Southwest to seek bids for onboard Wi-Fi
20 April 2007Southwest Airlines Co., the low- fare carrier famed for no-frills service, may add wireless Internet connections to its planes to attract more business fliers.
Southwest will seek proposals within a few weeks to outfit several jets to serve as prototypes, Chief Executive Officer Gary Kelly said today in an interview. With such a system, passengers would have Internet access in flight, e-mail and “potentially delivery of entertainment services,” Kelly said.
“We are very seriously exploring that,” Kelly said. “We’d be acutely interested in the cost of doing that. It would be a very exciting development if we could make that work.” Southwest is studying the idea as part of a broader review of ways to generate revenue apart from ticket sales. The Dallas- based airline offers only peanuts and other snacks and drinks on its flights so it can stay profitable at lower fares.
source: Denver Post