Travelers on Spirit Airlines, providing local service from Baltimore/ Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport (BWI), will soon be able to watch, stream, surf and text from 30,000 feet. Spirit Airlines announced that it has signed an agreement to install Wi-Fi on all of its planes by summer 2019, giving even more options to travelers to enhance their inflight experience. Spirit, which operates the newest aircraft fleet in the country, will become the first ultra-low cost carrier in the Americas to offer Wi-Fi.
“We’re thrilled to enhance the inflight guest experience with the addition of new-generation Wi-Fi,” said Ted Christie, Spirit Airline’s President. “By next summer, every plane in our fleet should be fully equipped to keep our guests connected in the skies. It’s just one of the many investments we’ve made and will continue to make for our guests.”
Spirit Airlines Wi-Fi technology partner, Thales Group, a global technology leader for decisive moments in aerospace, defense and security, and transportation markets, is bringing the high-end Ka-band HTS (High Throughput Satellite) system onboard the aircraft. The technology will bring Spirit travelers high-speed web browsing and streaming experiences similar to what they would find at home. In 2021, the state-of-the-art technology will get even better, with the launch of SES-17, a new satellite operated by SES and built by Thales Alenia Space, which will increase speeds and coverage to an unprecedented level in the industry. Spirit Wi-Fi is projected to provide service coverage immediately for 97% of Spirit’s routes upon entry into service.
Spirit will offer high-speed web browsing and streaming options starting with an average price of $6.50, with a cost range expected to be lower or higher based on the route and demand.
Spirit’s Commitment to ‘Invest in the Guest’
Spirit Wi-Fi is one of many improvements coming up for the airline, as part of its pledge to keep improving and invest in the guest.
“We understand that flying for as little money as possible is only part of our promise,” said Christie. “We promise to go further. We’ll continue to listen to our guests, and they’ll continue to see our dedication to improving service for them. We’ll keep adding exciting new destinations, improving our check-in process, frequent flier program and inflight experience, as well as continuing to dedicate ourselves to give back to the communities where we live and work.”
Christie introduced Spirit’s Invest in the Guest pledge with the announcement of Wi-Fi installation.
“Our promise is to keep going, to keep improving, and to invest in our guests,” said Christie as part of the pledge. “We intend to improve our guests’ experience every chance we get.”
Spirit wants to hear directly from travelers about new ways to keep improving. Travelers who share their thoughts or requests at InvestInTheGuest.com will be entered to win free round-trip tickets.
Spirit Airlines’ Guest Commitments
Spirit Airlines is committed to improving the travel experience and unveiled the following commitments:
• Performance Promise – The commitment to get travelers to their destinations on time.
- Spirit is one of the top airlines for on-time performance, according to DOT statistics over the past several months.
- With the youngest planes in the U.S., Spirit has added 12 brand-new planes in the last six months to their Fit Fleet to get travelers where they are going safely and reliably. Spirit consistently ranks as one of the most fuel-efficient airlines in the U.S.
• Improving the Experience – The commitment to improve every aspect of traverlers’ journey based on feedback.
- All Flight Attendants now attend a robust inflight Guest Service Training Program developed in partnership with a world-class hospitality leader. This program will roll out to all of Spirit’s airport teams this summer, in a continued effort to better serve our 23 million travelers annually.
• À La Smarte – The commitment to give travelers more choices when it comes to how they fly and how they save.
- Spirit’s latest technology initiatives allow travelers to have more control over their booking, check-in and travel experience, including a mobile-friendly website, Spirit Check-In App, new airport kiosks and self bag tagging.
- This year, Spirit expanded its network to include Columbus, Ohio, Richmond, Va., Guayaquil, Ecuador, Cap-Haïtien, Haiti, and St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, in addition to adding even more routes to some of the best vacation destinations in the world.
• Giving Spirit – The commitment to give back to the communities where Spirit lives and works.
- This year, Spirit has supported more than 100 charities and community organizations with countless flights and volunteer hours.
