Free airport Wi-Fi takes off - USATODAY.com

You don't have to be that old, or even a frequent traveler, to remember when it was rare to find an airport equipped with wireless Internet access. Free access was rarer still. But then a few small and midsized early adopters, including airports in Colorado Springs and Long Beach, Calif., began following the lead of Lexington, Ky.'s Blue Grass Airport, which began offering free Wi-Fi (way) back in 2001. Slowly but surely, free airport Wi-Fi began to take off.

Today it's unusual to find a U.S. airport without at least one wireless Internet provider. And there is a steadily increasing number of large and hub airports, including Denver, Pittsburgh and Orlando, where the Wi-Fi is free. "It's almost become a required amenity," says Sea-Tac airport spokesperson Perry Cooper, "Passengers expect it now. Especially in places like Seattle where folks are very tech-savvy. In fact, it's been our number one customer service request for years..."