Southwest Airlines has announced its partnership with Starlink Wi-Fi to provide seamless internet access to its customers. Starlink offers Wi-Fi speeds of up to 250 megabits per second (Mbps), which helps Southwest passengers to stream movies and play live games without buffering.
Starlink Wi-Fi on Southwest Airlines
Starlink Wi-Fi will roll out on Southwest Airlines aircraft from summer 2026, providing high-speed internet access to the passengers throughout their travel with the airlines.
The airlines will be aiming to provide Starlink high-speed internet to more than 300 aircraft at the end of this year. Currently, the carrier’s Wi-Fi costs $8 per device and is free for its Rapid Rewards loyalty members.
Tony Roach, executive vice president, chief customer & brand officer at Southwest Airlines said,
“We know our customers expect seamless connectivity across all their devices when they travel. Starlink delivers that at-home experience in the air, giving customers the ability to stream their favorite shows from any platform, watch live sports, download music, play games, work, and connect with loved ones from takeoff to landing.”
Presently, the carrier’s internet has variable speeds, from as low as 20 Mbps to as high as 150 Mbps on rare occasions. With the current internet service, the passengers can browse and message without any trouble but can not watch movies without the dreaded buffering.
Premium internet for passengers
In contrast to the airlines’ present internet system, Starlink provides 250 Mbps; this means those logging on can stream TV shows and movies on multiple devices without buffering, lag or the need to download in advance. Passengers will even be able to play live games at 38,000 feet.
Starlink uses a constellation of more than 9,000 laser-linked satellites in low Earth orbit, far closer to the planet than in-flight Wi-Fi satellites.
Their satellites are 350 miles far away from the Earth, whereas the in-flight Wi-Fi satellites are 22,000 miles far away from the planet. The shorter-distance satellites will provide ultra-fast and reliable internet in adverse weather.
Southwest has not revealed whether its Wi-Fi pricing plan will change for Starlink-equipped flights. With this partnership, the airline becomes the third U.S. carrier to join hands with Starlink.
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