Holiday Gift or Burden from Google?

Before I begin talking about Google's pleasant gesture to holiday travelers, here is another promotion offered by Southwest Airlines. I know my previous post was a short notice and I'm sure that a lot of you missed it, so enjoy!

http://www.southwest.com/html/travel-extras/promotions/winterSale.html?RMID=L_101109_CNS&RRID=am9hbm5lbGl1LjE5NkBnbWFpbC5jb20.&src=MAILCNSTUES000000101109

Compared to the previous 72 hour deal, this will last from Nov. 9 to Nov 22 for your winter break travel from Dec. 1 till Feb. 16.

Talking about winter break plans, I came across a blog post from Travel+Leisure magazine. Google is offering free inflight Wi-Fi in all domestic flights for AirTran, Delta and Virgin America airlines from Nov. 20, 2010 to Jan. 2, 2011. All you need is a Wi-Fi enabled laptop or mobile device and stay connected to family and friends while you travel.

This is an upgrade from the previous year's free Wi-Fi in 47 airports around the country during this time. As the blog describes, it seems like traveling during Thanksgiving and the mid-year break causes anxiety with people. "I need to email my boss" or "I need to update my facebook status" are things that go through everyone's minds while traveling on air.  Especially now that our daily lives are becoming more and more web-based, even a minute without checking your email can drive people crazy.

I understand Google's effort to alleviate such problem for the travelers, but I feel like we can manage without the web for a couple of hours. Maybe it is even better to not have access to the web in-flight. I know the first thing I think of when preparing for a flight is packing a novel, music or a magazine, things I don't normally have time for during school session. Sometimes I have a conversation with my seat partner or just fall asleep. My time on the plane gives me a chance to clear my mind and just relax- a getaway from the daily routines and a quick time to rest before mingling with all of my missed family and relatives.

With the free Wi-Fi, I know a passenger has the choice to use or not use the service, but we are so absorbed in our every day online routines that we automatically resort to it. Perhaps, we are enslaved by the web. Even though a part of me is excited about being able to go online on the plane, I cannot help but to mention the underlying effect it may have on us.