What? Pay for WiFi?

If you look on my blog you will note that my last entry was in July... sad... very sad....

Unfortunately I've spent more time on airplanes and in hotels (BTW - all American Airlines planes look the same on the inside too) but that season has finally passed!

In all my traveling over the past few months I've come to the conclusion that there is one thing in this world that is absolutely criminal from a travelers perspective.

Paying for Wireless Connectivity!!!

In my view, there is something fundamentally wrong with charging anywhere from $7.99-$10.99 (US) for Internet access. While I appreciate the fact that these establishments have bills to pay when it comes to the ISP access they provide, I find it incredibly hard to believe they can't make up this somewhere else. My favorite example is a particular hotel chain (I'll keep it nameless... but the heiress' first name is Paris). I stayed in the above-average-but-no-super-duper location of this hotel chain at Chicago O'Hare a few weeks ago. Get this: They wanted $19.95 for Internet access for 24 hours. $19.95!!?!?!!? Are you kidding me?! Do you have any idea how much COFFEE I can buy with $19.95?

So is there a solution? Yes, without question.

Check out this site. You will find a breakdown by state and city of locations that offer free wireless access. Granted, some of these may not be easy to find or even possible to get to depending on your schedule. But if it is possible, save yourself (and your company) some money.

Another solution are the variety of WLAN cards available from various providers (T-Mobile, Cingular, Sprint). While you will pay for the card and the monthly service fee, the Return on Investment is usually realized in a few months. Check with your company's IT department - they may have cards already available and ready to hand out.

My bottom line is don't pay unless you have too.