SOUTHWEST AIRLINES to Offer Wi-Fi

Southwest Airlines currently has 3 planes equipped with WiFi for testing and plans to have the majority of the Fleet working by 2010!!!!

WiFi I can accept but never cell phones.

Cheers

I lucked out 2 weeks ago on a non-stop from Indy to Vegas and was on one of the 4 planes that are wi-fi equipped. The flight crew said that it was the first they had been on too. Loved it! No such luck on return - or in Vegas either for that matter

What is the charge?

No charge - free to every one on board who has wireless capability with them.

anniemac said:

No charge - free to every one on board who has wireless capability with them.

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do the wifi planes have power plug ins too?

Nope - no power plug ins

Not to start a new topic, however with free wireless on board will they allow phone calls like from magicJack which uses a hard wired phone (not a cell phone) which connects into the magicJack and then the USB of the laptop? That could be a nightmare! Everyone on their laptop and on a regular phone!

Not to rain on anybody's parade. I can see this being something of a pita with being able to use the wi-fi on the tarmac until the door is closed. Then having to put your computer away and stash it overhead or underseat. Then get it out again when they announce 'We are now above 10,000 ft and you can use approved electronic devices'. Then close apps and shut it down and put it away again in preparation for landing. I can see passengers bouncing like jack-in-the-boxes.

This isn't even addressing drinks, snacks and the inevitable bring-aboard meal along with computers to juggle on a 9x12" tray.

This on Southwest where flights are seldom over 2 hours per leg.

Methinks this is a passing idea whose final situation will differ from the initial implementation. Installing the wi-fi routers and satellite link is simple by comparison.

Jim Ricks

Still it's a nice added incenttive to fly SouthWest! Keep it coming!

I had wi-fi on my flight from Ontario to Vegas.. but the flight time is about 45 minutes. So by the time I actualy got it up and running. It was time to shut it off.

It would be handy if traveling on business and needed to check e-mail if you have a wifi capable phone.

I used it with my ipod touch to check my email and surf the internet for some vacation spots. It really wasn't anymore inconvenient than turning my ipod on and off. A friend I was travelling with used her laptop which she was going to use to view a DVD anyway and had it stowed under the seat. It was great!

Unfortunately, manners have not improved as much as technology has

x3 skier said:

WiFi I can accept but never cell phones.

Cheers

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Hopefully, the connection is way too slow for folks to use Skype, otherwise it'll be the same as having cell phones on there.

You'll have that guy in the seat behind you that you scowled at multiple times the night before in the restaurant while he made call after call, talking loud enough for the whole place to hear while sitting at the table next to you.

Thank goodness for noise-cancelling headphones!

wi fi

Does the connection to wi fi come through the hole in the roof near the tail assembly?:hysterical:

I wonder if the people on the phones sitting next to others, think what they are saying can't be heard by all around. Some of what I have heard, was way too personal and I had to remove my self, even if it wasn't personal, I don't want to hear other peoples conversations. It is getting so bad restaurants have to post signs asking that phones by turned off (or at least put it on vibrate and excuse yourself if it goes off). There are ways to keep in touch without the ringer. Thanks for letting me vent.

Donna

Jimster said:

Does the connection to wi fi come through the hole in the roof near the tail assembly?:hysterical:

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Looks like it. WIFI installation procedures:

I wouldn't mind checking mail etc. on my phone for amusement, but I would hate to see cell phones or any verbal allowed. It is just too loud and intrusive.
Liz

Short but interesting article on this topic

http://www.examiner.com/x-7773-Phoenix-Aviation-Examiner~y2009m7d15-Lowcost-airline-now-teaching-skyhigh-surfers-new-manners

Hate to sound like an crusty ol' curmudgeon, but does anyone actually "vacation" anymore, or do we all just go places and take our our hyper-connected lives with us for the ride? I'm as guilty of staying connected as anyone, but I wonder if the ancient practice of "getting away from it all" hasn't been lost in the process.

RE: Getting away from it all

Funny you should make that comment about getting away from it all.

I got into a bit of a disagreement with some of the board members for our timeshare regarding that very topic. I was pushing for internet in all the chalets. It's almost unthinkable for me to be offline for an entire week because the internet has become so integral to how I live these days. When on vacation in Gatlinburg we tend to get online to look for restaurants, check on attractions, make reservations, check weather, look up directions (in case the GPS loses the satellite), check for road work going on in the national park, look up recipes for dinner, etc. We use the internet to make our vacation activities easier and better.

The reply that came back from one board member was, "We don't need internet in the units. You can drive down to the office to use the internet. Besides, I go to the mountains to get away from stuff like email. I don't want my maintenance money going towards internet."

I replied, "I go to the mountains to get away from stuff like television. I think we should remove the TVs and cable from all the chalets. I don't want my maintenance going towards TVs and cable."

It's all a matter of perspective.

What I think is sad is to see a family walking down the street in a vacation location and each parent is on their own cell phone, the teenagers have ear buds in blasting music from their iPod and the younger kids are practically walking into street signs because they're so absorbed into a Gameboy session. They're on a "family vacation," yet have no interaction with each other, and very little chance that they'll catch many of the interesting sights and sounds going on around them that make such great family vacation memories.

Talent312 said:

Hate to sound like an crusty ol' curmudgeon, but does anyone actually "vacation" anymore, or do we all just go places and take our our hyper-connected lives with us for the ride? I'm as guilty of staying connected as anyone, but I wonder if the ancient practice of "getting away from it all" hasn't been lost in the process.

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You will be happy to know that we do. I have never taken my laptop with me when traveling and never will. I have a wireless laptop that I am using right now in bed. The last thing I want is to be connected to anybody or anything when we are on vacation. The only people that we will talk to when traveling are our kids and they are the only ones that know how to contact us. Everybody else can wait until we get back home.

I do all my research about attractions, restaurants, etc. at home before we leave and I use the concierge services at the resorts or hotels.

Talent312 said:

Hate to sound like an crusty ol' curmudgeon, but does anyone actually "vacation" anymore, or do we all just go places and take our our hyper-connected lives with us for the ride? I'm as guilty of staying connected as anyone, but I wonder if the ancient practice of "getting away from it all" hasn't been lost in the process.

Click to expand...

My vacations aren't about sitting around and doing nothing. Its about seeing things I have never seen and doing things that I can't do at home.

Using the internet doesn't have to limit my ability to "get away from it all" If I get to go a week without hearing from the jackasses at work, that's a good vacation for me. But that doesn't mean that I don't want to have my laptop handy on vacation. Our vacations tend to be more spontaneous and we generally use the computer to look up restaurants and attactions that come up in the course of the vacation.

Some people read a book to relax, others watch tv. I surf the net. I enjoy having my lap top. I enjoy keeping in touch with my family by IM. I always bring my laptop or now netbook. It has nothing to do with work.

When you need down time just turn it off.
But wifi helps me take more vactaion time each year.

I am in sales and straight commission at that . I also have small website that sell parts that I run on the side.

I can only be away for so long. But if I have cell service and wifi i can be gone as long as I want. Yes I may need to check email or return a few calls but if I work one hour a day while on vacation I can take a two week vacation. Otherwise the best I could do is get away for 3 days.