Passengers enjoy free Wi-Fi for the holidays:
Google offering free wi-fi at 47 US Airports during the holiday season – a news made everyone happy in America from November 20, 2010 through January 2, 2011.
Everyone gets all eyes and ears whenever they hear the availability of free wifi anywhere.
Today, the security protocols and priorities have become so important and foolproof that no one takes the risk of giving free wifi access to anyone.
Criminal activities have given more support to enhance the security measures for internet access to public places. However, Google had shown way before the present time that it was capable enough to make a risky move.
In 2009, Google announced free wifi at 47 US airports for the holidays that lasted for January 15, 2010. Not only to the flights within the United States, Google also announced to extend the wifi offer to the continental USA. Having access to a free wifi works as a soother works for babies, especially when a flight delay is waiting for you, and Google made it easy for airport travelers by giving free wifi as a pre-holiday gift.
Not just that, this initiative was taken for the first time ever in the history that Google was also offering gifts to travelers. Pictures taken on the airports by people who were using the free wifi offer were sent to Google via Picasa, and a contest was held to get winners for the best pictures.
The year 2010 was indeed such a revealing and memorable one for the residents of the US as they never had experienced such a massive announcement by Google. According to the sources, maybe they will never get such an announcement again because of the rising security threats always lurking around the airports.
Some of the airports that came under the free wifi offer of Google were Boston’s Logan Airport, Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Las Vegas’ McCarran International, Seattle’s SeaTac and many others.
People who had flights booked from these airports were incredibly happy and hopeful to have the best journey of their lives.
It was rumored that most of the airport authorities were not so happy at this announcement as they were expected to be. On asking one of the chief operating officers at an airport, he said:
“It’s not like I or any other staff of any other airport isn’t happy or against this new announcement. We are just concerned. Holidays are the time when people are traveling more than usual.
Going back to their loved ones; going back to their hometowns. We just want them to be safe. Whereas, these airports where free wifi will be available on the holidays, will become more susceptible to terrorism or plane hijacking.
We have to work more on making the security stronger than ever so that no one regrets.”
There were many others who were comparatively happier; maybe because they were a part of the public eagerly waiting to get anything for free. Along with that, people loved the idea of charity that Google interpreted in its announcement.
According to the announcement, the people were given an option to donate as much as they like when they connect to any free wifi hotspot on any of the listed airports. These charities included Climate Savers Computing, One Economy Corporation, and Engineers Without Borders USA.
The best thing about this year was that Google highlighted and reinvigorated the spirit of charity in the hearts of people, and they donated more than what was expected. A social worker and owner of an old age home stated:
“It is a great initiative that has been made by Google. I think people would forget how to share, donate, or do charity if such programs are not originated occasionally.
This year will be started with the motivation of doing good and donating for a good cause. What else can be better than that?”
At present, this is almost the same time of the year when Google made this announcement, and people are still eagerly hoping to hear something like that again.
Although the chances are low, our sources got in touch with the people traveling back to their loved ones through the airlines, and here is what we got:
“Nowadays, it has become hard to even hear the word “free”. I remember when the announcement was made back in 2009. It was just unbelievable, but back then it was quite possible to get something for free as a gift.
I even donated through the free wifi because I was traveling back to my family. With the concern of enhancing the security by not letting any public wifi available in airports, they have also killed a good cause of charity because people never do something unless they are given something in return, Nature is nature!”
There are many other people who are still waiting for a closely related announcement to be made as they are waiting for their holidays’ gift this year too, like every other year since 2009.
Let us hope that these 10 years of leap will prove to be fruitful for the patience of people whose eyes and ears still awaits to read or hear any other announcement that suit their needs.
