Southwest Airlines to offer Wi-Fi in its entire fleet by early 2012

Southwest Airlines, the low-cost airline based in Dallas, Texas, the United States, has announced that it has tested wireless in-flight internet service and is ready to offer Wi-Fi in its entire fleet of 540 aircraft by early 2012.

Southwest Airlines has signed an equipment-purchase contract with Row 44 Incorporated, the provider of Wi-Fi service, based in Westlake Village, California, the United States, in his regard.

The airline said in statement that it has not, however, decided yet on how much to charge the passengers for the onboard internet facility.

Southwest Airlines said it will start installing the Wi-Fi  in its planes in the second quarter of 2010, adding that it expects to set up the equipment on about 15 aircraft a month initially and then raise that number to 25 aircraft a month till every plane its fleet is equipped with in-flight internet by early 2012.

AirTran Airways, the United States-based budget carrier had, in 2009, become the first airline to offer in-flight internet service on all of its flights.

Southwest Airlines had started testing in-flight internet access on some of its flights during a pilot programe in March 2009.

American Airlines and Delta Air Lines, both based in the United States, now use the ground-based Aircell system for the in-flight internet service in their planes, but the coverage is limited to flights over land where signal transmission/reception towers are available. But, the satellite-based broadband service of Row 44 has few restrictions on coverage.

Over the last two years, in-flight internet service has been widely available on flights within the United States. Aircell, the leading Wi-Fi provider, based in Itasca, Illinois, the United States, has installed its Gogo W-Fi service on around 700 aircraft.

However, according to Forrester Research Incorporated, the independent technology and market research firm that gives its clients advice about the impact of technology on business and consumers, airline passengers have been slow to accept in-flight internet service.

Henry Harteveldt, travel-industry analyst with Forrester Research, is of the opinion that it is especially important for Southwest Airlines to “get the price right” since the airline’s reputation is built on low fares.

Southwest Airlines primarily operates short-haul and medium-haul flights. Surveys have shown that passenger on long-haul flights are more interested in-flight internet than those on short-haul flights, according to Harteveldt.

Dave Ridley, senior vice-president (marketing and revenue management) of Southwest Airlines, wrote on the airline’s blog Nuts About Southwest that that the company will arrive art a decision on the pricing of the in-flight internet service in the second quarter of 2010. “Rest assured,” Dave Ridley, wrote on the blog, “that, just like our fares, it will be a great value.”

Southwest Airlines says it is still “testing a variety of price points” on its 4 aircraft which at present have onboard Wi-Fi.

When it started testing Wi-Fi in June 2009, Southwest Airlines had said that the connection cost will be between $2 and $12, based on the distance that a passenger is travelling and also on the device that he is using to connect to the internet.