Airlines Push Wireless Internet Access
W A S H I N G T O N, Oct. 8 -- Hoping to soothe delayed passengers, severalairlines want to install wireless Internet access in airportterminals that will allow travelers to work, surf the Web or evenwatch digital movies to pass the time.
Delta Air Lines is already offering the service at its terminalin Vancouver, British Columbia, and plans to have it available bythe end of next year in its main hub cities—Atlanta, Cincinnatiand Dallas-Fort Worth.
United Airlines, which had the worst on-time performance inAugust among the major carriers, announced plans to start its ownInternet service next year at 30 airports.
Passengers will need only a computer with the right wirelessmodem—the latest laptops are equipped—and a few dollars to payfor access.
Frequent fliers will be able purchase an unlimited accessaccount for $40 to $60 a month.
Panacea For Delayed Travelers
David Stempler, president of the Air Travelers Association, atravel advocacy group, sees the move as a panacea for growingbottlenecks at America’s airports.
“As passengers experience more delays and cancellations, theyfind themselves in the waiting areas longer than they’re used to,”Stempler said. “Clearly, to make that time more productive, it’s atremendous benefit for passengers.”
Some travelers agree.
“Wireless access would be dynamite. The more I can stay incontact with my factory and my sales people, the better it’s goingto be,” Derrick Gurski, a national sales manager at a Chicagolighting company, said as he waited for a flight at Washington’sReagan National Airport.
Delta and United are partners with Aerzone, a San Franciscocompany backed by major electronic industry players like Nokia andCisco, to provide wireless local area networks, or LANs, at airportlounges, gates and terminals.
With a properly equipped computer, travelers will be able toconnect to their office computers through the Internet, check andsend e-mail or shop on the World Wide Web.
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