Etihad Combats Laptop Ban With Free iPads, WiFi

Etihad Airways is reaching out to its first- and business-class customers affected by the recent laptop bans by offering free onboard iPads and WiFi on certain flights.

Etihad normally offers 24-hour WiFi passes for $24.95 and 1-hour passes for $13.95, but it will provide it free on flights from its Abu Dhabi hub to New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas, San Francisco and Washington, DC. WiFi service is also free for Diamond First Class passengers.

The United States and the United Kingdom banned laptops, tablets and other large electronic devices on inbound flights from certain Middle East and African countries last week, citing security concerns.

While the U.S. ban is on devices larger than a smartphone, the U.K. barred devices larger than 6.3 inches by 3.7 inches from cabins on inbound flights from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.