Easy way to find if wifi available
Mar 28, 2016, 11:01 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Folsom,CA
Posts: 408
Easy way to find if wifi available
I am aware of the url to determine availability with an existing reservation.
https://www.southwest.com/html/air/p...fi-access.html
Today I checked a flight on 4/12 SMF to MCO and it shows NA. So, in order to select a different flight I first had to cancel my companion reservation. Then I changed mine to a later flight. Once that was done, I re-entered the same PRL and even that flight shows NA for both legs of the itinerary. There must be a better way of selecting a flight with WiFi but I haven't found it yet. Would it be that hard to search by flight number on a certain date rather than using confirmation number?
https://www.southwest.com/html/air/p...fi-access.html
Today I checked a flight on 4/12 SMF to MCO and it shows NA. So, in order to select a different flight I first had to cancel my companion reservation. Then I changed mine to a later flight. Once that was done, I re-entered the same PRL and even that flight shows NA for both legs of the itinerary. There must be a better way of selecting a flight with WiFi but I haven't found it yet. Would it be that hard to search by flight number on a certain date rather than using confirmation number?
Mar 28, 2016, 12:07 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Folsom,CA
Posts: 408
Thanks for the tip! I will use that in the future. Strangely, though, when I follow your suggestion it shows wifi available on the booking screen but not available on the link I provided with confirmation number. Must be a glitch.
Mar 28, 2016, 12:52 pm
#5
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: STL
Programs: Southwest A+/CP, Hilton Diamond, National Executive Elite
Posts: 170
I would not book a flight purely based on it potentially having WIFI. Southwest can and does routinely swap planes at the last minute due to operational needs. There are still quite a few 300/500 series planes in the fleet without.
Mar 28, 2016, 1:09 pm
#6
Join Date: Oct 2001
Programs: LTP, PP
Posts: 8,699
...and the wi-fi is hardly reliably usable when it is there. I would bring several backup forms of entertainment for a flight that long...
Mar 31, 2016, 3:53 pm
#8
Join Date: Oct 2010
Programs: My opinions are my own and not that of my employer(s)
Posts: 1,411
Best odds are on a 175 seat 800. Only if WIFI is inop is wifi not available.
143 seat 700s (WIFI) and 300s (no WIFI) are interchangeable on domestic routes, even some longer hauls.
Often the final aircraft isn't known until the day prior and even then it can change during the day of. Downgrades to 137 seat 300s (no winglets/no WIFI) happen occasionally as do albeit much rarer downgrades to 122 seat 500s.
143 seat 700s (WIFI) and 300s (no WIFI) are interchangeable on domestic routes, even some longer hauls.
Often the final aircraft isn't known until the day prior and even then it can change during the day of. Downgrades to 137 seat 300s (no winglets/no WIFI) happen occasionally as do albeit much rarer downgrades to 122 seat 500s.
Mar 31, 2016, 3:58 pm
#9
Join Date: Oct 2010
Programs: My opinions are my own and not that of my employer(s)
Posts: 1,411
"To find out if your flight has WiFi, visit our "WiFi Finder" within 24 hours of departure and simply enter your confirmation number, first and last name."
No real glitch... Aircraft routing isn't set until the day prior and even then can change.
Mar 31, 2016, 5:16 pm
#10
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 20
Best odds are on a 175 seat 800. Only if WIFI is inop is wifi not available.
143 seat 700s (WIFI) and 300s (no WIFI) are interchangeable on domestic routes, even some longer hauls.
Often the final aircraft isn't known until the day prior and even then it can change during the day of. Downgrades to 137 seat 300s (no winglets/no WIFI) happen occasionally as do albeit much rarer downgrades to 122 seat 500s.
143 seat 700s (WIFI) and 300s (no WIFI) are interchangeable on domestic routes, even some longer hauls.
Often the final aircraft isn't known until the day prior and even then it can change during the day of. Downgrades to 137 seat 300s (no winglets/no WIFI) happen occasionally as do albeit much rarer downgrades to 122 seat 500s.