Airtran Airways Contract to Offer High-Speed Wireless Internet Access
AirTran Airways has signed a contract with Airpath Wireless to offer passengers high-speed wireless Internet service at the boarding gate with the purchase of an Airpath Wireless card for $79.
Currently, several AirTran Airways` destinations offer the new service including Atlanta, Washington Dulles, Baltimore/Washington, Boston and Philadelphia.
“AirTran Airways` partnership with Airpath Wireless is our latest advancement in technology for our passengers,” said Joe Leonard , AirTran Airways` CEO. “Airpath Wireless service allows our passengers to check their e-mail, send large files 100 times faster than the phone line, and view streaming audio and video sites while waiting for their flight to board. With approximately 75 percent of business travelers using laptop computers, this new service is crucial for our business flyers.”
AirTran Airways markets “affordable air travel” with 346 flights a day to 36 cities throughout the eastern United States. The airline`s hub is at Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport, the world`s busiest airport (by passenger volume) where it is the second largest carrier operating 146 flights a day.
“Airpath is pleased to partner with AirTran Airways in a joint effort to revolutionize the travel industry by providing the mobile business professional with high-speed wireless broadband internet access from the boarding gate areas,” said Todd B. Myers, president of Airpath Wireless. “Now anyone with a Personal Digital Assistant or laptop and an 802.11(b) wireless card can have Internet access when they travel.”
Travelers can purchase an 802.11(b) card through the Airpath`s Web site (www.airpath.com)
. Accounts can be created in advance of arriving at the airport, so travelers can simply open their browser in the gate area and be instantly connected.
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Airpath Wireless, Inc. is a privately held corporation headquartered in Toledo, Ohio. The company provides high-speed wireless Internet access in multiple markets: residential, commercial, hospitality and marine.
“Travel time can now be productive time by allowing users the ability to access their files via Virtual Private Networks (or VPN) as if they were accessing the computer in their office,” said Timothy A. Barrett, Airpath Wireless vice president.