Does Southwest Offer Free WIFI? | In-Flight Internet Explained
By FlightLinkers Team • 9/10/2025
Southwest is the major American airline which is known for the low-cost fares and its unique policies and services. It is also prominent for providing the simplified direct and short flights between cities. If you are also planning to experience the brilliant services of Southwest then we are here to give you the details of an important amenity which will enhance your in-flight entertainment that is Wi-Fi facility.
Does Southwest Have WIFI?
This airline offers the connectivity on the majority of planes which allows the passengers to stay connected for work, entertainment and communication. So, do southwest airplanes have wifi? Selectively and not on all Southwest's Boeing 737 aircraft.
You can use it throughout the flight and this service is often called inflight internet which is a key component of the overall entertainment and connectivity platform.
The availability is on almost most of the crafts but not on all. Passengers can check do southwest flights have wifi or not by checking the overhead sign or the in-flight entertainment portal right after boarding.
The full service is available for a daily fee which is currently $8 per device per flight but it can be changed.
The payment is usually made through credit card directly through the portal once the aircraft is confirmed that the Wi-Fi system is activated.
The paid service will allow the passengers for full Internet browsing, emailing and streaming access although performance can vary specifically over water or during peak usage.
What About the Free Wi-Fi Services in Southwest Airlines?
While the full internet access is a paid service but this airline provides essential communication and entertainment options for free to every passenger. So, an answer to does southwest have internet is yes.
Passengers can send and receive messages using two of the most popular direct messaging applications iMessage and WhatsApp. It allows the essential text communication without purchasing the full $8 Wi-Fi package.
The free accessibility to the airline's entire library of free entertainment does not require purchasing of the Wi-Fi and it includes the live TV of up to 12 channels, movies, TV series and flight tracker map.
How to Connect and Use the Wi-Fi on Southwest?
For connecting to the Wi-Fi, you just need to follow 3 easy steps after clearing your thoughts on do all southwest flights have wifi.
Enable the airplane mode and connect to the network before take-off.
Then, find the network to your device's Wi-Fi settings and select the airline Wi-Fi network.
Then, open the web browser like Chrome, Safari and the browser should automatically redirect you to the in-flight entertainment portal of this airline. If it doesn't then manually enter in the address bar about the Wi-Fi of this airline.
You do not need to purchase the Wi-Fi to access the portal and the free services like movies, TV, iMessage and WhatsApp.
Then choose your service free or paid. If you want only free messages then click on the live TV, movies or TV tab to start streaming or begin using the messaging app. Messaging requires you to simply open the app and the system should recognise and allow the message traffic without further steps.
For the full internet accessibility, you need to click on the purchase internet button and it will guide you to enter your credit card information to complete the $8 purchase. The Wi-Fi access will then be enabled for the specific device for the remainder of that flight segment. Henceforth, it clearly says that does southwest have free wifi? No.
What is the Wi-Fi Performance and Limitations?
The policy of this airline allows for general web surfing and connectivity but high-quality activities like streaming services on Netflix maybe intentionally restricted or experience low quality. This system is privatized for free entertainment and general browsing only.
Because of the satellite connection, the internet connection will always have higher delay then the ground-based network. It will make some time sensitive applications like online gaming or high-quality video conferencing challenging.
While the entertainment is free, the availability specifically the live TV channels are dependent on the position of aircraft and the signal strength. If you're clear about this doubt that does southwest have wifi on flights, we hope you know about the occasional interrupted network in air.
Whenever you are experiencing the poor connection then kindly don't panic and disturb the staff and wait because it might be due to the poor weather conditions. If it doesn't get fixed timely then take the help of staff.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it possible for the rapid reward members or credit card holders to get the free internet access?
It is not possible however certain credit card holders may receive Wi-Fi credits or a number of free Wi-Fi sessions per year as a card benefit. You have to check the agreement for details.
Is $8 amount for a round-trip ticket?
No as this fee is per flight segment and if your itinerary includes a connection then you must purchase the Wi-Fi accessibility separately for each of the two flights.
Is it possible to stream Netflix or Spotify using the paid Wi-Fi?
You can generally access these services but the airline does not guarantee high quality streaming.
Will the entertainment available if there is no Wi-Fi in the flight?
No as all the entertainment services are delivered to your device through the onboard Wi-Fi network. When the Wi-Fi will not be available then the entire connectivity system will be unavailable.