Free WiFi on Select U.S. Airways Flights

In announcing their roll out of WiFi across their Airbus 321 fleet, U.S. Airways is offering the service free of charge on Airbus 321 aircraft now through June 8th. Simply bring your wireless-ready device (i.e. laptop, i-phone), and connect to to Gogo Internet during your next flight. Click here for more information, and to see routes operating A321 planes.

Free Wi-Fi on Virgin America Flights for a Limited Time

Google and Virgin America have partnered up to offer a holiday treat to upcoming flyers. Between November 10 and January 15, 2010, enjoy complimentary web surfing on all Virgin America flights throughout the country. Details here.

Southwest Begins Testing Onboard Wi-Fi

Oakland flight to feature the new service
Southwest Airlines says it is going ahead with plans to install internet on its planes. The carrier says up to four aircraft will be configured for wireless internet by March 2009, including one plane already testing the Wi-Fi technology. That plane, according to Today in the Sky, will be operating to and from the Oakland airport on Wednesday, giving passengers an opportunity to try out the service at no cost. According to Southwest, the service is being offered on a trial basis for now, as they have yet to receive final FCC approval.

Oakland Airport Event Today Celebrates Free Wi-Fi

As we announced late last month, Oakland International has been busy testing the newly installed - and free to passengers, Wi-Fi service throughout the airport. With this new service, Oakland passengers will no longer need to whip out a credit card to pay for wireless Internet access. Instead, users will notice non-intrusive advertisements from companies such as Microsoft, American Express and Holiday Inn as they connect to the web.

To celebrate the new service, airport officials will hold a small wire cutting event later this morning, demonstrating the new service and its associated benefit to travelers.

More information on the new service:

Los Angeles-based FreeFi Networks is the company providing the installation at Oakland Airport. "Air travelers like Wi-Fi, but don't like paying for it," said Lawrence laffer, FreeFi's director of sales and marketing, in a press release.

Oakland Airport is the second major airport installation for FreeFi. A successful launch at Denver International Airport earlier this year has been cheered by business and leisure travelers alike, commenting on the overall quality of service and limited advertisements while connected.

Virgin America Launches WiFi Later This Month

Virgin America announced the roll out of WiFi on its planes will begin November 22, 2008. The company plans to roll out the service on one plane a week until the entire fleet is connected, sometime during the second quarter of 2009. Passengers with WiFi-enabled devices will enjoy connecting to the Internet, checking email, and sending text messages during future Virgin America flights. The cost for this service is $10 for short-haul flights, $13 for long-distance trips. 

Oakland Airport Rolling Out Free WiFi

FreeFi Networks, Inc., the new WiFi service provider at Oakland International Airport, is in the process of rolling out free WiFi service throughout the airport.

Oakland Airport spokesperson Joanne Holloway said the wireless technology is being rolled out in phases. By the end of this week, Gates 20-24 and 29-32 in Terminal 2 should be up and running.

The FreeFi Network is known for their ad-based model of WiFi, allowing users free Internet usage provided they can sit through a brief series of advertisements. Although Oakland Airport officials have not said what, if any, type of advertising will we bundled into the free service, there is a general consensus it will be unobtrusive and fairly-low key, based on feedback from other FreeFi clients.

Even As Your Cash Flows, Luxury Hotel's Shower Might Not

By Mike Grasso

Travelers accustomed to being pampered at four and five star properties are familiar with the luxurious amenities and impeccable customer service often absent from two or three star hotels. But too many high-tech and high-cost ammenities are bound to leave some guests a little unhappy.

This past Sunday in the SF Chronicle, Executive editor John Flinn wrote about how the higher end hotels often confuse needless complexity with sophistication. In his article, "Even as your cash flows, luxury hotel's shower might not," He uses several in-room examples such as lighting and the shower head to explain how overengineered room technology can lead to an irritating and tiresome experience for the guest. He concludes the article by describing the back-to-the-basics, uncomplicated amenities budget hotels offer, such as free Internet and free local calls, as a sort of reality check for the big name hotels.

I personally believe that while luxury hotels are constantly finding ways to improve the guest experience, they risk alienating a segment of the population with the means to choose between budget and luxury hotels. The race to offer the latest and greatest in technological advancements, and their associated cost to the hotel, means elaborate restaurants - but no free breakfast, WiFi throughout the property, for a steep fee, and, my personal favorite, sensored "honor bars" where as soon as you remove a beverage from the small in-room refrigerator, you are automatically charged - regardless if you put the drink back.

So while the four and five star hotels overall offer a wonderful experience to guests, sometimes the quest to deliver that perfect experience can go a little overboard. Adding steep price tags to advanced and sometimes complicated technology are bound to turn away some guests who seek a property offering good amenities at fair prices. Even luxury travelers don't want to be ripped off.

Free Wi-Fi at airports throughout the world

Like most travelers, business travelers want a no hassle airport experience. Delays and cancellations are not only time consuming and bad for business, but also cause restlessness and frustration of the traveler. The introduction of Wi-Fi in airports meant travelers can remain fairly connected to the world and limit problems associated with travel related delays. But from the very introduction of Wi-Fi came a cost for the service.

Airports are wise to the needs of travelers and began offering wireless service to meet the needs of travelers. A 24-hour pass typically runs around $10, a small cost for a business that desires productive travelers. But there's a little known secret that many airports offer free Wi-Fi for travelers flying to/from or through. Although most of these free Wi-Fi spots in the United States are small and middle sized markets such as Las Vegas, Phoenix, Portland, Charlotte, Orlando and Sacramento, several mega cities throughout the world also offer the service at no charge.

A complete listing of cities offering free Wi-Fi cane be found at www.wififreespot.com

We've also tagged this site as a favorite and can be found on the left column of this site.

JetBlue announces trial Wi-Fi on San Francisco Route

The race for Wi-Fi on board a U.S based airline is really heating up. Many airlines have talked about it, some even seriously. But JetBlue plans to test it live on December 11th. On a JFK-San Francisco route, 1 aircraft will be configured with BetaBlue, a wireless system allowing passengers to text and email messages with their own Wi-Fi enabled devices. The service will reportably be free.

This test run is expected to last several months and will not be available on most aircraft during the testing phase.

A race to the finish line: Which U.S airline will offer internet first?

First came Southwest, followed by American, now Virgin America is in the race...the race to see who offers Internet first onboard their U.S flights. But, we've been here before. Sift through your archived Business Week and Technology mags, and you will locate mounds of chatter about how planes are "ready" for Internet service. Many airlines have taken an interest, some have even tested the product since receiving FCC approval back in 2001. But, now in 2007, still no carrier has actually launched the service. That may soon change.

Now a company called AirCell, partnering with Virgin America (and other airlines), has asserted that Wi-Fi will spring to life sometime in 2008. In a press release, AirCell said passengers can "check e-mail, surf the Web, tap into an office network and stay current on the latest news, using either Virgin America’s Red™ in flight entertainment system or their own Wi-Fi enabled laptops, Smartphones, PDAs, BlackBerrys and portable gaming systems - while in flight."

United, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest, Alaska and American are all somewhere between considering and testing stages for Internet service on their planes. Hopefully with Virgin America advancing to the head of the pack, this will encourage the other carriers to speed up their techie folks and make the Internet an industry standard in the coming years.

Sacramento International record: 1 Million+ passengers in June

Sacramento International Airport broke an all time record of serving over 1 million passengers during the month of June. The airport, which has seen a 5% growth year-to-date, has added new airlines and destinations, thereby making Sacramento an alternative to some Bay Area airports.

Complimentary Wi-Fi in the terminals & hand lotion and sanitizer in the restrooms are some of the extras one will find at the airport. J.D Power and Associates recently ranked Sacramento Airport #2 in the nation among mid-sized airports.


Above: One of the interesting walkways at SMF