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While it does utilize bandwidth, it does not impact what we deliver in terms of connectivity.”īy isolating a part of the bandwidth for free TV, the airline is able to bolster its entertainment and hopefully distract customers from wanting reliable connectivity.

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She explained that “we do not have a second antenna just to support live TV, but have instead isolated bandwidth just to support the delivery of live TV to the aircraft. I reached out to Tara Bamburg, Southwest’s Manager for WiFi and In-flight Entertainment to inquire. Given the apparent reliability of the service I assumed Southwest was accessing TV through a second antenna or something independent of their data service. While I can’t say I much care for live TV (and its commercials) this seems to be a popular offering on my flights. Since it’s free, there is nothing to lose.Ī snapshot of part of the live TV lineup Free Live TV StreamingĪt the time of writing, there are sixteen TV channels available for free streaming. Your experience may vary you should give it a try. I would love to see some of the content stored on-board and thus freed from Global Eagle’s unreliable and slow data service. This begs the question if the reality is more of a genre-level playlist, why bother with a multi-step selection process all the way down to artist? The rest were a potpourri of others within the same genre. Roughly half of the songs played were by the artist I had chosen. After each song there was another long pause, presumably for more buffering.

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The service took what felt like a full minute to buffer before playing. This presented over a dozen artists to choose from. If pressed to describe the artists by genre option in one word, I would chose “inelegant.” I explored this feature just a few weeks ago. Streaming of radio stations and podcasts function as one might expect. There are three overarching categories to choose from: A large assortment of radio stations, podcasts, and a feature called Popular Artists by Genre. The complimentary on-board iHeartRadio offering is rich, if not overwhelming for its varied options. Some of the iHeartRadio podcasts available for streaming. Even if improvements have been made, the airline’s decision to give away slices of the small bandwidth pie certainly does not help. Problem is, the results just aren’t there, in my experience. In late 2018, they suggested that GEE had increased bandwidth allocation by more than seven times. In Southwest’s defense, they routinely say they are working to better manage their vendor. The only advice I can offer friends, family, and AR readers alike is this: Do not bother. Of course, complimentary services which rely on data (more on those later) contribute to congestion.

Why is the inflight connectivity so bad? Is Global Eagle really as poorly run as I choose to believe they are? Or, perhaps it’s because Southwest’s top-tier elites receive free internet access, and I typically fly on elite-heavy flights. That documented and very public accolade is something I regret each time I waste $8 on a near-useless all-day flight pass. The only reason I mention the usability of the connection today is that my earlier piece offered it high praise. Mostly because I have found Global Eagle (the airline’s vendor) to be completely inept at delivering a reliable data connection at usable speeds. This piece deals primarily with IFE (in-flight entertainment). Transportation Security Administration U.S.An assortment of Global Eagle radomes atop Southwest Airlines planes – Photos: JL Johnson Southwest Airlines BYOD IFE: In-Flight Connectivity X Research source However, TSA officially suggests manually adding your KTN to every flight reservation that you book.

Southwest states that adding your KTN to your profile will automatically add your KTN to future bookings.

government agency responsible for ensuring safety by setting and enforcing travel protocols Go to source Transportation Security Administration U.S. This ID usually starts with the numbers '15,' '98,' and '99.' X Trustworthy Source U.S.

If you’re a member of TSA Global Entry, you’ll receive a PASSID, a 9-digit number that can be used interchangeably as a KTN.

It usually starts with the letters 'TT.' X Trustworthy Source U.S.

Your KTN is the alphanumeric number ID that you receive after applying for TSA PreCheck.

Click the yellow 'Save' button, and you should be good to go! X Research source The 'Known Traveler Number' field is between the boxes for 'Preferred First Name' and 'Redress Number,' toward the top of the page. Add your Known Traveler Number (KTN) in the corresponding field.