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Wifi horrible lately for Preferred?

kmac2309
Explorer C

I fly with SWA roughly 8 times a month. Over the past few months, the wifi has been HORRIBLE. To the point I often can’t use it. 

I have used multiple devices, so I know it isn’t the device. But I’m able to connect to Southwest Wifi and then when I click the link for “a list preferred” I get an notification saying “cannot open the page because the server cannot be found.”

 

HOWEVER…I have paid for wifi a few times and it works as normal. 

I use this benefit of A-List Preferred more than any other…so this is insane that I can pay but can’t use my free benefit. 

Anyone running into the same issues? 

14 REPLIES 14

Re: Wifi horrible lately for Preferred?

TheMiddleSeat
Aviator A

You should submit the info about your experiences directly to Southwest.  Use the contact us link below and send a message.

 

--TheMiddleSeat

Re: Wifi horrible lately for Preferred?

parpitt1
Frequent Flyer A

My wi-fi success rate has been less than 50% over the last month, recently I've been getting post flight survey emails "on how we did." All have been filled out with the poor rating on the wi-fi. 

With Loyalty benefits so scant for A-List Preferred customers, it would be nice if I could depend on the wi-fi service. For work I have to depend on One Drive to grab files from the cloud and sync them and the spotty wi-fi service causes havoc with file versions to the point where I haven't bothered getting my laptop out in the last couple of months.

Paying for the service would be a true insult with A-List Preferred status and worth a call for an $8 refund on principle alone.

In short you are not alone.

Safe travels 

Re: Wifi horrible lately for Preferred?

Stretchmiester
Explorer C

It has been absolutely horrific. It’s funny how the link to A-list preferred never seems to work but as soon as I click the link to buy the Internet it works just fine. This is just amongst the long list of things Southwest is doing a terrible job at.

Re: Wifi horrible lately for Preferred?

stevenrollinson
Employee
Employee

I'm sorry to hear that you're having such a hard time using your ALP benefits onboard! We have several active projects that will improve your onboard connectivity experience in the coming months. In the meantime, I'm definitely concerned that you're able to buy Inflight Internet but aren't able to access the A-List Preferred login screen. If we have a good satellite connection we should be making sure you can use it!

 

If you're able, please let me know what device, software version, and browser you were using when you saw this error. (Be careful not to post any personal information in the forum as it is public.) While I may not be able to diagnose your individual case we can use that information when working with our Teams to determine the cause of larger and recurring issues like this one.

Re: Wifi horrible lately for Preferred?

jenpark7784
Explorer C

This happens to me all the time!

 

I’ve tried it on my Mac book air and pro. My iPhone 13 Pro Max and my kid’s iPhone 7. 

it make me so mad that SW prioritizes the paid version and cuts off the people that are loyal to the brand. My fiancé and I fly 6-8 times a month each and are about to switch the Delta because of this. I NEED to work on the plane and when I don’t have wifi I can’t. 

Re: Wifi horrible lately for Preferred?

dfwskier
Aviator A

@jenpark7784 wrote:

 

it make me so mad that SW prioritizes the paid version and cuts off the people that are loyal to the brand.  

 

I don;t believe that happens. Everyone gets the same (relatively poor) level of wifi service.

 

In any event, SW is upgrading wifi capability on all of it/s planes. All new planes will get a new provider while all existing planes will receive upgrades from the current provider. SW is about half done with the upgrade process.

 

It should get better - hopefully soon.

Re: Wifi horrible lately for Preferred?

aMomTo6
Adventurer B

The wifi is just plain bad.  Really bad.  Terrible.  Worst ever in YEARS and that is saying something because it's been kind of BAD for a LONG time.  Also adding to the comedic irony here is that on May 11, SWA announced its concerted effort to "upgrade its equipment"...."providing a significant improvement to speed and bandwidth up to 10 times the current hardware on board". Just reading this quote from the May release just makes me laugh out loud. Wifi was always bad but seriously now is egregiously offensive.  I'd LUV for someone in the know to enlighten us to what is *actually* happening.  If it's anyone nay-saying the issue,  I'm calling your bluff here.  

I'm A List preferred,  LUV SWA, but seriously something is amiss here. 

As to your specific question... I'm not sure.  I travel several times a month.  Rarely in the past 6 months has there been a straight up good wifi situation.  It's been "glitchy", "reset", and yes I've just purchased it when the A list preferred free benefit didn't seem to work.  I will be more attentive to your issue now.  If I actually get *any* wifi to work.  I think I'm at about 60% success in these 6 months  prior.  SWA how I LUV you... but you're not making it easy right now! 🤣

Re: Wifi horrible lately for Preferred?

SWFlyer007
Aviator C

As I read these things, I imagine my grandson is writing them.  I still remember just sitting there and waiting for my flight to end, no IPODS, not headphones, and so on.  We are talking about a free service, it you paid the 8 bucks for internet, then that's another issue.  I don't fly other airlines, so I don't know if passengers face the same problem.  Maybe I just suggest that you get a good book that you have wanted to read and take it on board with you.   But I will say you give me good reason not to stive for trying to reach ALIST preferred.  

 

Re: Wifi horrible lately for Preferred?

jenpark7784
Explorer C

The flight attendant giving her pre-flight announcement said “wifi may or may not work today but if it does you can access it at southwestwifi.com.”

 

Even they know it’s bad. 

Today’s No Wifi Flight: 6001 FLL-MCI