You might have heard of it already – Google is offering a holiday treat to the countless people who will be traveling over the holidays. The news is that the company will be providing FREE Wi-Fi at 47 airports throughout the United States during the holidays. Naturally, those who like being connected wherever they may be are happy about the news.

The free Wi-Fi stunt is already in place – it started on Tuesday – and will be in effect until the 15th of January 2010. How is Google going to accomplish this? The answer lies within the partnerships that the company has established. Together with the airports and companies like Time Warner and Advanced Wireless Group, Google aims to provide relief and convenience to the millions of people who will be flying in the next couple of months. You may be asking why they are offering free Wi-Fi to only 47 airports when there are definitely MORE than that? Google’s offer is limited by the partnerships that they have, that’s why. For a complete list of airports that are included in the promo, visit Free Wi-Fi for the Holidays.

On another note, there are people who, while appreciative of the gesture, think that this should not be a temporary holiday treat. Tony Bradley of PC World, in particular, expresses his sentiments:

Kudos to all of them, but free Wi-Fi shouldn’t be a holiday treat or marketing promotion. I am not blaming Google, Microsoft, or Yahoo at all. They should be commended for capitalizing on a need, and providing a service while simultaneously fostering goodwill with customers and building brand recognition. None of the three will mind if you also happen to use their search services while taking advantage of their free Wi-Fi offers either–actually Microsoft insists that you use Bing if you want free WiFi.

I think he hit the nail on the head right there! Take note, by the way, that he mentioned two other providers – they have joined the bandwagon and are offering free Wi-Fi as well.

Anyhow, yeah, maybe this will be a start of something good. In the meantime, let’s enjoy the free Wi-Fi, shall we?

Photo courtesy of Top News