Southwest Airlines is allowing passengers to watch TV for free on their own devices on any of the airline's Wi-Fi enabled planes.
Southwest and TV provider Dish network launched a special "TV Flies Free" offer on Monday which will give customers the opportunity to watch 14 live TV channels and up to 75 on-demand shows on flights. About 75 percent, or 425 of Southwest's flights are Wi-Fi equipped. The service will now be free as it previously cost $5, USA Today reports.
Passengers will be able to watch the content on their own devices such as iPhones, iPads, iPod touches and other tablets and devices.
"Southwest Airlines continues to innovate and evolve our on-board customer experience," Kevin Krone, Southwest's chief marketing officer, said in a press release. "We started with Wi-Fi and now have expanded to television. This new offer puts free television in the hands of our customers."
Row 44 provides the satellite-based in-flight Wi-Fi for Southwest. They first launched live TV on the carrier in 2012.
JetBlue Airways and Virgin America also offers free live TV, but it is broadcasted on the back of plane seats and not on personal devices.
Row 44 believes allowing people to watch TV on their personal devices will be beneficial at 90 percent of passengers bring their own devices on planes and seat-back screens are too heavy and waste fuel for the airline.
According to John Walton, director of data for RouteHappy.com, Southwest is the first and only airline to allow passengers to watch live TV on personal devices. Walton says this will save the airline money by not installing seatback TV screens.
Walton points out that there will be a challenge as device batteries don't last forever. He suggests that the airline should provide at-gate or on-board power.
"Plugs and USB sockets ... are going to be increasingly important if fliers don't want to lug around a separate device for the flight," he says.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
