Google Brings Free Wi-fi to Airports

I get a lot of travel-related e-mails, so I can report that airlines are offering cheaper flights than they have in the past few years. That means it's a safe bet there will be plenty of people at airports across the country this holiday season. And if you've been to the airport recently, you know that means a good portion of those people will be using a laptop while waiting for their flight.

Google's well aware of that, so starting today and running through January 15, they're offering free Wi-Fi in airports across the country, according to a Google press release. As Marissa Mayer, VP of search products and user experience at Google is quoted as saying, "We know that this is a very hectic travel season for people, and we hope that free Wi-Fi will make both traveling and connecting with friends and family a little bit easier."

And not only will the Wi-Fi be free, but whenever people log on, they will have the option of making a donation to three different causes: Engineers Without Borders, the One Economy Corporation or the Climate Savers Computing Initiative. Plus, Google will match the donations up to a quarter of a million dollars, and the airport with the most donations per passenger by January 1 will get $15,000 for whichever local nonprofit they choose.

Oh, and Google's throwing a photo contest, too. Starting this coming Monday, November 16, you can win prizes by "submitting a photo of yourself using the WiFi [sic] in any participating airport or on a Virgin America flight."

This offer comes on the heels of Google offering free Wi-Fi on all Virgin America flights during the holidays (which we covered last month). You can find out more about the contest and the program, including the 47 airports Google selected, here.

Photo courtesy of adotjdotsmith, via Flickr