On March 9, 2023, Southwest Airlines® introduced our first aircraft into service equipped with hardware from our new WiFi vendor, Viasat. Viasat is an industry leader, and we’re excited about the increased connectivity and reliability that Viasat provides. The Inflight Entertainment offerings on our Viasat-equipped aircraft include a selection of 14 different channels of live TV provided by DIRECTV, featuring CNN, ESPN, FOX, and more.
Additionally, DIRECTV customers can unlock all channels through their home login once purchasing Southwest’s $8 Internet on their personal device. Once Customers authenticate for inflight internet access, DIRECTV customers will be able to access content such as the newest blockbuster movies, hit series, and most live sporting events through the DIRECTV app or via web browser, and will never miss a beat.
Southwest continues to upgrade and improve technology on our fleet, evolving and improving our Customers’ inflight experience.
Coming Together for a Great Cause
On June 1, Southwest Airlines and DIRECTV came together for another common passion—supporting Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) by providing a warm meal for families staying at the Ronald McDonald House in Dallas, Texas. The visit provided an opportunity to care for families with children who receive treatment from local hospitals.
Over the years, Southwest’s support of RMHC has evolved and grown, driven mostly by the strong and longstanding passion that our Employees have for the organization. This partnership has provided Southwest Employees with a meaningful opportunity to give back to the communities where they live and work. Southwest has also provided support for families at Ronald McDonald Houses through group volunteerism efforts that earn the Houses Tickets for Time (an Employee volunteer program where Southwest donates one round trip for every 40 hours that Employees volunteer with a qualifying organization).
DIRECTV is a big supporter of RMHC and has partnered with the organization to help families with children who are sick through several initiatives and programs. As the nation’s leader in residential and commercial satellite entertainment, DIRECTV is proud to support and provide access to the best in entertainment to participating RMHC Chapters nationwide. In addition to employees volunteering with local RMHC Chapters throughout the year, DIRECTV invited families staying at RMHC of the Intermountain Area to a private screening at a film festival, and in February, surprised a RMHC of Central and Northern Arizona family with tickets to the Big Game.
We’re thrilled to have put our hearts in action to serve the RMHC in our community.
