Chicago's two major airports may have seen a record number of passengers pass through their gates in 2017, but both O'Hare and Midway have lacked an amenity that many flyers take for granted: unlimited free Wi-Fi. Over the weekend, the Chicago Department of Aviation announced that O'Hare and Midway will now offer unlimited access to free Wi-Fi internet at both airports. Until recently, passengers at O'Hare and Midway were able to secure 30 minutes of free access through a partnership with Boingo Wireless.
The new Wi-Fi service at O'Hare and Midway is also being provided by Boingo, which will display advertisements on users' devices every 45 minutes. According to a release, the free service will be fast enough for video streaming (perfect for catching up on Westworld before your flight), though customers can upgrade to faster speeds by purchasing a one-day or monthly Boingo subscription.
The service's ad-supported nature and the pre-existing presence of the provider at O'Hare and Midway means that the upgrade to unlimited free Wi-Fi will come at no cost to the City of Chicago. The next time your flight gets delayed and you're stuck at O'Hare, at least you'll have gratis internet access to keep you company.