Cheap fares and cheap discount hotel rooms are great, but in keeping with a tight budget, demand for fee Wi-Fi access while you are waiting for a flight to take off is increasing.
There are a growing number of airports, including Denver, Pittsburgh and Orlando where Wi-Fi access is free.
Google sponsored a 54 airport Free Wi-Fi for the Holidays promotion at the end of 2009 that has helped nudge more airports into offering this service.
After participating in Googles free Wi-Fi access for the holidays promotion, Bostons Logan International Airport announced that it would continue offering this service after Googles promotion ended on January 15th.
Use of Wi-Fi at the Boston airport grew almost six times its usage prior to the two month Google free Internet access promotion. To offset the income lost by not charging customers Wi-Fi access, the airport will be looking to advertising and sponsorship programs.
The Denver International Airport began making Wi-Fi free to its customers in November of 2007. It now has between 6,000 to 8,000 travelers use this service daily and its revenue from advertisers help offset the cost of this service.
Free Wi-Fi may induce passengers to arrive to airports early, do what they need to do online, and then spend more money on food, drink and shopping at the airports.