Better late than never, especially when it comes to free WiFi. And for the thousands of passengers who still can’t get a flight back home, Skype’s major announcement today is a very welcome surprise.
In addition to its voice-over IP service, Skype has a presence at over 100,000 WiFi hotspots around the world, where users can use their Skype Credits in exchange for minutes of Internet access.
From now through the end of Friday, April 23, Skype Access service is completely free, everywhere.
“While the air traffic situation in Northern Europe gradually begins to return to normality, a lot of you around the world will still be spending more time than usual at airports,” wrote Skype’s Peter Parkes on the company’s official blog.
Many airports in Europe finally opened up again today after passengers were stuck for as many as five days due to the massive volcanic eruption in Iceland. Even so, thousands are still stuck waiting for flights to the area because of the huge backlog of people also waiting on flights.
And with the additional headache, other travelers not directly affected by the volcano are likely to experience delays and travel disruptions caused by the worst travel disaster since September 11.
Skype’s offer is extremely generous, and is unparalleled by any other Internet hotspot provider at any other time. Kudos to Skype.
