Free airport Wi-Fi sounds too good to be true, but a select group of 20 U.S. airports will soon be offering the service as part of a partnership with the digital advertising company MediaShift.
It's called the Premier Airport Network and the deal will place ads throughout a user's surfing session.
MediaShift, which has more than 23 million users, is known for monetizing private Wi-Fi networks for travel companies and hotels, and providing detailed info on information that could help boost vendors' bottom lines, such as click-through rates, conversions and behavioral data. It has not yet revealed which airports are participating in the network.
“MediaShift provides the technology at no cost to the airports," Brendon Kensel, MediasShift's president, told Mashable. "For the first time, airports can participate in ad revenues that have traditionally eluded last mile online access providers. Airports receive incremental revenue with no start-up costs, investment or capital expenditure for airports.”
The average traveler's airport browsing session is already at 57 minutes, and MediaShift is betting those numbers shoot up if travelers don't have to pay to surf. And it gives merchants a new way to monetize those users with the addition of targeted ads.
MediaShift expands its reach, airport economies get a shot in the arm, and users get a new tool to improve their journey.
"This would make a world of a difference for travelers, especially international visitors, who don't have data plans in the U.S. and rely solely on Wi-Fi access to connect to the world," says Aigerim Shorman, the cofounder and CEO of Triptrotting, a social network linking travelers with authentic in-country experiences.
Shorman says this addition gives travelers the flexibility to plan and make decisions on the fly. And it allows travel companies to better target potential customers.
"Imagine being able to land in any airport and make a decision on where you want to stay based on what mood you are in, the weather, cool event or anything else that affects you," she says. "Limited access to data and Wi-Fi has been one of the major issues for travel companies' ability to provide deeply personalized experience. I think what MediaShift is doing is the first step into the future where Wi-Fi will be just available everywhere."
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