ETW Staff- Mumbai
According to the research done by Airport Parking and Hotels (APH), 28 per cent UK airports now offer free Wi-Fi for travellers, compared to May 2013. The research compares the availability and cost of Wi-Fi access across 25 major UK airports in 2014.
The survey of 25 airports found 22 of them now offer free Wi-Fi access, compared to 15 last year, with Norwich International, London City, Aberdeen and Birmingham Airports all allowing unlimited free Wi-Fi access throughout the airport. From the remaining airports surveyed, three were found to allow up to 60 minutes’ free access and nine airports up to 30 minutes’ free access.
Several of the airports also allow passengers to access Wi-Fi at a fixed tariff, including BT Wi-Fi at Belfast and Exeter, and Arqiva (formerly Spectrum Interactive) at Cardiff, Glasgow, Heathrow, Stansted, Manchester, Southampton and Luton. In terms of cost, Arqiva was found to charge the lowest hourly rate for Wi-Fi at £3 per hour, after the complimentary allowance has been used up, as well as only £9 for 24 hours unlimited access.
Two of the airports included in this research, London Luton and Belfast International, were found to only offer Wi-Fi throughout the terminal at a cost of £5.00 per hour and £4.00 per hour respectively. However, Blackpool Airport does not offer any Wi-Fi access in the terminal and passengers must book in to the executive airport lounge for internet access, at a cost of £16 per person.
Additionally, travellers should be aware that Newcastle Airport, which offers free Wi-Fi for up to 30 minutes, stipulates that this is only available ‘at certain catering outlets on purchase’ including Starbucks, Condecco Bar, Eagle Bar Diner, Wine and Deli, and Caffe Ritazza.
