Southwest has announced a two billion dollar plan as part of a five year investment to improve the customer experience. The major changes are:
- Bring enhanced WiFi connectivity onboard aircraft;
- Install latest-technology onboard power ports to charge personal devices at every seat;
- Offer larger overhead bins with more space and easier access to carryon items;
- Launch a new fare category with added flexibility and value, Wanna Get Away PlusTM;
- Introduce more entertainment options and a wider selection of refreshments in the cabin; and,
- Enable new self-service capabilities to bring elevated ease in doing business with Southwest, benefiting Employees and Customers.
In seat power ports are the big addition for me, especially for longer flights.
Apparently it’s going to be USB-A and USB-C power only, which will work for devices that charge that way anyway, but won’t necessarily charge some laptops which require an AC charger.
By comparison, at least seats toward the front of the economy cabin (and all seats in the first/business class cabin) on legacy airlines typically have both AC and USB power.
“Longer southwest flights” is like “brightest dim room” they have layovers every few miles.
“longer southwest flights”
“more valuable SkyMiles”
“better united customer service”
Southwest has longer flights only between certain airports. So maybe they don’t have longer flights from a given airport, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have any.
For example, Southwest has nonstops (once a day) between LAX on the west coast and BWI near the east coast! The scheduled durations are 4h 55m eastbound, and 5h 40m westbound, nonstop.
So there ARE longer Southwest flights, even if they’re just a fraction of them, and even if they’re not available from every airport.
If you don’t live at a hub sure, like any airline. Otherwise they have long nonstop flights to literally everywhere.
Honestly shocked it costs $2B to install some power ports, a better satellite, replace plastic bins, and begin offering different sodas on board. Someone is making a killing
Southwest has an active fleet of 700+ aircraft. Plus taking them out of the fleet as the work is done incurs costs too.
You must not know anything about power. This is plugging in a power strip to connect your phone and laptop. It’s powering devices on a plane that isn’t connected to a power grid.
Confused why this deserves a post? Only new aircraft AKA 737max and this is all stuff they were gonna do anyways…basically a southwest marketing post. Yes, bin space on max is higher than previous aircraft, always was. Good to know, but the charging penetration will probably not be above 50% until 2030 so not sure how that’s useful until then? If they paid you to post this more power to ya, gotta keep the lights on somehow.
It’s a post because It’s a slow day, and content creators need content. The most important reason for this news is that infrastructure updates cost money, and the cost will be most certainly be passed onto consumers at some point.
If you think DoC gets paid/directed by Southwest or any other large organization to post anything you must be new here. Seeing as the most popular posts on here are how to exploit marketing for our gain and their loss, how would that make any sense?
DoC gets paid for every click, you have no idea how this works do you
Check the link, there’s no referral codes in the URL. So no, DoC doesn’t get paid for clicks here.
He wasn’t referring to referral links, obviously. There are other ways to monetize clicks.
You’re just another new guy with <2 year comment history calling out all the other new guys!
Why don’t you just comment as JJWIN? Is it because you also have a <2 year comment history? Or because it's all trolling with no value added to the community?
Why don’t you go back your consulting startup or your trumpet lessons or whatever, and leave the virtue signaling to people who actually know what they’re talking about?
Hey JJWIN drop a link to one of your DoC comments where you showed you know anything. There isn’t one so go out and give it a try and come back when you do something with your life. It’s not hard to spot a lonely person online
Why would you click on a post you had no interest in. Dbag like you read about.
Because I thought it was interesting and I love in seat power.
Thank you Charles, don’t feed the trolls. Without you my travel game wouldn’t be nearly as good as it is. I found it interesting too. Keep doing the great work you do for us.
Agree that and pricing is the main factor for the economy traveler. For some reason i can get stuff done on flights and the charging port is super useful. Maybe i need a similar setup to replicate at home so i’ll be productive.
What is enhanced WiFi? I do greatly enjoy their free entertainment via WiFi, including iMessage/Whatsapp. Having some USB A/C chargers at every seat would be really great.
The best way to improve customer service is to not have delayed or canceled flights.
…and training flight attendants not to turn the announcements into a talent show. My flight’s 45 minutes late taking off, it’s taken 20 minutes longer to get everybody seated than it should, and I still have another flight to catch. I get that you’re trying to lighten the mood, but I don’t need to hear safety instructions sung by an aspiring amateur opera singer.
You can always put in head phones. If you don’t like the announcements flight attendants make (I don’t) there’s very simple and easy ways to combat that. The amount of misery people choose to live their life by is amazing. You’re on a travel blog, on how to get reduced or free flights to travel. And yet, you still are upset because other people are happy.
Finally a normal person on this blog. ^
Yes Monica, your probably the one bitching when your flight is cancelled cause of a thunderstorm.
LUV these additions