Google Gives the Gift of Free Airport Wi-Fi 158
itwbennett writes "Google is giving you something to be thankful for as you travel this holiday season. The company announced today that it is offering free Wi-Fi at 47 airports across the US between now and January 15. If you haven't booked your flights yet, you want to factor this into your plans. Here's a list of the 47 airports, which cover about 35% of all US passengers, according to Google. The Burbank and Seattle airports will continue to offer the free Google Wi-Fi indefinitely." The HuffPo notes another altruistic note in Google's gesture: "As another way to pass on the spirit of the season, once they log on to networks in any of the participating airports, travelers will have the option [of making] a donation to Engineers Without Borders, the One Economy Corporation, or the Climate Savers Computing Initiative. Google will match the donations made across all the networks up to $250,000, and the airport network that generates the highest amount per passenger by January 1, 2010 will receive $15,000 to donate to the local nonprofit of their choice."
Copying MS? (Score:5, Informative)
Sounds like Microsoft was doing this already [venturebeat.com] to promote Bing, and that they've snagged O'Hare.
I'm curious tho - if they're picking up the tab for Boingo and so forth, are they also picking up the user registration information?
PDX not on the list (Score:5, Informative)
Keep Reading. Free Wifi on Virgin America. (Score:5, Informative)
From TFA:
In total, the gift will include 47 airports that together handle over 500 million passengers each year, or about 35% of the total number of annual passengers in the U.S. In October, Google and Virgin America announced that, during this same period, all passengers on Virgin America will have free in-flight Wi-Fi. Five of the airports participating in the program are also Virgin America destinations: Boston, Seattle, Las Vegas, San Diego and Virgin America's newest destination launching November 18, Fort Lauderdale.
Re:heh (Score:5, Informative)
What would be really awesome is free wi-fi on aircraft. Although I'd trade that for power in a heartbeat.
This is already being offered on some planes - AA, Delta, Virgin American, and Airtran all offer Gogo Inflight Internet [gogoinflight.com]. It's surprisingly similar in price to internet at airports, but I doubt that it offers anything particularly speedy.
Yay SJC! Too bad for SFO (Score:3, Informative)
This is a nice gesture of goodwill from Google... I wonder how much it costs.
No Atlanta on the list (Score:0, Informative)
For the "busiest airport in the world" they sure do drop the ball with little things like this. No doubt selling people $10 a day passes is too profitable to stop doing.
Re:And no ATLANTA (Score:2, Informative)
Re:To "the season" (Score:2, Informative)
YVR - it's already free! (Score:2, Informative)
Re:HuffPo? (Score:3, Informative)
er, that's its nickname.
I think someone has to whoosh me now for obviously falling for the troll bait... :(
Re:Copying MS? (Score:3, Informative)
They are providing free wireless for at least one hub - a Continental Airlines hub - Houston Bush [wikipedia.org].