US budget & LCC matchups
Alaska Airlines vs Southwest Airlines— Wi-Fi compared
Side-by-side comparison of in-flight Wi-Fi: free vs paid, fleet coverage, satellite technology, and real traveler reports from public sources.
The verdict
It's close — Alaska Airlines and Southwest Airlines score similarly
Alaska Airlines scores 78% on our algorithmic Wi-Fi index versus 80% for Southwest Airlines. Alaska Airlines is actively rolling out Starlink LEO satellite Wi-Fi. Recent public reports from travelers (last 90 days, 87 mentions) skew 37% positive for Alaska Airlines.
Side-by-side
78%
WIWi score
ProviderIntelsat / Starlink (rolling)
StarlinkRolling out
Free messagingNo
Real-world signal37% positive · 87 reports
80%
WIWi score
ProviderAnuvu
StarlinkNo
Free messagingYes
Real-world signal39% positive · 90 reports
Detail comparison
| Criterion | Alaska Airlines | Southwest Airlines |
|---|---|---|
| WIWi score | 78% | 80% |
| Policy | Wi-Fi rolling out | Most aircraft equipped |
| Provider | Intelsat / Starlink (rolling) | Anuvu |
| Starlink rolling out | Yes | No |
| Free messaging | No | Yes |
| Real reports (90d) | 87 | 90 |
| % positive sentiment | 37% | 39% |
| % negative sentiment | 22% | 33% |
| Top complaint | Signup friction (11×) | Slow at takeoff (13×) |
| Last verified | 2026-01-15 | 2026-01-15 |
Pick Alaska Airlines when…
- Starlink LEO Wi-Fi is rolling out — much lower latency than GEO satellites.
Pick Southwest Airlines when…
- Free messaging is offered to all passengers without paywall.
Recent traveler reports
Alaska Airlines
- “Alaska Airlines equipping E175s with Intelsat multi-orbit satcom for improved inflight Wi-Fi speeds and coverage.”
- “Alaska Airlines announces satellite WiFi rollout to regional Embraer E175 fleet, targeting full coverage by 2026.”
- “WiFi unavailable on Alaska flight from Maui; recurring outages reported over 3-month period.”
Southwest Airlines
- “Southwest selects Viasat Ka-band WiFi for new 737 MAX deliveries starting fall 2022, replacing Anuvu on future aircraft.”
- “Southwest discusses future Wi-Fi upgrades with Global Eagle, including new Ku-band antenna technology and potential HTS compatibility.”
- “Southwest Wi-Fi costs $8 per day with all-day pass access; speeds averaged 10 Mbps down, competitive pricing versus legacy carriers.”
Got a specific flight?
Generic rankings are useful — your actual flight is more useful.
How we compare
- Algorithmic score— calculated from each airline's published Wi-Fi policy, provider technology, and fleet coverage.
- Real-world reports — automatically aggregated from public posts on Reddit, FlyerTalk, and other forums in the last 90 days. Classified by AI for sentiment and topic.
- Last verified— date our team last manually checked the airline's policy page.
- WillItWiFi has no commercial relationship with Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines, or any satellite operator.