Google gives Free Airport Wi-Fi for the holidays

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Google Gives You Free Airport Wi-Fi for the Holidays skip to content Fight Identity Theft ProtectionDetectionRecovery HomeBlogAboutContact Subscribe Printer Friendly Share this Page HomeBlogNovember, 2009 Google Gives You Free Airport Wi-Fi for the Holidays

The spirit of giving has hit Google. They are generously providing free Wi-Fi at 47 airports from November 10, 2009 to January 15, 2010. That's great, but there are a few precautions you should take to keep yourself safe.

Google's Free Wi-Fi

Using the free service is simple. You simply select the free Wi-Fi and accept the terms of service and there's no need to give any form of payment. However, Google wants you to catch the giving spirit and give a donation to any of the three non-profit organizations they've partnered with. But, donate once you're using a secure Internet connection at home - not on the Wi-Fi network. In addition to providing free Wi-Fi, Google's having a photo contest. You could win a prize just for submitting a photo of you using the free Wi-Fi.

Participating Airports

You can take advantage of Google's generosity at one of the following 47 airports:

var map,geoXml;var airports=[{city:"Austin",abbr:"AUS",name:"Austin-Bergstrom International Airport",href:null,coords:[-97.668146,30.202633,0],address:"Austin, TX 78719"},{city:"Houston Bush (Intercontinental) ",abbr:"IAH",name:"George Bush Intercontinental Airport - Houston",href:null,coords:[-95.3401146,29.9934276,0],address:"Houston, TX 77073"},{city:"Orlando",abbr:"MCO",name:"Orlando International Airport",href:null,coords:[-81.3084374,28.4313828,0],address:"Orlando, FL 32827"},{city:"Baltimore",abbr:"BWI",name:"Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport",href:null,coords:[-76.668335,39.175278,0],address:"Hanover, MD 21076"},{city:"Indianapolis",abbr:"IND",name:"Indianapolis International Airport",href:null,coords:[-86.272,39.731319,0],address:"Indianapolis, IN 46241"},{city:"Panama City, FL",abbr:"PFN",name:"Panama City-Bay County International Airport",href:null,coords:[-85.6830974,30.2070038,0],address:"Panama City, FL 32405"},{city:"Billings",abbr:"BIL",name:"Billings Logan International Airport",href:null,coords:[-108.5367491,45.8035752,0],address:"Billings, MT 59105"},{city:"Jacksonville, FL",abbr:"JAX",name:"Jacksonville International Airport",href:null,coords:[-81.6834501,30.4913525,0],address:"Jacksonville, FL 32218"},{city:"Pittsburgh, PA",abbr:"PIT",name:"Greater Pittsburgh International Airport",href:null,coords:[-80.256693,40.495999,0],address:"Imperial, PA 15126"},{city:"Boston",abbr:"BOS",name:"General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport",href:null,coords:[-71.0170897,42.3666596,0],address:"Boston, MA 02128"},{city:"Kalamazoo",abbr:"AZO",name:"Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport",href:null,coords:[-85.5562698,42.2393702,0],address:"Portage, MI 49002"},{city:"Portland, ME",abbr:"PWM",name:"Portland International Jetport",href:null,coords:[-70.3102391,43.6475217,0],address:"Portland, ME 04102"},{city:"Buffalo, NY",abbr:"BUF",name:"Greater Buffalo International Airport",href:null,coords:[-78.730752,42.933922,0],address:"Buffalo, NY 14225"},{city:"Las Vegas",abbr:"LAS",name:"LAS Airport",href:null,coords:[-115.1456447,36.0763865,0],address:"Paradise, NV 89119"},{city:"Sacramento",abbr:"SMF",name:"Sacramento International Airport",href:null,coords:[-121.5881049,38.6927593,0],address:"Sacramento, CA 95837"},{city:"Burbank",abbr:"BUR",name:"Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport",href:null,coords:[-118.3541722,34.1964999,0],address:"Burbank, CA 91505"},{city:"Louisville",abbr:"SDF",name:"Louisville International Airport",href:null,coords:[-85.7420996,38.1858023,0],address:"Louisville, KY 40213"},{city:"San Antonio",abbr:"SAT",name:"San Antonio International Airport",href:null,coords:[-98.473251,29.524947,0],address:"San Antonio, TX 78216"},{city:"Bozeman",abbr:"BZN",name:"Gallatin Field Airport",href:null,coords:[-111.1604219,45.7769813,0],address:"Belgrade, MT 59714"},{city:"Madison",abbr:"MSN",name:"Dane County Regional Airport",href:null,coords:[-89.3458482,43.1363874,0],address:"Madison, WI 53704"},{city:"San Diego",abbr:"SAN",name:"San Diego International Airport",href:null,coords:[-117.197312,32.7319,0],address:"San Diego, CA 92101"},{city:"Central Wisconsin",abbr:"CWA",name:"Central Wisconsin Airport",href:null,coords:[-89.6708539,44.7846628,0],address:"Mosinee, WI 54455"},{city:"Miami",abbr:"MIA",name:"Miami International Airport",href:null,coords:[-80.275614,25.796549,0],address:"Miami, FL 33166"},{city:"San Jose",abbr:"SJC",name:"Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport",href:null,coords:[-121.925906,37.366695,0],address:"San Jose, CA 95110"},{city:"Charlotte, NC",abbr:"CLT",name:"Charlotte Douglas International Airport",href:"http://www.google.com/search?q=Charlotte+Douglas+airport+CLT",coords:[-80.942826,35.221821,0],address:"Charlotte, NC 28208"},{city:"Memphis",abbr:"MEM",name:"Memphis International Airport",href:null,coords:[-89.981659,35.044702,0],address:"Memphis, TN 38116"},{city:"South Bend",abbr:"SBN",name:"South Bend Regional Airport",href:null,coords:[-86.3128795,41.7008815,0],address:"Indiana 46628"},{city:"Des Moines",abbr:"DSM",name:"Des Moines International Airport",href:null,coords:[-93.6647797,41.5300939,0],address:"Des Moines, Iowa"},{city:"Milwaukee",abbr:"MKE",name:"General Mitchell International Airport",href:null,coords:[-87.90295,42.947639,0],address:"Milwaukee, WI 53207"},{city:"Spokane",abbr:"GEG",name:"Spokane International Airport",href:null,coords:[-117.5374708,47.6250086,0],address:"Spokane, WA 99224"},{city:"El Paso",abbr:"ELP",name:"El Paso International Airport",href:null,coords:[-106.394992,31.798853,0],address:"El Paso, TX 79906"},{city:"Monterey",abbr:"MRY",name:"Monterey Peninsula Airport",href:null,coords:[-121.8500788,36.5869616,0],address:"Monterey, CA 93940"},{city:"St. Louis",abbr:"STL",name:"Lambert-St. Louis International Airport",href:null,coords:[-90.365773,38.742185,0],address:"Saint Louis, MO 63134"},{city:"Fort Lauderdale",abbr:"FLL",name:"Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport",href:null,coords:[-80.1518422,26.0767788,0],address:"Fort Lauderdale, Florida"},{city:"Nashville",abbr:"BNA",name:"Nashville International Airport",href:"http://www.google.com/search?q=Nashville+airport",coords:[-86.668042,36.134773,0],address:"Nashville, TN 37217"},{city:"State College",abbr:"SCE",name:"State College University Park Airport",href:"http://www.google.com/search?q=State+College+University+Park+Airport+-+SCE",coords:[-77.8466442,40.8505992,0],address:"University Park, State College, PA 16803"},{city:"Fort Myers",abbr:"RSW",name:"Southwest Florida International Airport",href:"http://www.google.com/search?q=Southwest+Florida+International+Airport",coords:[-81.754568,26.54285,0],address:"Fort Myers, FL 33913"},{city:"Newport News",abbr:"PHF",name:"Newport News-Williamsburg International Airport",href:null,coords:[-76.4993497,37.1356435,0],address:"Newport News, VA 23602"},{city:"Toledo",abbr:"TOL",name:"Toledo Express Airport",href:null,coords:[-83.8068133,41.591571,0],address:"Swanton, OH 43558"},{city:"Greensboro",abbr:"GSO",name:"Piedmont Triad International Airport",href:null,coords:[-79.9367732,36.1055798,0],address:"Greensboro, NC 27410"},{city:"Norfolk",abbr:"ORF",name:"Norfolk International Airport",href:null,coords:[-76.205764,36.89867,0],address:"Norfolk, VA 23502"},{city:"Traverse City",abbr:"TVC",name:"Cherry Capital Airport",href:null,coords:[-85.5816351,44.7516995,0],address:"Traverse City, MI 49686"},{city:"Houston",abbr:"HOU",name:"William P Hobby Airport",href:null,coords:[-95.2765824,29.6546945,0],address:"Houston, TX 77061"},{city:"Omaha",abbr:"OMA",name:"Eppley Airfield",href:null,coords:[-95.8993705,41.29962,0],address:"Omaha, NE 68110"},{city:"West Palm Beach, FL",abbr:"PBI",name:"Palm Beach International Airport",href:null,coords:[-80.090697,26.688618,0],address:"West Palm Beach, FL 33406"},{city:"Seattle *",abbr:"SEA",name:"Seattle-Tacoma International Airport",href:null,coords:[-122.300497,47.44443,0],address:"Seattle, WA 98188"},{city:"Oklahoma City",abbr:"OKC",name:"Will Rogers World Airport",href:null,coords:[-97.596917,35.395645,0],address:"Oklahoma City, OK 73159"}];function addAirports(){for(var e, i=0; e = airports[i++];){map.addOverlay(createAirport(e))}}function createAirport(a){var pt = new GLatLng(a.coords[1],a.coords[0]);var marker = new GMarker(pt);GEvent.addListener(marker, "click", function(){var html = "" + a.abbr + "" + a.name + "";map.openInfoWindowHtml(pt,html);})return marker;}$(init);var virginShowed = false;function init(){$('#EmailSubmit').submit(function(){//change button to loader//get responsetextvar email = $('#email').val();$("#email-submit").attr("disabled", "disabled");$.post("/email-submit/", { email: email }, function(data) {$("#email-submit").removeAttr("disabled");$("#email-loader").hide();if(data.response > 0) {$('#email').val('');$(".email").html("Thanks for your submission!");} else {$("#email-error").show();}}, "json");$("#email-loader").show();$("#email-error").hide();return false;});$vf = $('#VirginFlights');$al = $('#AirportsList');$('#n2').bind('click',function(){$(this).addClass('selected').prev().removeClass('selected');$al.hide();if(!virginShowed){$vf.html('');virginShowed=true;}$vf.show();})$('#n1').bind('click',function(){$(this).addClass('selected').next().removeClass('selected');$vf.hide();$al.show();})if (GBrowserIsCompatible()) {map = new GMap2(document.getElementById("map")); map.setCenter(new GLatLng(38.27269,-96.328125), 3); map.setUIToDefault();addAirports(); }}

 Austin (AUS)Indianapolis (IND)Panama City, FL (PFN)

Baltimore (BWI)

Jacksonville, FL (JAX)Pittsburgh, PA (PIT)Billings (BIL)Kalamazoo (AZO)Portland, ME (PWM)Boston (BOS)Las Vegas (LAS)Sacramento (SMF)Bozeman (BZN)Louisville (SDF)San Antonio (SAT)Buffalo, NY (BUF)Madison (MSN)San Diego (SAN)Burbank (BUR)Memphis (MEM)San Jose (SJC)

Central Wisconsin (CWA)

Miami (MIA)Seattle (SEA)*Charlotte, NC (CLT)Milwaukee (MKE)South Bend (SBN)Des Moines (DSM)Monterey (MRY)Spokane (GEG)El Paso (ELP)Nashville (BNA)St. Louis (STL)Fort Lauderdale (FLL)Newport News (PHF)State College (SCE)Fort Myers (RSW)Norfolk (ORF)Toledo (TOL)Greensboro (GSO)Oklahoma City (OKC)Travers City (TVC)Houston Hobby (HOU)Omaha (OMA)West Palm Beach (PBI)Houston Bush (IAH)Orlando (MCO) 

*Seattle launches late November

Reasons to be Cautious

Airport Wi-Fi - like other public hotspots - is not secure and you should avoid logging into your bank account or other sites with sensitive info. Wireless network security can be compromised and put your passwords and other data out in the air and available to a fellow traveler with the right hacking tools.

We don't mean to scare you out of using the Google's Wi-Fi gift but to educate you about the potential risks

How to Protect Yourself

Here are some tips on how to protect yourself when using any Wi-Fi connection:

Google has said that their free Wi-Fi network names will vary at each airport. We'll try to provide a list of those names as soon as we can.Make sure that you're connected to a legit network. I'm guessing there will be many Google copycats this holiday season.Turn off your Wi-Fi auto login feature. This way you'll log in when you're ready and to the network of your choosing.Disable sharing, especially if your laptop is networked to storage devices or computers at home.Use a firewall.Avoid entering sensitive data like credit card numbers or critical passwords while connected to a wireless network.Disconnect from the network when you're done.

This video from Forbes provides more details on what you should watch out for:

Check out Google's Free Wi-Fi for the Holidays site and their FAQ page for more details.

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