Southwest Joins Major U.S. Carriers, Launches Free Wi-Fi for Members

Effective October 24, Southwest Airlines will begin offering free, unlimited Wi-Fi to all of its Rapid Rewards members. The launch, which is part of a new partnership with T-Mobile, makes Southwest the largest domestic airline to provide complimentary Wi-Fi across its entire fleet of 800 jets.

Previously, Southwest charged guests $8 per flight leg for Wi-Fi access, though it had already been offering its onboard entertainment for free. It had been testing free Wi-Fi for some of its Rapid Rewards members, and will finally offer the service to all members starting this October.

The decision to launch free Wi-Fi aligns with Southwest’s new brand ethos to position itself as a more traditional U.S. carrier, moving away from its long-standing identity as a low-cost airline. By doing so, it officially joins other carries who offer free internet onboard: Delta launched free Wi-Fi for SkyMiles members in 2023, United followed suit in 2024, American in January 2025, and Alaska recently promised to begin offering the service next year.

Southwest will require guests to log in to their Rapid Rewards account in order to access the free in-flight service. All other major U.S. carrier also require passengers to have a loyalty program membership, and to login in order to access the Wi-Fi.