Southwest Is Making $2 Billion Worth of Upgrades, Including Faster Wi-Fi & Power Ports
There will also be an expanded drink selection.
Southwest Airlines has heard your cries, namely on the need for faster wi-fi and power ports so you can pass the long hours scrolling TikTok without lags or battery issues. The budget-friendly carrier has announced a $2 billion plan to "transform the customer experience."
The airline unveiled the news on Wednesday, promising faster internet and power plugs, larger overhead storage, and even an expansion to its drink and entertainment selection.
"We have a great product combined with terrific employees delivering terrific service, but there is a lot that we can continue to do to meet our customers' and our employees' expectations," Southwest CEO Bob Jordan told The Points Guy.
Southwest plans to upgrade its current service with Anuvu while also partnering with a new provider, Viasat. The company has brought Anuyu's "latest-generation hardware" to 40 of its Boeing 737s and offers the wi-fi free as part of a trial run. Southwest has plans to expand the service to an additional 50 planes by the end of May and a whopping 350 by October.
"Having dual providers is very manageable," Southwest Chief Marketing Officer Ryan Green told the outlet. "And quite frankly, what we're committed to and what we're interested in is the end-user experience. We want our customers to have a very high-quality, high-speed, reliable experience when they connect to the internet. Who the providers are or what the technologies are behind the scenes, [that] should be seamless to the end of the consumer."
Meanwhile, the carrier is installing USB-A and USB-C power ports to each seat on the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft and making larger overhead storage for your chunky carry-ons.