Southwest Airlines To Now Offer Free In-Flight Entertainment

Following suit with other major airlines, Southwest Airlines is the latest to remove its $5 fee for in-flight movies.

The largest domestic carrier in the nation, Southwest does not currently have seat-back screens or overhead screens on its planes. Passengers must watch the in-flight movies via smartphones, laptops, tablets and other Wi-Fi enabled devices. The movie choices for November include “A Bad Mom’s Christmas,” “12 Strong” and “Early Man.” 

“Our research shows that a positive experience onboard the aircraft can greatly influence the decision to come back to Southwest,” Southwest’s chief marketing officer Ryan Green said in a statement. “We listened to our customers and are enhancing our already award-winning experience.”


In September, Southwest waived its $2 fee for in-flight messaging.

Across the board, airlines have been making a more concerted effort to provide more free entertainment. Delta and American began offering free in-flight movies, on seatback screens or passengers’ personal devices, in 2016.

Free live TV has previously been available on Southwest, JetBlue and Delta. American is the latest to join in the trend.