Skype Access offers free WiFi at over 100,000 locations this weekend

If you're traveling this weekend or at one of the 100,000 locations served by major WiFi networks then you'll be able to enjoy free Internet access thanks to Skype.

In celebration of the launch of Skype Access, a new Skype feature that lets you pay for WiFi access with your Skype Credit, they are offering free connections at over 100,000 locations including many popular airports.


To take part in the "Worldwide Weekend of Free WiFi" you just need the most recent version of Skype installed on your computer and you can get connected for free. In addition to making free Skype video calls you can surf the Internet completely free.

Although the 100,000 participating locations aren't searchable by location, you can see which companies are participating in the Skype Access program and compare it to the Internet provider at your airport.

Several big names involved include:

• ATT (Barnes and Noble
• Boingo Airport Limited
• Orange France
• Sprint
• Wireless Hotspot Ltd

The free connections will run March 20-21 with a special extension to Monday in the UK to help travelers stranded by the British Airways weekend strike stay in touch with family and work.

The new Skype Access feature is really handy for travelers who only need a short connection to check their e-mail or make a quick Skype call. Instead of pulling out a credit card and paying for an hour, or a full day of access, users can pay 19 cents a minute in the U.S. using Skype Credit. If you are traveling and want to know if you can use Skype Access on a paid hotspot just connect to the network as you normally would and if it is Skype Access capable you will receive a pop-up prompting you to pay with Skype Credit.