[Expired] Flying Southwest Next Week? You Might Get Free Inflight Wi-Fi.

Updated: August 15, 2025, 8:05am CDT

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Southwest Free Wi-Fi
Final Thoughts

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Update:

The offer mentioned below has expired and is no longer available.

If you have a flight booked with Southwest, check your email, as you may get free Wi-Fi during your travels next week.

It appears that this offer isn’t available to all travelers, just those who are members of Southwest’s Rapid Rewards program.

Let’s take a look at the details.

Southwest Free Wi-Fi

Southwest passengers know that Wi-Fi costs $8 per flight. But you may be able to avoid that fee, at least for a week.

As first reported by ATX Jetsetter, Southwest has emailed passengers with scheduled flights to let them know that they will have free Wi-Fi from August 8 through August 14, 2025.

Southwest trialed free Wi-Fi on some flights earlier this year with mixed results. It appears the airline is conducting an even bigger test this time around.

Southwest B737 700 Takeoff Delta Planes ATL — Image Credit: Alberto Riva

In order to score the free internet, passengers must be members of Southwest’s Rapid Rewards program, which is free to join.

Southwest has previously told people who got the free Wi-Fi email that access to apps and sites consuming large amounts of bandwidth will be prohibited. The airline also noted that some types of content will be blocked, and Wi-Fi may not be available for the entire flight. The latter is not new; for example, Wi-Fi is typically not available on Southwest international flights after leaving U.S. airspace.

Southwest, the largest airline in the U.S. by domestic passengers carried, may also be gearing up to follow the Big 3 legacy carriers on this. American, Delta, and United are all working to make Wi-Fi free for everybody, and Southwest would be at a competitive disadvantage if it still charged for something passengers now see as essential.

Southwest is also making many other changes, and among them is the installation of something that is important to have with Wi-Fi: power at every seat. Not all of the airline’s 737s currently have it, but the airline is installing USB-A and USB-C outlets on all of its planes by the end of the year. The first planes to be modified will be the 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 models, followed by the smaller 737-700 after the summer.

Hot Tip:

Southwest is changing many things about how it does business, including switching to assigned seating. For now, though, people can still sit where they want on its planes, which means it pays to check out our primer on ways to get the best seats on Southwest.

Final Thoughts

Southwest is quietly offering free Wi-Fi to members on flights next week. While many of Southwest’s recent changes are not positive for most passengers, this one is certainly good news for everybody.