Southwest Airlines To Offer High-Speed Starlink Wi-Fi on Flights Starting This Summer

Updated: February 12, 2026, 6:08am CST

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Southwest Airlines Recently Added Free Wi-Fi
Southwest To Start Offering Starlink Wi-Fi in 2026
Final Thoughts

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We definitely didn’t see this coming. Southwest Airlines has just become the latest carrier to sign a contract with Starlink to offer its high-speed Wi-Fi on flights, and the first such flight should take off this summer.

By the end of the year, Southwest expects to have Starlink available on more than 300 aircraft.

While there are still questions to be answered about this update to the passenger experience, it will definitely be a positive addition. Here’s what we know so far.

Southwest Airlines Recently Added Free Wi-Fi

In October 2025, Southwest Airlines started offering free inflight Wi-Fi through T-Mobile. This service is complimentary for Rapid Rewards members.

Southwest MCO to HOU cabin dimmed — Big changes are coming to Southwest soon, including Wi-Fi and seat upgrades. Image Credit: Jessica Merritt

This offering wasn’t a complete surprise, given that the airline previously ran a large-scale test that didn’t exactly wow one of the Upgraded Points team members on a test flight. With all of that going on, it seemed inevitable that Southwest Airlines was moving toward complimentary inflight internet for its passengers — at least for those with a loyalty program membership.

Southwest To Start Offering Starlink Wi-Fi in 2026

Just a few months after announcing complimentary Wi-Fi via T-Mobile, Southwest has now announced plans to move to Starlink, a faster service. The first such flight should take off this summer, according to the airline, though an exact date is unknown at this point.

Southwest currently has over 800 planes in its fleet. By the end of 2026, the airline hopes to have Starlink service on more than 300 planes. The airline does plans eventually add Starlink to all planes, stating it will eventually “upgrade all its aircraft with high-speed, low-Earth-orbit satellite technology.” So far, there’s no announcement for when the entire fleet should have this service available.

While not stated explicitly, we can assume that recent moves and announcements from airline representatives that Starlink connections will be complimentary, at least for Rapid Rewards members.

“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,” said Tony Roach, Southwest’s executive vice president and chief customer and brand officer. “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.”

Hot Tip:

Airplane Wi-Fi is getting faster, cheaper, and more sophisticated, and airlines are starting to see it as a necessity to lure customers. Starlink Wi-Fi works through a system of low Earth orbit satellites that work together to provide internet speeds that are similar to what you’d find on the ground rather than the older, slower systems still found on some airlines.

Final Thoughts

Southwest Airlines is jumping on the Starlink bandwagon, planning to add this high-speed inflight internet service to its planes as of summer 2026. While an exact launch date is unknown, the airline plans to eventually add the service to all of its planes. Part of that goal includes adding Starlink to over 300 planes by the end of this year.