Spirit installs WiFi
Earlier today Spirit announced another groundbreaking investment in its customer experience. In a press release, Spirit says that customers can now binge their favorite shows on flights operated by its Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft. The American ultra-low cost airline partnered with Thales, a global technology group that invests in digital innovations, to install the high-speed internet onboard its fleet. The system installed on Spirit’s aircraft is Thales’ FlytLIVE which uses next-generation aviation satellite network and technology to provide its services.
Spirit becomes the first U.S. ultra-low cost carrier to offer inflight wifi. (Photo: Simple Flying)
The FlytLIVE system is state-of-the-art and will cover Spirit’s network across the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Spirit says that passengers will be able to “enjoy an at home level of experience in the air”, while viewing video, playing games, and connecting to social media all from their personal devices. Spirit also hopes that it will offer the fastest WiFi speeds of any U.S. airline after all of its aircraft connect to the SES-17 satellite by September of this year.
“This is a real groundbreaking moment in the industry as Spirit adds in-flight amenities and product options that have previously not been available on ultra-low fare carriers. We’re continuing to deliver the best value in the sky by providing options that are important to our Guests, like our high-speed Wi-Fi service, while keeping our focus on affordable fares to provide our Guests with More Go.” -Matt Klein, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer for Spirit Airlines
TK Kallenback, CEO of Thales InFlyt Experience, added, “At Thales, we are proud to partner with Spirit Airlines in their mission to enhance the Guest experience and are truly excited to have 100% of their A320 & A321 fleet equipped with FlytLIVE. The system’s reliability and performance is getting rave reviews from Spirit’s passengers who can now stream to their heart’s content.”
Spirit customers will be able to choose between two WiFi packages. (Photo: Spirit Airlines)
How it works
Spirit is continuing its business model of providing customers with customizable travel options and only charging customers for services they choose, like carryon bags, seats, drinks/snacks, by adding WiFi as the latest option in its À La Smarte model. Passengers will not only be able to purchase WiFi onboard the aircraft, but beginning today, will be able to add WiFi at the time of booking on the Spirit website. Spirit will then roll out this option on its mobile app on August 10, for flights beginning on August 24. If WiFi is pre-purchased, customers will be sent a voucher code which will be entered in the online WiFi portal onboard the aircraft.
Spirit Airlines is the first ultra-low cost carrier in the United States to offer its customers inflight WiFi. (Photo: Lukas Souza | Simple Flying)
Spirit will offer two WiFi packages:
- Browsing: browse the web and stay in touch via email, chat, and social media starting at $2.99
- Streaming: stream, browse, and chat on board with high-speed internet that’s 20x faster than our browsing option starting at $5.99
To connect, passengers must follow three simple steps:
- Turn on your device’s Wi-Fi and choose “Spirit_WiFi”
- Open your web browser and visit SpiritWiFi.com
- Choose the plan, enter your payment or voucher code information, and enjoy Spirit Wi-Fi
More than 80% of Spirit’s fleet now has WiFi capability, covering its Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft. At this time, the airline has not made a decision on whether its A319 fleet will receive WiFi installation and says the decision will be made at another date.
Cre: Simple Flying
Nguyen Xuan Nghia – COMM
