Southwest makes in-flight movies free

New seats for Southwest Airlines cabins are shown in this undated photo.

New seats for Southwest Airlines cabins are shown in this undated photo.

Southwest Airlines announced Thursday it will no longer charge a fee for in-flight movies, in line with what Delta Air Lines and some other carriers offer.

Dallas-based Southwest, the second-largest airline at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, said the switch from paid movies to free rolls out this week.

Southwest does not have seat-back screens, but passengers can watch movies for free on their smartphone, iPad, tablet or laptop on planes equipped with wi-fi.

The airline said it will have up to 30 movies for free, in addition to the free TV and music it already offers. Last month, Southwest began offering free in-flight messaging using iMessage and WhatsApp.

Atlanta-based Delta in 2016 made its in-flight entertainment free, including up to 300 movies.

Southwest said passengers should download the Southwest mobile app to watch free movies and some of the on-demand TV shows available.

To use in-flight wi-fi to surf the Web or check e-mail, Southwest charges $8 a day.