Southwest Airlines launched its version of an in-flight entertainment system by installing wireless television access on five Boeing 737 jets with plans to expand the service to 20 planes by mid July.
Southwest, the busiest air carrier at McCarran International Airport, announced earlier this year that it is collaborating on a live television product with Row 44, the airline’s California-based satellite-linked Internet access provider.
Passengers on flights equipped with the system will have access to seven live sports and news channels that can be viewed on personal devices.
“We believe our customers will enjoy the opportunity to access live TV, in addition to WiFi, using their personal devices and we look forward to their feedback on the product,” said Dave Ridley, Southwest’s chief marketing officer and a senior vice president of marketing and revenue management.
Flight attendants will notify passengers of the availability of the system when they board and give instructions on how to access the WiFi portal with their tablets, laptops and smart phones. Southwest is evaluating different price points, from $3 to $8, throughout a trial period.
Passengers will be able to access NBC Sports, Major League Baseball from MLB.com, the NFL Network, CNBC, MSNBC, Fox News and Fox Business News.
The Row 44 system allows customers to access live TV with a separate portion of bandwidth, and company officials will monitor TV and WiFi usage to determine if they perform seamlessly. If the trial is successful, live TV will be installed on all WiFi-enabled planes by the end of the year.
Southwest already has the world’s largest satellite-based WiFi fleet, with more than 250 connected aircraft and plans to equip its entire 737-700 and 737-800 fleets — about 70 percent of the airline’s jets.
Because the system is satellite-based, signals won’t be interrupted when Southwest introduces international flights to Mexico and the Caribbean or long over-water flights.
Dallas-based Southwest currently operates 219 round trips a day to 56 destinations to and from McCarran.