Free Wi-Fi Takes Off At NYC Airports

NEW YORK — Travelers now have one less thing to complain about at New York City's airports: A lack of free wireless internet. Unlimited free Wi-Fi is now available at John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia airports in an effort to improve customer service amid record passenger volumes, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced Wednesday.

Passengers can browse the web in unlimited four-hour sessions, though they may have to watch an ad first, the Port Authority said. The program has also been launched at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey and Stewart International Airport in Orange County.

"Simply put, free, reliable, high-speed Wi-Fi has become a bedrock expectation for today’s customers," Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton said in a statement. "This step represents one of many that will seek to lift NY & NJ airports from the bottom rung of customer experience surveys up the curve toward greatly improved levels of customer service."

Travelers were previously limited to 45 minutes of free Wi-Fi, a Port Authority spokeswoman said. The new service is also faster, with speeds ranging from 20 to 50 megabits per second, the agency said.

Customer surveys have shown free, high-speed Wi-Fi is a highly ranked amenity for passengers, the Port Authority said. JFK and LaGuardia have received poor marks for customer satisfaction.

"As we enter the peak holiday travel season, in which we anticipate 7.5 million passengers to pass through our airports, it’s imperative that they have easy access to fast, high-speed Wi-Fi that will elevate their airport experience," Aviation Director Huntley Lawrence said in a news release.

The unlimited internet rollout comes amid a major makeover of LaGuardia, plans for a $13 billion renovation of JFK and record-high passenger traffic. More than 66.5 million passengers passed through the Port Authority's airports in the first six months of this year, the highest number for any six-month period on record and 4.3 percent more than the first half of 2017, the agency said.

(Lead image: Passengers wait for delayed flights at John F. Kennedy Airport on Jan. 4, 2018. Photo by Rebecca Butala How/Getty Images)