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Featured image credited to Southwest