Southwest Airlines has long been known for dependable service, low fares, and friendly service. They’ve long lacked in one passenger amenity though that has long put them at a disadvantage for business travelers. No, they aren’t adding business class service or assigned seating. They are adding one thing though that will make modern travelers rejoice. Drum roll please…
Southwest is adding in-seat power outlets to their fleet. In an announcement on Wednesday, Southwest announced that they will retrofit their fleet with in-seat power. The airline is taking a different approach than other airlines. Instead of a typical power plug, Southwest is adding both a USB power port and a USB-C power plug.
This addition will allow every passenger to have power available to them without having to compromise legroom with bulky power equipment underneath the seat. The airline will begin rolling out this enhancement in 2023. In a statement, the airline said the change will take time as they retrofit the fleet.
This change makes a lot of sense. Southwest used to be known for short point to point flights. Over the past 20 years though, Southwest has added coast-to-coast service with flights that rival the other major carriers. The airline already offered movies, live TV, and shows as long as you bring your own device. With longer stage lengths like Las Vegas to Hawaii, that means that all but the most capable phone and laptop would likely die inflight. This addresses a major shortcoming in their service offering.
Southwest Airlines also announced a number of other service enhancements to include retrofitting overhead bins to accommodate additional carry-on luggage, faster wifi service, more movies and TV shows on their entertainment page, an upgraded inflight tracker, and additional beverage options (Rose, anyone?). The movies, TV and beverage options will rollout this summer. Other upgrades will rollout over time.
Two other minor but appreciated updates include the ability to upgrade your boarding number via the app and website and the ability to add a lap child via the website. The full announcement is here. We also posted a video from their Vice President of Marketing explaining the changes.
