Southwest Airlines Breaks Its Silence on Major Change

Southwest Airlines has moved forward with several largely unpopular changes in the past several months, ending its "bags fly free" policy as well as its longstanding open-seating policy. Now, it sounds like the airline could make another change that would be much more popular with customers – though it's not ready to commit to it just yet.

This week, Southwest Airlines is giving free internet access to all of its Rapid Rewards members on all of its flights. Since a Rapid Rewards membership is free, this effectively allows anyone to access free WiFi.

While the free WiFi will only be available for a limited time, it sounds like there's a chance Southwest could one day move forward with permanent complimentary access.

Do Other Airlines Offer Free WiFi?

There are several major airlines across the country that offer complimentary Internet access.

JetBlue has notably offered complimentary WiFi for years. Delta Air Lines and United Airlines are already moving forward with offering fast and free internet service to all passengers.

American Airlines, meanwhile, recently announced plans to offer free WiFi to all customers beginning in 2026.

How Much Does Southwest Charge For WiFi?

While many airlines give customers access to WiFi free of charge, Southwest does charge for Internet access. Southwest currently charges a flat rate of $8 per flight for full internet access.

While Southwest does not offer complimentary full internet access, it does allow free in-flight texting on WiFi-enabled aircraft through iMessage and WhatsApp as well as free in-flight entertainment.

Does Southwest Plan to Offer Free WiFi?

While Southwest Airlines has now officially confirmed that complimentary WiFi is in its plans, a recent statement from the airline certainly indicates that is the case.

In a recent statement to The Points Guy this week, Southwest Airlines indicated that the limited-time free WiFi access is a test that could pave the way for the airline to eventually offer free Internet access across the board.

"Before we consider offering free inflight Wi-Fi beyond this limited offer, we need to ensure a quality product, and tests like this provide valuable information and insights," Southwest told The Points Guy on Friday.

It would certainly be a major change for the airline, but it sounds like it's a possibility in the not-so-distant future.