Both commercial aviation and wireless internet-enabled mobile phones that place, inside your pocket, the processing power of the computers NASA used to guide the Apollo spacecraft in the ‘60s are miracles of technology.
They represent what humanity can achieve through cooperating, the sharing of knowledge and hard work. They would both be borderline unthinkable a hair over a century ago.
Do we take these marvels for granted? Of course we do. But that’s just human nature. We adapt to our circumstances and consider them the new normal, and that’s why mental health professionals always stress that one of these keys to happiness is to remember what you are grateful for, because be it a relationship, your health or the ability to fly around the world on a whim and then check your email when you land, you have to appreciate the things that make your life better.
That said, considering the state of technology, and the pace at which we see improvements, should airplane wi-fi be better? Yes, yes, it’s a miracle it exists at all, but yeesh, the ability to check your email and browse around on your phone is at best hit or miss, and varies greatly depending on the airline you’re using.
Recently, T-Mobile (DTEGY) has partnered with a number of airlines, such as Delta (DAL) and American (AAL), to offer its customers on the Magenta MAX or Magenta plans free wi-fi on planes, as well as free Netflix (NFLX) and Apple+ (APPL) service, in case you want to catch up on “Severance” during your flight.
That’s all well and good for T-Mobile customers, but Southwest Airlines (LUV) is also making changes on its own to upgrade its wi-fi service, while also addressing another customer complaint regarding mobile phones.
Southwest Wants To Make Your WiFi Better
In a presumed effort to make people less cranky about the current not-so-good state of airline travel, Southwest Airlines has been making a number of changes of late. These include expanding its range of alcoholic beverage options and making it much easier for members of its Rapid Rewards Members to quickly achieve A-List or A-List Preferred tier status.
Now, the airline has turned its attention towards improving its in-flight wi-fi.
The company has announced that it is working with provider Anuvu’s latest hardware to improve speed and bandwidth up to 10 times the current hardware. This latest-generation hardware will be onboard 50 flights by the end of May, and the airline is projecting it will be added to 350 aircraft by the end of October.
The airline is currently testing this upgraded wifi on select routes over the western mainland, and is offering customers free access to understand exactly how the upgraded equipment performs with a large number of passengers all using the equipment simultaneously.
Additionally, Southwest is also partnering with satellite connectivity provider Viasat to provide high speed internet and live television programming onboard all newly delivered aircraft beginning in the fall of this year.
Image source: Shutterstock
No Charge? Southwest Has a Plan For That Also
Now, it will be great to be able to watch the latest Martin Scorsese cinematic classic on your phone (which would definitely please the auteur, as that’s how he wants it to be seen), the next time you fly Southwest.
But all the improvements to wifi won’t mean much if your phone is dying. While many airports have charging stations, or at least a few stray outlets for people who remembered to bring their dongle, they can be hard to come by.
So with that in mind, Southwest is also going to install latest-generation onboard USB A and USB C power ports on every seat in the aircraft, using a space-saving system that the company says will not compromise legroom.
The plan is to bring this capability onboard 737 MAX aircraft beginning in early 2023.
"The ability to keep your devices charged while you are connected inflight is a request that we've heard consistently in ongoing conversations with our Customers," said Tony Roach, Vice President of Customer Experience and Customer Relations in a statement.
"With so much that our Customers love about doing business with Southwest, we're constantly listening to our Employees and our Customers for improvement opportunities, and we're excited to share some additional news and updates on this ongoing work."
Also, the company plans to add larger overhead bins with more capacity next year, and recently introduced the ability to purchase Upgraded Boarding A1-A15 positions (when available) on mobile devices without standing in line at the airport.
