As cities invest in Wi-Fi to become more tourist-friendly, they're changing the standard to which travelers are accustomed. At the rate it's going now, the hospitality industry will have to scramble to catch up.
With just 6.2% of travelers on Gogo-equipped flights using Wi-Fi you can see that the industry is headed toward free Wi-Fi on flights, assuming the systems can handle the bandwidth.
Want to reinvigorate the Southwest brand? Just think of the market share gains that Southwest would earn if it made its TV Flies Free promotion permanent. Free Wi-Fi, baby.
Hotels are finding smarter ways to make universal Wi-Fi work for both their guests and their business. Hyatt’s detailed look at customers’ spending habits and social media activity will soon be commonplace at all major chains.
In bring your own mobile-device style, Southwest passengers will be able to access free TV and on-demand programming from Dish Network during a limited-time promotion. You can expect there will be a fee for such access through Wi-Fi provider Row44 in the near future.
Nothing can be more frustrating when you travel than being unable to use essential apps because the roaming charges would kill your budget. Apps such as TripIt, Dropbox, and Viber are set up for offline use or work well when you find a place with Wi-Fi.