Southwest announced Thursday that it will introduce free inflight Wi-Fi for all members of its Rapid Rewards program through a new partnership with T-Mobile.
The program will launch Oct. 24 and will apply across the Dallas-based carrier’s more than 800 aircraft.
The carrier says passengers will be able to browse, work, shop, stream, and socialize at no cost during their flight, regardless of their wireless provider.
“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 Tony Roach, executive vice president, chief customer and brand officer at Southwest, in a news release. “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.”
T-Mobile has offered free inflight connectivity for its own customers since 2014. The new agreement with Southwest extends the benefit to all Rapid Rewards members.
Southwest recently conducted a fleetwide test of free Wi-Fi for loyalty program members, which yielded strong satisfaction scores from participating customers. The airline stated that it will continue to invest in inflight connectivity to ensure reliability and performance.
The carrier joins a growing list of U.S. airlines offering free Wi-Fi, including Delta and United. American plans to debut complimentary Wi-Fi in January.
