Southwest Airlines To Offer Inflight Broadband

Now that inflight broadband is back in fashion, why shouldn’t low-cost operators get in on the action? Southwest Airlines will soon start testing satellite-delivered broadband Internet access on four of its planes. Southern Calif.-based Row 44, which has cut a similar deal with Alaska Airlines, will provide the technology, which will deliver a 30-megabit-per-second data connection to the planes.

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January 23rd, 2008
11:17 AM PT
Benoit said:

I’m sure that a lot of people can’t wait to play flight simulator with a southwest plane.
http://www.wired.com/politics/security/news/2008/01/dreamliner_security

How about they start by offering power outlets so my laptop doesn’t die?

January 23rd, 2008
4:05 PM PT
GeraldZ said:

I was surprised recently when I looked under the seats of an American Airlines S-80. Power outlets! Maybe they don’t advertise this fact because too many users might overload the circuits?

http://www.RSSLiveTV.com - a quick and easy way to tune into live internet television

January 24th, 2008
8:16 AM PT

Amen, Benoit, that’s what I’ve been saying about in-flight wifi for the past year or more. I don’t care if it’s cheap or even if it’s free, my laptop’s battery wipes out after an hour. And of the many airports I visit every year, very very few have enough outlets to go around when at least half the travelers present need to charge.

January 24th, 2008
5:00 PM PT
BD said:

Agree with Constance - I was in Seattle/Tacoma recently & looked for an outlet at the gate so I wouldn’t burn battery waiting to board the plane.

Nonexistent.

I do have better luck re: battery, though; the high capacity battery I got with my Dell Vostro lasts almost 4 hours (I know because my son & I watched 3 plus episodes of “Band of Brothers” each way on our trip).

January 24th, 2008
5:57 PM PT
Andrew said:

Regarding airport outlets, I always take a three-way plug splitter with me when traveling. That way no one objects when I show up to share an outlet.

January 25th, 2008
8:28 AM PT

How much will it cost? SW sells on not nickel and diming the customer, but it doesn’t seem like this could be a freeby.

January 30th, 2008
4:53 PM PT

[...] flying WiFi, Batman! American Airlines and Southwest prepare to plug their passengers into the [...]

March 24th, 2008
4:09 PM PT
Matt Keegan said:

That’s awesome. There are times when I am making a coast-to-coast flight that I need access to the computer to check email. Though most of Southwest’s legs aren’t that long, it is still great to know that we can access the internet, if needed.

March 31st, 2008
5:07 PM PT

[...] sale (even though it doesn’t want to be). Holy flying WiFi, Batman! American Airlines and Southwest prepare to plug their passengers into the [...]

April 15th, 2008
8:03 PM PT
Tim McCarthy said:

That’s awesome! I love what Jetblue did with the seat TV’s. I think flying has improved a lot in my lifetime.

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