Currently, B737 MAX aircraft make up around 10% of Southwest's fleet, which won't be connected for another year. With most passengers carrying at least one or more personal electronic devices, having power at every seat should be a given in 2022.
Southwest is installing in-seat power on its Boeing B737 MAX aircraft from early 2023, but what about the existing 737s? Photo: Southwest The Viasat service will be on new aircraft with deliveries beginning later this year. The airline has entered into an agreement with satellite connectivity provider Viasat to provide high-quality internet and live television programming onboard. It has 259 Boeing B737-7 MAX and 142 Boeing B737-8 MAX on order. Southwest says a further 350 aircraft will be upgraded by the end of October.Īccording to data, Southwest has 730 aircraft, 449 Boeing B737-700s, 207 Boeing B737-800s and 74 Boeing B737-8 MAX. Passengers will not have to wait long, with the upgraded equipment being installed on 50 planes by the end of this month. "Top of our list is giving our customers reliable connections in the air to those things that are important and accessible to them on the ground." SVP and chief marketing officer Ryan Green said that: Southwest wants to understand how the upgraded equipment performs with many users on the system simultaneously.
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Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.The upgraded WiFi is being tested on western US routes, with passengers enjoying free WiFi. The carrier will send more than 200 flights a day out from the airport during peak summer travel rush in July and August, more than the company flew before the COVID-19 pandemic. Southwest is planning its busiest year ever at Love Field. Last month, Delta Air Lines introduced free Wi-Fi in partnership with T-Mobile to all customers. Delta flew an average of nearly 1,800 flights a month out of DFW Airport over the last year and over 260 flights out of Dallas Love Field a month this past year. Other carriers like JetBlue, which operated over 120 flights a month out of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport over the last year, offer free Wi-Fi on every plane. They will include USB-A and USB-C power ports near the tray tables so they don’t take legroom from passengers. Southwest has long skipped power plugs at seats, despite competition from other airlines. The power ports on seats should also come with those new 737 Max jets set to be delivered early this year. The $2 billion spend came with other perks, too. Southwest added new, bigger overhead bins on Boeing 737 Max jets. The test began with 50 planes using equipment from hardware maker Anuvu that would increase internet bandwidth onboard by tenfold. In May, Southwest announced it would start testing upgraded Wi-Fi hardware that allowed more customers to access faster in-flight internet connections. Customers who hold A-List preferred status will still be able to access Wi-Fi free of charge. The same rule would apply to a customer with a layover, but not changing planes. Southwest clarified that the $8 charge is “from takeoff to landing,” with customers footing the $8 bill at each destination. The new changes came with upgraded routers and modems.
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Now the company says it has more than 350 aircraft upgraded and expects its full fleet to be upgraded by the third quarter of this year, according to Foster. The carrier is introducing an additional internet provider, Viasat, alongside Anuvu. Viasat will provide Wi-Fi hardware on new Boeing 737 Max aircraft deliveries by early March, Foster said. The changes come as Southwest adds two Wi-Fi vendors to its fleet. “This impacts a small subset of customers due to our robust network of nonstop flights, free onboard entertainment and a limited number of customers choosing to use paid internet across connecting flights,” said Alyssa Foster, Southwest Airlines spokesperson. That means passengers with connecting flights, layovers or making a round trip in a single day will pay more.
21, Southwest customers will pay $8 per flight, as opposed to Southwest’s $8 per day pass. Southwest Airlines, which spent over $2 billion on in-flight upgrades last year, will now charge by leg of travel for its onboard Wi-Fi.īeginning Feb.
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