Southwest Airlines Takes Next Step Toward Wi-Fi Airline Concludes Proof of Concept Testing

DALLAS, Aug. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Southwest Airlines and Row 44 are continuing plans to roll out wi-fi beginning in the first quarter of 2010.  Beginning this fall, Southwest will be moving to the next step of certifying Southwest’s full fleet with plans to begin fleetwide rollout of the Row 44 satellite service in the first quarter of 2010.  The airline has been testing the service on four aircraft since Feb. 2009 and has received fantastic Customer feedback on the product.  

“We have concluded our testing for inflight wi-fi and are very happy with both the technical performance of the system and the response of Customers who have used it,� said Dave Ridley, Southwest Airlines Senior Vice President of Marketing and Revenue Management.  “We are pleased to be continuing with our plans to offer satellite-enabled broadband access through California-based Row 44.�

“Row 44 is thrilled to be the in-flight wi-fi service of choice for one of the most Customer-focused airlines in the world,� said John Guidon, Row 44 Chief Executive Officer. “We are excited about moving forward and delivering Southwest’s Customers a rich menu of in-flight connectivity and entertainment options.�

During the testing phase, Customers have been utilizing the service for anything from e-mail to streaming video.  Those interested in using the service during the test period have had the opportunity to log on to the service via their own personal wi-fi enabled device (laptops, iPhones, wi-fi enabled smart phones, etc).  Additionally, the airline has been testing a variety of price points for the service and will continue testing price points through the end of 2009.

Southwest Airlines is the most productive airline in the sky and offers Customers a comfortable traveling experience.  Southwest offers a very comfortable ride with all premium leather seats and plenty of legroom with a young all-Boeing 737 fleet. Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV), the nation's largest carrier in terms of domestic passengers enplaned, currently serves 67 cities (with service to Milwaukee starting Nov. 1, 2009) in 34 states. Based in Dallas, Southwest currently operates more than 3,200 flights a day and has more than 35,000 Employees systemwide.

www.southwest.com