Acela Express trains are now offering free wireless internet service, Amtrak announced today. The service, dubbed AmtrakConnect, is in place on all 20 high-speed Acela trains, in addition to the six major stations along the Northeast Corridor (Union Station, Baltimore Penn Station, Philadelphia 30th Street Station, New York Penn Station, Providence Station and Route 128 Station in Boston), and in ClubAcela lounges. Both Business and First class passengers will be able to use the service on Acela. Officials say AmtrakConnect will remain free of charge "during the introductory period, after which the policy will be reviewed based on customer demand and system performance."
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Google announced today that it will provide free wireless internet access at 47 U.S. airports and on all Virgin America flights for the holiday season. Starting now through January 15, anyone should be able to log on to free Google WiFi at BWI, which is the only local airport included in the program. You can find the complete list of participating airports here. Naturally, Google says it plans to use the free service as a means to advertise its products, like iGoogle and Google Chrome, to potential new customers. Still, paying that extra $9.99 for a day pass for internet access at most local airports is a huge drag, so until every airport starts offering it for free, all the time, we'll take what we can get. more ›