Over the last year, Southwest Airlines (LUV) has gone through even more changes than most players in the airline world.
Both its two-bags-fly-free and open seating policies were eventually axed after new majority investor Elliott Investment Management started pushing for changes that would get the budget carrier out of a long string of quarterly losses.
A somewhat less noticeable cut also affected the cost of stay connected on a flight. While once offering a daily rate that one could use on multiple flights on the airline within 24 hours, Southwest quietly changed the cost of Wi-Fi to $8 on each flight — while still lower than many airlines which run longer routes, this still cut into the pockets of those who fly often and with frequent transfers.
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Southwest to offer free Wi-Fi from October in T-Mobile partnership
As an increasing number of competitors have moved to make Wi-Fi free on some or all of its routes, Southwest is now reversing previous efforts to turn internet access into a bigger income stream and making Wi-Fi free for its Rapid Rewards loyalty members from Oct. 24 onwards.
The move is part of a partnership with T-Mobile (TMUS) and requires travelers to have a Rapid Rewards loyalty account that they can log into before or during the flight; while one is not required to have any points and can quickly create one while still getting service on the tarmac, those who do not remember or bother to do so will need to pay the same $8 once the flight has taken off and service is lost.
Related: Southwest sets date for change everyone hates
“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,” Tony Roach, Southwest’s executive vice president and brand officer, said in a statement. “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.”
Image source: Paul Hennessy/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Free Wi-Fi is a nice perk (will it be enough for Southwest)?
Air Canada (ACDVF) is another major airline that relies on a similar method of providing free Wi-Fi to those who are in tune enough to have and know how to log into their Aeroplan account. In Southwest’s case, the change will apply to all flights run by the airline and is likely to be well-received by travelers who appreciate having the connection — particularly as many of the perks that it took away as part of its cost-cutting measures in the last 12 months have made it more difficult to stand out from competitors on popular routes and markets.
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“As Southwest Airlines has worked hard to become just any other airline, perhaps the most chintzy thing they did was switching to charging for Wi-Fi by flight segment, rather than for the day,” shared TheStreet Editor in Chief and travel industry expert Daniel Kline. “You already have the indignity of having to switch planes and you have to pay extra.”
Related: Low-cost airline to leave three cities forever, cut flights from others
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