Is southwest Airlines planning to launch in-flight wi-fi?

Southwest Airlines ended up their testing of in-flight wi-fi on four aircrafts. These days, many airline companies are actually implementing this facility in their airbuses. So it is about time that the company has joined in the bandwagon. The testers certified it as quite satisfactory and the authority is content with the outcome. Though it was tested in four flights at this beginning, it is more likely that the company will instigate the service more widely by the beginning of 2010.

And how interesting was this testing? Commuters were allowed to watch videos online, browse the internet and check their mails on their laptops as well as on their smartphones. As all the other airlines do, the company restricted the usage of video chatting and VoIP for the security and privacy.

But Southwest Airlines has not opted for AIRCELL satellite-based broadband connection like its predecessor Delta and American Airlines. Instead, it has chosen ROW 44 for the data connection. Although the authority did not confirm about the service-charges for the passengers, they will never be much cheaper. That’s for sure. By the end of this year, they are likely to come up with the details of their in-flight wi-fi.