There’s currently a huge debate on Lifehacker regarding a hack to access free wi-fi at Hartsfield-Jackson. Currently, wi-fi at the airport is pay-access. This is somewhat normal in my experience, but living in Atlanta, it is rather odd considering the number of free wi-fi spots within the city. In fact, there are so many free hotspots in Atlanta that I’ve even had to refuse to work with vendors and businesses that don’t provide them. I mean really, a hotel in Midtown CHARGING for wi-fi on top of the room price? Fuck. off.
Of course there’s the other personal pov, as I’m originally from Orlando (alternatively known as “what’s wi-fi? ya mean that thar internet needs no wires? well garsh dang it!”). The last time I checked, free wi-fi was only available in “certain” hotel lobbies and one (yes, one) coffee shop in Winter Park. Of course you could always succumb to the T-Mobile Hot Spot and get ass raped pay $10, or break your contract, pay the fees, and buy a $400 iPhone and use it at Starbucks. I guess having my crackberry comes in handy at those times. So yeah, I know how suck it is to have to pay for access.
Not to come off sounding like I have zero morals, though. I’ve got, like, 4 or something! I do understand that getting something for free which you should pay for is theft. Yes. Promise. But what if it’s something that should be free to start with? [insert big debate here.] Does Hartsfield really need the money when I’m still paying $5 for a bottle of water anyway? Or, is this some giant conspiracy to get as much money as possible since I’m delayed every.fucking.time. at ATL? Come on Shirley, say it ain’t so!
Bitches.
Totally ridic, they could at least do something where it’s pay in the terminal/atrium area but free at the gates
Charlotte has free wifi at their little piddly airport, I hope Houston does too as we’ve got a 4 hour wait there tomorrow
Take control of the airport away from the city and see if free wi-fi exists. I’m not saying it will but the city does a piss poor job of managing the world’s busiest airport so why expect it?
There is a definite cost associated to offering wifi hotspots and coffee shops and hotels offer it for free to get your business. If you’re in Atlanta and you’re going to fly somewhere, where are you going to go other than Hartsfield (I refuse to call it Hartsfield-Jackson)? Peachtree-Dekalb?
Face it, they’ve got ya. Why offer it for free and get nothing when you could charge for it and get a little bit of revenue from it?
I would prefer it to be free but am not surprised it isn’t.
Yep. It’s theft. Rationalizing doesn’t change that.
I probably just wouldn’t use the internet but it does bother me that these huge airports don’t offer free wireless. I mean, come on, little ol’ Richmond does. The worst if LaGuardia - guaranteed you are going to have flight delays, the least they could do is give you free wifi.
Technically, I guess it is stealing. But I don’t see how they justify charging for it.
They charge because there is a cost associated to it. So they raise ticket prices for everyone or they charge people per use. Nothing is free.