Southwest Airlines passengers are about to get a major inflight experience upgrade. The Dallas based carrier has announced that it will add Starlink Wi-Fi across its entire fleet in the next few years.
Southwest Will Rapidly Retrofit Planes With Starlink Wi-Fi
Southwest has partnered with SpaceX to retrofit its fleet of more than 800 Boeing 737s with Starlink Wi-Fi. It is expected that the first Starlink equipped aircraft will enter service this summer and more than 300 planes are expected to be retrofitted by the end of the year. While no formal completion timeline has been given, I would expect to see most, if not all, aircraft updated by the end of 2027.
Starlink provides high-speed, low-latency broadband internet from gate to gate. Southwest is the latest in a long list of airlines that have opted for the service and it has quickly become the industry standard in in-flight connectivity. Southwest joins carriers like Alaska, United, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Korean Air, Lufthansa, and more in offering the service.
In announcing the airline’s partnership with Starlink, Southwest Airlines’ Chief Customer and Brand Officer, Tony Roach, said this:
“Free WiFi has been a huge hit with our Rapid Rewards Members, and 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.”
A Major Upgrade For Passengers
In October 2025, Southwest announced that it was introducing free Wi-Fi for members of its Rapid Rewards loyalty program. This announcement brought it in line with many other domestic airline policies (the last being American which introduced free Wi-Fi earlier this year).
Unfortunately, Southwest hasn’t had the best Wi-Fi offering onboard. Most of the carrier’s planes have very outdated connectivity systems which led to a poor experience for passengers.
The shift to Starlink should be popular with passengers and, quite honestly, the airline could use some good publicity. An activist investor has worked to totally reinvent the airline, much to the displeasure of Southwest frequent flyers. While I don’t believe this will cause that sentiment to disappear overnight, it is a positive step forward for the passenger experience.
Summary
Southwest Airlines has announced that it will equip its fleet of more than 800 Boeing 737s with fast, free, Starlink Wi-Fi. The carrier expects to have more than 300 planes with the service by the end of 2026. This is a major improvement in the passenger experience department for the airline, especially considering its current inflight connectivity offering.
(Images courtesy Southwest Airlines)