As per a recent study by a leading travel search engine, airports in Asia are ahead of those in Europe when it comes to offering passengers free and unlimited Wi-Fi on their premises.
The report released by Skyscanner, keeping the winter holidays in mind, when air travel is likely to increase, says almost 70% of major airports in Asia offer free and unlimited access to Wi-Fi, whereas the number in Europe is only 48%.
Among those in Asia offering this facility, according to the report, are Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Tokyo, Singapore and Hong Kong airports. "It is a service Asian travellers can almost take for granted..." the study notes.
In India, besides Mumbai and Ahmedabad, Kolkata airport provides access to free Wi-Fi for 30-minute sessions. Country's busiest IGI Airport in Delhi offers free Wi-Fi for the first 45 minutes, followed by a charge of Rs99 per hour, while Hyderabad airport, which is ranked among the world's best, handling 5 to 15 million passengers a year, offers 30 minutes of free internet access.
In Europe, on the other hand, the number is quite less, with Italy and Russia (technically in Eurasia) being among the few countries whose airports offer the service.
Airports in Paris and Birmingham offer fliers free and unlimited Wi-Fi, but the Berlin Tegel and Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen airports don't have the facility at all. London's Heathrow airport only allows 45 minutes free, and then charges £3 per hour.
The study also revealed that 71% travellers felt that free Wi-Fi was important, while the most common uses of it were for social media (10%), checking e-mails (22%), or to simply pass time (30%) while waiting for flight.
Skyscanner India's senior marketing manager Kavitha Gnanamurthy said, "(The facility of) One to two hours early check-in for flights gives passengers the perfect opportunity to go online. When they want to update their Facebook status, or send out an important report, or even pay those last-minute bills, it can be very frustrating if access to internet is being charged. This guide (the report) will help people know what to expect at every airport they are travelling through, it will also encourage more airports to offer a more generous Wi-Fi allowance."
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