The InterAirPort

Sprint Promotes Service with Free 'Mifi' Zone at JFK

Sprint is marketing its data network by providing free wireless Internet at New York JFK's Terminal 8. The telecommunications company has created a temporary lounge with chairs and power outlets where travelers can access the Internet. The lounge has a "MiFi" connection, which is a wireless Internet hot spot using a cellular data network. The service will be available until the end of the year.

HSBC Expands Airport Branding to LAX

Click here to read full article.

Check-In Kiosks: Making Life Easier for Travelers and Offering Unique Advertising Opportunities for Savvy Companies

 As many of you frequent travelers know, self check-in kiosks at the airport are the way to go when you cannot print your boarding pass ahead of time.  It seems the airlines are finally starting to catch on and are now offering more kiosks in more locations, even outside of the airport, to reduce lines and traffic jams at the ticket counters.  New locations for the kiosks include airport rental car offices, hotel lobbies, parking garages and other outdoor locations near the airport.  Many hotels are now offering self check-in kiosks for certain airlines in their lobbies.  (How many times have you wished you could simply print your boarding pass at the hotel?)  Select airport kiosks are even offering hotel and car rental check-in as a one-stop source for your travel needs.

 Savvy companies such as Hotels.com have already started to take advantage of these unique advertising opportunities.  With more and more travelers turning to self check-in kiosks it only makes sense to capture that captive audience.  Ad placements include on the outside of the kiosk, on the screen and even on the tickets that passengers are printing out. 

According to an article in USA Today, The share of travelers using self-service check-in , whether kiosks or airline websites, grew by about 20% this year.  The article also states that at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta, the world's busiest airport, about 46% used airport kiosks.

Check out this related article on InterAir Media

Happy Traveling this Holiday Season!

Clear-ly disappointing

If you’re a frequent flyer like myself, you may have invested in Clear, a high-tech card that gave you access to express security lines at airports across the country. Initially introduced in 2005, Clear pre-screened its customers via a background check which in turn granted Clear card-holders access to a reserved security lane and typically a shorter wait …all for a reasonable fee of around $200 per year.  That fee turned out to be much more substantial, however, when Clear suddenly went under just last week.  Clear announced that they would cease operations effective immediately because Clear’s parent company, Verified Identity Pass, Inc. “has been unable to negotiate an agreement with its senior creditor to continue operations”.  This seems strange since Clear appeared to be a lucrative product generating revenue of about $2.5 million at Orlando International alone since the program launched in 2005 and exceeding the initial budget forecast for 2009. The unfortunate part of it is that Clear’s earnings to date will not go towards reimbursing its 250,000 clients, leaving them at the back of the line and $200 poorer.  Personally, I think this was a great idea and am disappointed that it is no longer available.  To me, anything that makes travel less of a hassle (even if it is for a small fee) is a worthwhile investment – just make sure the company’s stable first.