Wi-Fi

Travel tidbits: Free Wi-Fi at Houston Airports & Bigfoot at Sea-Tac

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Free Wi-FI at airport

Yay! Free Wi-Fi is coming to Houston’s Hobby and George Bush Intercontinental airports.

Currently, travelers at these airports can get 45 minutes of complimentary Wi-Fi via Boingo, but according to this article in the Houston Business Journal, the Houston airport authority, is looking at getting a new Wi-Fi provider and offering free Wi-Fi by the end of the year.

SEA BIGFOOT

And good news for Bigfoot fans. A StuckatTheAirport.com reader wanted to know if the Bigfoot mugs I wrote about a while back were still for sale at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA). According to Jeff Martin, the general manager of the Hudson Group shops at Sea-Tac, the mugs – and some other Bigfoot finds – are for sale at Discover Puget Sound [Central Terminal] and in the Hudson news locations at A-3, B-6, and the North and South Satellites. A line of Bigfoot coffee should also be for sale soon. Martin says “Apparently Bigfoot prefers a dark French Roast…but we’ll also carry a Breakfast Blend.”

No word on how many Bigfoot mugs or bags of my favorite Seattle souvenir, Space Noodles, have been sold, but the airport recently shared some surprising statistics about other items sold on-site.

Anthony’s Restaurant, the main sit-down restaurant in the central terminal, is the highest grossing airport restaurant in North America. During 2012 revenues totaled $12.8 million.

Notable product sales at Sea-Tac airport include:
1.7 million bottles of water
230,000 bags of M&Ms
90,000 neck pillows
20,000 copies of the best-selling book “Fifty Shades of Grey”
And nearly 10,000 “Sleepless in Seattle” nightshirt and pajamas.

spacenoodles

FCC eases up on in-flight Internet & TSA finds more guns

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Some end-of-the-year tidbits for air travelers:

gogowifi

On Friday, December 28, 2013, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued some new rules designed to “speed the deployment of  Internet services onboard aircraft.”

In its release, the FAA explained that, since 2001, it has been authorizing companies to offer in-flight broadband service on an ad hoc basis. It will now allow airlines to “test systems that meet FCC standards, establish that they do not interfere with aircraft systems, and get FAA approval…up to 50 percent faster, enhancing competition in an important sector of the mobile telecommunications market in the United States and promoting the widespread availability of Internet access to aircraft passengers.”

Spokane Airport TSA

And, as the TSA winds up the year, the ever-shocking and entertaining TSA Blog reports in its Week in Review that this week “only” sixteen guns (nine of them loaded) were discovered at airport checkpoints. That’s on the low side for the weekly gun finds, but clueless travelers were also nabbed this week for trying to take hand grenades, razors and other weaponry through the checkpoints. And, as the folks at Skift reported earlier this week, this year TSA discovered more than 1,500 guns at airport checkpoints, a new record for the agency.

Are more people traveling armed, or are more armed people traveling and simply “forgetting” that they’ve got loaded guns in their purse or carry-on bag?

Flight schedules reviving; relief efforts rewarded

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The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey tweeted this photo of Teterboro Airport and said while water is receding, “in this photo, you can see debris, and even fish, on the taxiway.”

In the New York area, JFK, Newark-Liberty and LaGuardia airports are all expected to be open on Thursday morning, although on reduced schedules, and passengers “displaced” by Sandy throughout the country – and the world – are slowly making their way to their destinations – or giving up altogether and making plans for another time. Buses in New York seem be running, Northeast train service is still suspended but, according to this Washington Post article, subway service may resume in New York City sometime on Thursday.

Meanwhile, United Airlines and American are offering bonus miles to those who donate to programs raising money to help those in need after the storm.

United Airlines Foundation is matching up to $50,000 of donations by United customers to the American Red Cross, Americares and Feeding America. The airline is also offering MileagePlus bonus award miles for cash donations of at least $50 to these organizations. MileagePlus members who give a minimum of $50 will receive 250 bonus miles; those who contribute $100 or more will receive 500 bonus miles. Find details about United’s Superstorm Sandy Relief efforts here. The airline has put aside 5 million bonus miles for this program.

American Airlines is also offering bonus miles for donations to storm relief efforts.
Through Nov. 30, 2012, AAdvantage members will earn 250 AAdvantage miles for a minimum donation of $50, or 500 AAdvantage miles for a donation of $100 or more to American Red Cross Disaster Relief. Find more information here.

Boston Logan International Airport is offering a parking fee rebate for customers delayed returning to Boston Logan as a result of Hurricane Sandy. The rebates will be made for the period of time that exceeds the customer’s original ticketed date of return.

And, whenever there’s a long delay at an airport, it’s always really helpful to have complimentary access to a wireless Internet signal so you can take care of business. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, a major airport that still charges for Wi-Fi access, is now moving closer to offering free Wi-Fi access.  The day rate to access the Internet at ATL will drop to $4.95 on November 1, 2013 and be eliminated entirely by the fall of 2013.

 

Tidbits for travelers: MSP Wi-Fi, JetBlue election protection

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Travelers with lots of time between flights at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) can now surf the internet for free.

To get a 45 minutes of complimentary WiFi service, you’ll need to watch a short ad or take a quick survey, but there’s a timer that will let you know how much time you have left and you can get another session by watching another ad or taking another survey. Not all airports will give you another session, so this is a good compromise.

And it means you can also wait until you’re at the airport to log onto the MSP website and download the coupon booklet that offers discounts in many of the food and shops.

And here’s a nice touch: if you want a commercial-free, faster, premium service, the cost is just $2.95 for 24 hours. Before this new service, that fee was $7.95.

And here’s another (potentially) great deal: JetBlue has a fun contest running called “Election Protection,” which invites people to cast a vote for president in an on-line poll and enter a contest to win a free trip out of the country if you choose the losing candidate. Destinations include the Bahamas, Mexico, Costa Rica, Turks & Caicos, Grand Cayman, the Dominican Republic, St. Maarten, St. Lucia, Barbados, Aruba, Columbia, Bermuda and Jamaica.

Cheaper – and free – airport Wi-Fi

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Free Wi-FI at airport

[Updated: 8/24/12 at noon]

Boingo Wireless and Google Offers are teaming up to offer discounted Wi-Fi access at 16 airports around the country that currently either charge for Wi-Fi services or offer limited free Wi-Fi sessions.

To take advantage of the offer, you may have to sign up for Google Offers (a Groupon-like deal service) and then purchase the discounted Boingo AsYouGo 24-hour deal, which is limited to one per person.

According to Boingo spokesperson Katie O’Neill, the length of the discount offer depends on how many people in the 16 participating airports purchase the passes, so the promotion may be withdrawn before the end of September.

Here are the participating airports:

  • Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
  • O’Hare International Airport
  • Chicago Midway Airport
  • Denver International Airport
  • Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
  • William P. Hobby Airport
  • George Bush Intercontinental Airport
  • Milwaukee General Mitchell International Airport
  • Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport
  • John F. Kennedy International Airport
  • New York LaGuardia Airport
  • Newark Liberty International Airport
  • Will Rogers World Airport -Oklahoma City
  • Lambert-St. Louis International Airport
  • Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
  • Dulles International Airport

Before you hit “buy,” keep in mind that some of these airports, such as Denver, Dulles and Ronald Reagan Washington National, already offer a complimentary Wi-Fi service. Others, such as Austin-Bergstrom and Houston’s Hobby and George Bush Intercontinental, offer complimentary sessions of 30 to 45 minutes. The Detroit Metropolitan Airport recently announced that it would be offering complimentary limited sessions as well, beginning in September.

Why would you buy a discounted day pass when you can get Wi-Fi service at an airport for free? Only if you need more time than the free limited-time offers give you and if you want your Wi-Fi signal to be more robust than what others in the airport are getting.

“[M]ost complimentary Wi-Fi sessions have restrictions placed on them — either in terms of duration or bandwidth or both. The 50% offer from Google Offers and Boingo is for half off the premium sessions that are good for 24 hours at the top speeds available,” says O’Neill.

And don’t forget sponsored, 40-minute sessions of complimentary Wi-Fi are also rolling out at Dallas-Fort Worth International in September, courtesy of AT&T.  (More details about that here) .

 

BWI Airport adds free Wi-Fi to list of amenities

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I’m a big fan of free Wi-Fi service at airports, so was delighted to learn that Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport is the latest major airport to add that amenity to its offerings.

Free Wi-FI at airport

BWI is adopting the model many other airports are using: a free wireless Internet session for travelers willing to watch a short ad or paid “premium” service.

Many airports are limiting their free wireless access to one session for 15-30 minutes, but I’m glad to see that BWI is offering a complimentary 45 minute wireless session with the option to get another in exchange for watching another ad.

Airport Wi-Fi: free, but why so stingy?

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One of the most requested, used and appreciated amenities at airports these days is free wireless internet access.

And, in more and more airports, travelers are finding that Wi-Fi access is indeed free.

But the definition of “free” seems to be changing.

The trend for a while there was for airports to offer passengers unlimited use of Wi-Fi, making it possible to turn an irritating hour or two wait for a flight into productive work time.  But then some airports, such as Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental, began offering free Wi-Fi for limited time periods, forcing travelers who needed more time to purchase the service.

I wrote about what seemed to be that emerging trend in June, 2011, in my on-line “At the Airport” column on USA Today. (Should you pay for Wi-Fi? Airports explore tiered service.)

Three recent free Wi-Fi announcements underscore what now seems to be an official “sort-of-free” trend.

Earlier this week, it was announced that when Berlin’s new Brandenburg Airport (finally) opens, next March, passengers will be able to access basic complimentary Wi-Fi service for 30 minutes. (Somewhat troubling, users will only be able to access the service by entering a credit or debit card number.)

Travelers needing more than 30 minutes of Wi-Fi access (and, really, who doesn’t) will have to purchase a premium service – with higher bandwidth – from the contracted service provider, Boingo.

After some controversy over the fast-tracking of an interim Wi-Fi provider contract while what could be a two-year process to find a company to replace T Mobile gets underway, complimentary Wi-Fi should begin at Los Angeles International Airport in July.

Passengers will get access to 45 minutes of Internet service provided by Advanced Wireless after watching a 15- to 30-second advertisement.

And on Wednesday, Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) announced that, in September, Boingo would begin offering a limited complimentary Wi-Fi access service as well.

At DTW, access to the airport’s wireless network for 30 minutes will be offered for no cost after viewing a 30-second video advertisement. “Users who require an extended or high-speed connection will continue to have the option to connect via one of Boingo’s existing service plans,” the airport said in a statement.

What’s up?

Some say that airports are taking a page from airlines, which now charge for services – such as checked baggage and seat assignments – that were once considered part of the ticket package. Boingo corporate communications director Christian Gunning says that the trend of airports offering tiered wireless access (free for s short time; then access to premium service for a fee) allows airports to generate revenue from both casual and more serious users.

Via e-mail he said, “Some of the airports really need every extra bit of revenue they can muster since they’re operating under big budgetary deficits and some manage to generate healthy revenues from alternate concessions (think slot machines in Las Vegas). … It’s pretty complicated overall, and the final outcome is slightly different for each airport we work with.”

Complicated? Sure.

Irritating? You bet.

What travelers might soon encounter at more airports?

Probably, but I hope not.

 

 

 

Free airport Wi-Fi: coming soon to LAX and MSP – maybe

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Free Wi-Fi at the airport is one of those amenities travelers have all but come to expect. Still, there are some airports that remain hold-outs in this department.

Los Angeles International Airport has been one of those hold-outs. Although Wi-Fi is complimentary in some airline lounges (and outside some of those lounges… if you know where to go….), but most passengers who need to get on-line must pay to use the T-Mobile service.

With T-Mobile’s contract for LAX Wi-Fi ending, airport officials announced that they’d be seeking a new service that would offer Wi-Fi for free. In the meantime, the Board of Airport Commissioners went ahead and awarded a two-year contract to Miami-based Advanced Wireless Group, which would make WiFi at LAX free – for 45 minutes sessions – starting sometime this summer.

“The service LAX passengers request most is free Wi-Fi,” said Los Angeles World Airports Executive Director Gina Marie Lindsey.

But the Los Angeles City City Council has nixed the deal because of concerns that other internet providers – most notably Los Angeles-based Boingo, which provides WiFi at more than 50 airports (and many hotels) – didn’t get a chance to bid on the interim contract.

Let’s hope they work it out. Because if we have to wait for the competitive bid process to play out, it could take 18 months to two years to check email for free at LAX.

In the meantime, another Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport – another hold-out on the free Wi-Fi front – plans to offer free Wi-Fi by year’s end.

Souvenir Sunday: wireless powerkiss

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I’m a big fan of free Wi-Fi at airports. And with a three hour layover at Copenhagen International Airport recently, I was delighted to discover that free Wi-Fi had been rolled out there just that week.

Even before the arrival of free Wi-Fi, the Copenhagen Airport (CPH) was delivering something travelers crave for: power to charge gadgets.

And not just power. Wireless power.

CPH is one of a handful of airports where travelers can recharge gadgets wirelessly via the PowerKiss system.

Passengers who have a PowerKiss ring – or who borrow one from one of the cafes or restaurants at the airport – just need to plug it into their device and then place that device on a recharge spot attached to a table or other piece of furniture at the airport.

It’s a great idea. Let’s hope it spreads.

Tidbits for travelers: Free Wi-Fi & free photos with Santa

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Free Wi-Fi on Delta Air Lines

From now till January 2, 2012 passengers on Wi-Fi equipped Delta airplanes will be able to use the in-flight Gogo Wi-Fi for free for 30 minutes each flight.

It is a partnership with eBay, so you can continue shopping on that one site for the entire flight.

More info on free Wi-Fi on Delta Air Lines here.

Holiday music at JFK and LGA airports

Jazz trios, quartets and quintets from the New York Pops orchestra and up to 25 members of the performance choir from the Choir Academy of Harlem will entertain American Airlines passengers with holiday music at LaGuardia and JFK International Airports during the next few weeks.

In LaGuardia Airport, performances will be in the Central Terminal Building, American Airlines Concourse D, Gate D5.

• Dec. 14, 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The New York Pops Jazz Trio
• Dec. 20, 12:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. The New York Pops Jazz Trio
• Dec. 22, 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The New York Pops Jazz Quartet

At JFK International Airport, the concerts will be held in American Airlines Terminal 8, Concourse B Lobby by Gates 14 and 16.

• Dec. 16, 2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The New York Pops Jazz Quintet
• Dec. 19, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Choir Academy of Harlem Performance Choir
• Dec. 20, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Choir Academy of Harlem Performance Choir
• Dec. 22, 2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The New York Pops Jazz Quintet
• Dec. 23, 2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The New York Pops Jazz Quintet

During their performances, The New York Pops will offer travelers an opportunity to win tickets to an upcoming concert at Carnegie Hall.

Photos with Santa


Southwest Airlines, Clear Channel Airports and Microsoft Windows are teaming up to offer free holiday photos with Santa at 19 airports around the country through December 24th.

Look for the holiday-themed kiosks , Santa and a “Windows 7 Elf” at some of the Southwest Airlines gates at these airports:

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)
Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW)
Denver International Airport (DEN)
Detroit Metro Airport (DTW)
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)
General Mitchell International Airport (MKE)
Lambert-St. Louis International Airport (STL)
Logan International Airport (BOS)
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY)
Nashville International Airport (BNA)
Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC)
Oakland International Airport (OAK)
Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)
Sacramento International Airport (SMF)
San Antonio International Airport (SAT)
San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
Tampa International Airport (TPA)