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Wi-Fi is a wonderful thing, most handheld / mobile devices now support Wi-Fi connections, but you need the infrastructure to support it. I felt compelled to write this blog as am currently sat in Bristol Airport waiting for a delayed flight to Paphos, Cyprus. It’s only an hour delay so not the end of the world as they have a nice bar and are even showing the F1. Logging onto to my laptop I’ve gone through the standard procedure and up pops available Wi-Fi networks, Bristol Airport being one. £5/hr. This is the first public place I have been where Wi-Fi is not free. I am not sat here -through choice, I am sat here because my flight is delayed, yet for the hour I am delayed, I have to cough up a fiver to use the Wi-Fi. It’s a good job my wife has her iPhone on her as thankfully we get inclusive internet use, so she is merrily chatting to her friends and family on messenger and Facebook.
So why do Bristol Airport need to charge for Wi-Fi? Obvious really, much like the rest of the aviation industry, any non essential service comes with a price tag. The only thing you get included in the ticket price these days is the seat itself. Luggage, extra, in flight meal, extra, speedy boarding, extra…. Although I guess this is why the budget airlines can fly you thousands of miles for under £100. I have no doubt that the ever powerful Easyjet squeeze the airports to breaking point and perhaps this is why Wi-Fi costs £5 per hour and a pint of average lager is over £3.50! But at the end of the day, me and my wife ca fly to Cyprus and back for a little over £400, which is pretty darn cheap!
I can however highly recommend Starbucks as a great Wi-Fi hot spot. I stopped by the other day after dropping my wife to work, grabbed an Americano and sat down for an hour doing a bit of work. I was able to check all my e-mails, write and publish a blog for one of my clients, Rhinocarhire.com and the best thing, it was absolutely free!
So where else is still charging for Wi-Fi? I’ll be sure to let you know anywhere else I come across, but if you want to drop me a note or comment here that would be cool. Perhaps we can come up with a list of ‘chargeable’ Wi-Fi in and around Bristol.
Off to Cyprus now.