Quick little revival, conclusion and final hail mary of a proposal
First - last flight I was on with SWA I was able to get certain wireguard-based connections to work- BARELY, just unusable unless the flight is empty. IPTV boggs down the GEO-SAT based internet SWA switched to slowly around 2016.
Given how much BETTER other airlines wifi is (i.e. using ground station 5G based comms instead of GEO (I believe SWA is now all GEO-based comms specifically provided by Viasat).
Before all this mess started happening, SWA was using a similar system that providers like American Airlines uses (4/5G direct to ground receivers eliminating the huge GEO (geostationary earth orbit satellite) latency. Before SWA offered free TV, speeds were great (given the era and the medium), it would die over bodies of water and as much direct testing I could and experienced when SWA started flying to Puerto Vallarta - a route taken by AA usually only, I was able to compare and contrast for a while, AA would cut out just as SWA would as we got into Mexico from DFW if AA and sadly only via connecting flight if SWA (boy I would love if LUV got an international terminal, I will do everything in my power to avoid layovers, which is why I say limited testing).
Then, SWA switch from Business to ‘free TV’ which is when this all started happening. Basically, I figure what happened is ViaSAT sold SWA on a contract of some sort and it wrecked business users so they could advertise free live junk TV without needing DISH.
SWA started having connectivity over Mexico but still very poor
AA still doesn’t, but it’s gotten a lot better as 4/5G get’s deployed in Mexico (heck, I get 5G in Puerto vallarta with speeds around 200Mbps / 10Mbps up which is huge compared to just 4 years ago - note ON LAND via mobile not via the airplane’s wifi).
To this day I will happily pay AA wifi because I can actually use VPN with RDP reliably. As long as we’re flying over land in the US. Mexico has gotten better so much so that I will buy it now when going down to PVR. (I still hate DFW though, not as bad as connecting in Houston, though).
AA doesn’t have free TV (from what I can recall). I may be mistaken, I think I recall seeing Dish being a provider for a bit. Separate systems.
So SWA being the cost-cutters they are, were likely sold a great deal with ViaCrap who I assume basically told SWA they could provide both wifi and ‘dish-style’ TV without the extra cost and hardware/maintenance of managing 2 systems.
What they DIDN’T say was that it would completely bog down the bandwidth because IPTV isn’t the same thing as Dish. SWA may or may not have known the ramifications of this ‘cost saving’ measure, I will assume someone knew but they thought who cares about wifi when you have MOVIES AND TV FOR FREE (marketing department).
I hope ViaCrap contract ends with SWA soon, I’ve honestly been travelling less on SWA just because they used to be tech-focused (was one of the first airlines to provide decent wifi from what I recall as most orginally started with SAT and very expensive at that. But internet connectivity on a 2-5 hour flight is critical. If I want to watch a movie, I will preload it from Plex.
People are going to get sick of the 7 channels on SWA and the sub-dial-up speeds. And as a manner to ‘keep kids quiet’, In my opinion, I think kids these days would prefer the internet over archaic-style cable tv.
Which brings me to my final proposal:
SWA, you would change the game for business, wait, everyone, flying SWA if you signed on with Starlink. My team has been installing Starlink for multi-home/business backhauls in very rural areas in Texas in which they previously paid $300+ a month for ViaCrap at each location - now through some nifty WISP-ing 1 business class dish backhaul supplies 10x the speeds, 1/20th the latency and shared saving thousands of dollars. Results were far far far better service from the prior mix of ViaSat and HughesNet. StarLink is a game-changer and I believe the airlines that sign on first will benefit best. I dare you, SWA - DO IT!
https://www.starlink.com/business/aviation
... View more
a week ago
a week ago
@dfwskier wrote:
@PDXMusicman wrote:
Second, Southwest tries to upsell EVERYONE to buy the A1-A15 boarding spots - including people that lmight already have A16. There's no conspiracy to give people bad boarding spots so that SW can upsell them.
As I understand it the business is going quite well, definitely no need to do that.
There are too many variables here @PDXMusicman with number of A-List people, EBCI tickets, etc. that even if you were the first one to check in it can vary quite a bit.
You are doing everything that you can and I hope you get good results more often than not with your method.
A B-number may be common on flights with many A-list passengers.
... View more
3 weeks ago
Recently, I was told that the pet may also "preboard" if the owner declares that their pet also has a disability.
... View more
03-16-2024
03:46 PM
03-16-2024
03:46 PM
Here it is again! I just installed a new WiFi network at home - I tried to select it to connect to it - and here is SouthwestWifi jumping up to take the password from the WiFi I’m trying to connect to (I never tapped on to connect to SouthwestWifi - SouthwestWifi is not even an option of a network to connect to from Wi-Fi’s available - it simply buts in and steals password entry.
... View more
03-03-2024
03:40 PM
03-03-2024
03:40 PM
Wouldn't this cause for someone to get bumped if the flight is full?
... View more
@Southernpilot wrote:
Are we allowed to save digital boarding pass drink coupons for future use or do we have to use them on the leg they are issued for ?
I believe the terms on them are for that flight only, or I'm vaguely remembering that one version of these used to be valid on the same day but not sure if that survived to the digital coupon age.
That said, save a copy/screenshot of them and ask nicely, many FA will allow it but YMMV. I'd say you have a good chance for same day usage. "Hey I didn't want to have this at 7 a.m. but now I'm on the way back home at 7 p.m. and I'm ready..." will be understandable by many.
... View more
02-01-2024
11:31 PM
02-01-2024
11:31 PM
Hello Ma’am, I am a former employee as well. I have followed the link and the steps and there is no w2 for me. What should I do?
... View more
01-13-2024
06:24 AM
01-13-2024
06:24 AM
Might I suggest that you review FEDERAL LAW before posting such comments as recommendations to Southwest?
... View more
01-11-2024
07:49 PM
I need to make reservations and I haven’t gotten a definitive answer - is there anyway to find out for sure?
... View more
Alas, this is my fault. I went to visit my boyfriend in Phoenix from San Diego in back in 2010. I had my beloved little hammy with me and she chewed out of her carrier and got lost on the plane.
I later got a call she had been found, (thank god I put in a lost ‘bag’ claim for her) bc the ground crew knew what to do when they saw her ‘deplaning herself’ down the back conveyor after everyone had gotten off (and onto another plane without free range rodents aboard - that might chew worse). 🤷🏻♀️
Southwest returned her unscathed and matching on a honey mustard pretzel, although she did reek of jet fuel for a couple days. I was told we I cost them about $10k in finding a new plane to complete the trip to Dallas. Sorry Southwest!! Thanks for not putting me on your no fly list.
... View more
Here is the current guidance on service animals:
Flying with Service Animals | Southwest Airlines
This older thread is the only place I've ever seen mention about buying an extra seat for the floorspace.
... View more
08-09-2023
07:26 PM
08-09-2023
07:26 PM
Never gotten a lower boarding position worse than my companion. Companion boarding pass has always been immediately after mine. Had companion pass for the past 5 years or so.
... View more
08-01-2023
12:06 PM
08-01-2023
12:06 PM
I found a solution that might work for some people.
This was on my Android 12 phone
Somewhere along the line I had switched my DNS setting to use a private, encrypted DNS server.
Gut of course when first connecting to the inflight WiFi, you don't yet have internet access to access a private DNS server.
I fixed this, for inflight success, by going to Android settings
Connections
More connection settings
Private DNS
Changing it from Private to either Automatic or Off
... View more
07-04-2023
12:32 PM
07-04-2023
12:32 PM
Looks like BLI, DTW and BUF will have to do for those going to/from Canada.
... View more
06-22-2023
05:37 PM
06-22-2023
05:37 PM
Hello, @Cspain1995!
Check out the link provided above: https://community.southwest.com/t5/Knowledge-Base/Former-Employee-W2-Form-Information/ta-p/87209.
This should get you all taken care of!
... View more
05-14-2023
06:10 PM
05-14-2023
06:10 PM
@TheMiddleSeat wrote:
@ScottMc101
Sounds like a wacky conspiracy theory to me, but whatever floats your boat.
The conspiracy is in the part of Mother Nature, just a busy storm season this spring. Your experience should even out over the rest of the year. I’m sure they get reports from the previous pilot about turbulence, sometimes it clears up but they’ve already decided to cancel.
... View more
03-06-2023
05:11 PM
03-06-2023
05:11 PM
FYI received this error code and the only issue was an incorrect credit card CVV#. Corrected it and was good to go.
... View more
01-21-2023
09:19 PM
01-21-2023
09:19 PM
Hi,
I was wondering if this is still possible?
... View more
12-29-2022
10:55 PM
12-29-2022
10:55 PM
My son was just boarding his delayed flight from Dallas, TX to to return to his Navy air station in San Diego. Him and another service member neither in uniform, went to board when military was called after priority boarding. The service member in front of him clearly white, showed his military ID and ticket was scanned and he was allowed to board. My son right behind him , who is half white half Hispanic has dark hair showed his military ID and the attendant told him he could not board and needed to return to B 42 position to wait to board. I have never heard of such utter disrespect for our service members , but also the utter display of prejudice that occurred . I am appalled at the gate attendants hatred and disrespect. attendant was at Gate 2 Dallas Lovefield airport Dallas to San Diego departure at 10:25 (delayed) originally supposed to depart at 10:05 12/29/22. I want answers!!!
... View more
12-15-2022
09:53 AM
12-15-2022
09:53 AM
I have a trip coming up in January and I have already cancelled and rebooked the same rental car now six times (free cancellation and no money paid to reserve) and the price for the week went from $497 to $367 now.
Once you use points, I'm not sure if you are getting a good deal. I'm already saving $130 on the rental car by simply watching the prices.
I use points to fly only, not for anything else.
... View more
10-24-2022
07:41 AM
10-24-2022
07:41 AM
You were absolutely correct about adding the RR number. I had to change a reservation, added the RR number, and everything showed up.
It's my recollection that previously if you were booking with points and filled in the box with your RR number, the system made you remove it before you could move on. In any event, thank you for solving the problem for me. Now, why didn't any of the Southwest people give me the answer years ago?
... View more
09-02-2022
07:03 AM
And these days, at Southwest, innovation only comes when it postively affects the bottom line.
... View more
09-02-2022
02:04 AM
09-02-2022
02:04 AM
How can you claim Southwest Airlines delay compensation ? You can file a claim for up to $700 (€600) per person with the aid of AirHelp. We have made it easy for millions of travellers to receive the compensation they are due. We take care of all the paperwork and legal issues for you so you don't have to. you can calling +1-888-366-5231 or by using one of the ways mentioned on the Southwest Airlines Contact page:
https://www.southwest.com/contact-us/contact-us.html
... View more
08-03-2022
03:45 PM
08-03-2022
03:45 PM
I have the same question. I receive a very specific number if “action based bonus” points of 3,624. This is in addition to the posting of points from my credit card statement that included individual bonuses on internet purchased, Rapid Rewards partner, Southwest Travel. The only thing I think it could be are the 25% bonus on all credit card purchases associated with A-List membership. But I can’t re-calculate the number of bonus points by applying 25% to any number I see on any statement.. But if this isn’t the 25% bonus, I don’t know what ir is.
... View more
Loves Given To