Travelers at Kennedy, La Guardia and Newark airports are finding themselves at a financial 'Net loss.
While most major US airports offer free Wi-Fi, the three metro-area hubs force fliers to pay to surf the Web because of a deal signed almost 15 years ago — and one that could be extended for another decade.
New York-area passengers — already grappling with some of the worst travel delays and lousiest airport amenities in the nation — must pay service provider Boingo $7.95 a day or $9.95 a month if they want to go online.
The Port Authority says it and Boingo each receive $6 million from the deal.
Ellis Kaplan
OFFLINE: Traveler Daniel Brower from LA balked at having to pay for Wi-Fi access at La Guardia this weekend.
The PA said it must then give $5.4 million of its take to the airlines.
A PA spokesman said the agency is trying to modify the fee agreement with Boingo, but flier-advocacy groups are furious there isn't already free Wi-Fi service at the three airports.
"Today, every place, from airports to coffee shops, offers free Wi-Fi," insisted Joseph Sitt, chairman of the Global Gateway Alliance.
"Boingo shouldn't hold 110 million passengers hostage to a contract from a bygone era."
Major airports that already offer free Wi-Fi include those in San Francisco, Phoenix, Seattle, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Boston and Los Angeles.
A Boingo spokesman defended his company's stance by saying it has invested tens of millions of dollars in its networks for La Guardia, JFK and Newark. He said Boingo is currently increasing its Internet connection feeding each site to five times its current size.
"These types of costly improvements are frequently forgone in airports where the Wi-Fi is offered for free, which ultimately results in a degraded service over time," said Christian Gunning, vice president of corporate communications for Boingo.
Gunning said that when airports add free Wi-Fi, services such as 24-hour customer support disappear.
Some fliers told The Post they weren't shocked to learn Wi-Fi wasn't offered at the metro-area airports. "The fact of the matter is I expected it," Mike Fredericks, 60, of Las Vegas said after flying into La Guardia for a business trip.
Daniel Brower, a 24-year-old from Los Angeles flying to Capetown, South Africa, said he balked at paying for something many airports offer for free.
"I think airports should definitely have free Wi-Fi," he said. "It would make traveling a lot more enjoyable."
Additional reporting by Aaron Feis
rharshbarger@nypost.com
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