Skip The Drink Ticket, Southwest Airlines: Give Me A Wifi Pass & Other Wifi Improvements

July 24, 2013 by Danny Sullivan

Hey Southwest Airlines, can we talk about your wifi? Back when I was A-List Premier, I got it for free, so I had little reason to complain. I just missed making that status this year, so I’m paying $8 a go and, well, now I’m more demanding.

Some thoughts:

Remember My Info

I don’t want to dig out my credit card and type in my billing information, to get wifi with you. Gogo does this right. It remembers all my information, then charges me an insane amount for wifi, but at least it’s easy. So how about letting me log into my account and using the information you already have on file there?

Wifi, Not Drinks

Business Select gives me early boarding for the famed Southwest line-up, which is great. It also gives me a drink ticket, which I practically never use. I still have about 25 of those with no expiration date that you retroactively decided would expire. Thanks for that.

Anyway, why don’t you just give me a choice — drink or wifi? At least then, I won’t feel like part of the premium I paid is lost.

Lose The Banner

I never, ever, ever, want that little banner you shove at the top of my browser windows, after I connect. You know, this thing:

So stop it. Yes, I know, there’s an X I can use to close it. The problem is, even doing that, if I open other tabs, it comes back. Just don’t do it.

Frequent Wifi Flyer Credit?

How about some credit if I’m a frequent wifi flyer? I’m always buying it. Can I get one session free for every 10 I buy, especially since you upped the price from $5? Can I buy a book of passes?

Lower Price For Shorter Journeys?

That price, by the way, is tough. I know it lasts all day, regardless of flight. But most of your flights seem so short. Mine typically don’t last an hour. I’d love if I could pay less for less time.

It also especially sucks when you get going and realize you’re paying $8 to use very little bandwidth while someone else is getting free DISH TV video through the same connection, as part of some promotion you’re doing.

Free Wifi For A-List?

Finally, maybe us lowly A-Listers can also have free wifi, along with the A-List Preferred? A boy can dream, right?

But Hey, Thanks For Just Having Wifi

I am sorry to complain. Flight itself is a miracle, as Louis CK reminds us, let alone wifi on flight. I hear his wise words every time I complain:

But still, perhaps the miracle could get more miraculous?

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