Southwest Airlines will launch free Wi-Fi starting in October

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Another major U.S. airline is jumping on the free Wi-Fi bandwagon. Southwest Airlines on Thursday announced it will make its inflight internet free to customers starting next month.

The only requirement? You'll need to be a Rapid Rewards loyalty member.

Southwest will end its fees for inflight connectivity starting Oct. 24.

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The Dallas-based carrier unveiled its complimentary internet shift as part of a partnership with T-Mobile (though flyers won't need to be a T-Mobile wireless customer to gain free access to the service).

Southwest joins a growing list of major U.S. airlines that have either already shifted to free on-board connectivity or announced plans to do so.

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In fact, with Southwest's announcement Thursday, each of the six largest U.S. carriers have now either started deploying free Wi-Fi service across their fleets or said that complimentary internet is coming soon.

"This is part of our ongoing commitment to elevate the cabin experience, with free WiFi being just one of the many enhancements customers will see in the months ahead," Tony Roach, Southwest executive vice president and chief customer and brand officer, said in a statement announcing the news.

Southwest's shift to free Wi-Fi wasn't entirely unexpected. For one week last month, the carrier trialed free service to test whether its on-board bandwidth could support more customers connecting their devices.

The airline currently offers Wi-Fi at a flat (and fairly affordable) $8 per flight. Still, making it complimentary will certainly be welcome news for frequent Southwest flyers — especially on the heels of the airline's move to end free checked bags earlier this year.

Southwest's Wi-Fi announcement came on the same day that competitor JetBlue revealed plans to upgrade its longstanding free service through a new partnership with Amazon's Project Kuiper.

Related reading:

• Your complete guide to maximizing Southwest Rapid Rewards
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• Southwest A-List status: What it is and how to earn it
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• How to change or cancel a Southwest Airlines flight