Airport Internet Access: Cyber Stations for Travelers on the Run What better place to spend some airport down-time than in cyberspace? Increasingly, it's easy to access—without lugging the laptop. Whether dubbed cyber booths, net stations or internet kiosks, a growing number of payphone-style computer stations in the airport offer internet access to travelers. And no longer are they available only in airline clubs. You can use an internet kiosk to check e-mail, buy airline tickets, get real-time stock quotes, or just surf the Web. According to Summit Research Associates, the number of public access internet terminals will grow dramatically—from 5,000 today to 100,000 by 2002. And airports will claim a great percentage of this growth. Airport internet access takes a variety of shapes, catering to different needs: Kiosks are small-footprint, free-standing stations that offer internet service only. The systems usually include a top-of-the-line processor and a fast ISDN or T-1 line. And using this technology means you won't have to mess with setting up connections on your own computer or draining your battery. Increasingly, kiosks are located in cyber cafes, so you can get a bite to eat or surf the Web while sipping a drink. Kiosks usually require payment with the swipe of a credit card or a prepaid card, and may cost 30 to 35 cents per minute, with some billed at a flat fee like $3.75 for 15 minutes. Some kiosks offer free access, funded by banner advertising. Internet workstations offer a variety of services in a private office setting. Laptop Lane, with workstations in several U.S. airports, boasts "Peace, Quiet and a T1 line." In these 40-square-foot offices, you can recharge your laptop battery, use a laser printer or plain paper fax, make a conference call, and access the internet (on the T1 line if you have an ethernet card or log on using the PC supplied in the workstation). Cost is 38 cents a minute, with no charge for domestic long distance, printing pages, fax pages or internet access. A cyber-concierge is available to guide you through any snags. Wireless service also enables airport internet access for those carrying laptops or using special pagers. However, wireless internet access has a reputation for slow and spotty service. Metricom recently expanded its Ricochet Wireless Network to ten major airports in the U.S., giving subscribers access to the internet, corporate LANS and e-mail while waiting for flights. Not sure your destination (or layover airport) has public internet access? Check out an on-line directory that allows you to search by city: www.cybercaptive.com. The listing includes cyber cafes and internet kiosks, and requests update-information that keeps it fairly current. Here are just a few of the internet access locations at U.S. airports.   AIRPORT INTERNET ACCESS LOCATION Atlanta Hartsfield ATL Laptop Lane workstations Concourse A, Atrium 3 Level Concourse B, gate B-15 Concourse T Chicago O'Hare ORD Laptop Lane workstations Terminal 1, gate B6 Terminal 1, B-C Concourse connector Get2net NetSets Between Terminals 1 and 2, Chicago Bar & Grill Cincinnati CVG Laptop Lane workstation Concourse B, gate B-20 Dallas/ Ft. Worth GTE Cyberbooths DFW Terminal 2E, American, gates 3B, 6 and 11 Terminal 3E, American, gates 28, 32 and 34A Terminal 4E, Delta, gates 5, 14 and 31 Terminal 2W, gate 7 Denver DIA Laptop Lane workstation Jeppesen Terminal New York JFK CyberFlyer Café International Arrival Terminal New York LaGuardia LGA Get2net NetStations United, Terminal B, Concourse C, gate C9 Air Canada, gates 5 – 7 Continental, gates 2 – 3 American, gates 1 – 10 and 41 – 49 Newark EWR Get2net NetStations American, Terminal A, gates 30 – 39 Continental, gates 82, 70, 90, 92, 103 United/British Airways, rotunda, Terminal A, gates 1 - 10 San Diego SAN Pacific Bell/ ATCOM Cyberbooths Terminal 1, center of each concourse Terminal 2, American, gates 23 – 25 St. Louis STL Cyberflyer Club Main Terminal, gate D-6 Seattle/ Tacoma SEA Laptop Lane workstation Main Terminal