Google Keeps You Connected With Free Airport Wi-Fi

First, Google teamed up with Virgin America to offer free in-flight Wi-Fi, then American Airlines and Lexus announced their own free Wi-Fi offering. Now, Wi-Fi access will be even more accessible to holiday travelers thanks to Google. Today, the search giant announced that it is working with airports around the country as well as Boingo Wireless,Advanced Wireless Group, Airport Marketing Income, and othersto give you free Wi-Fi in the airport.

The free Wi-Fi service will be available now through January 15, 2010 at 47 airports. Some of the airports that will offer this free Wi-Fi include Las Vegas, San Jose, Boston, Baltimore, Burbank, Houston, Indianapolis, Seattle, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando, St. Louis, and Charlotte. For those of you who fly through Burbank and Seattle airports, the deal is even better: airport-wide Wi-Fi will be available indefinitely.


Given that the upcoming Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's holiday is one of the heaviest travel seasons of the year, there will definitely be a number of people who can take advantage of this free service. According to FAA estimates, over 100 million people will pass through the participating airports between now and January 15, 2010.

In keeping with the spirit of the season, once travelers log on to the networks in any of the participating airports, they will have the option to donate to Engineers Without Borders, the One Economy Corporation, or the Climate Savers Computing Initiative. Google plans to match the donations made across all the networks up to $250,000. The airport networkthat generates the highest amount per passenger by January 1, 2010 will receive $15,000 to donate to a local nonprofit of their choice.

More information about the networks, including a full list of participating airports, is available at www.freeholidaywifi.com.