After planning an affordable trip that involves the carefulreview of cheap traveloptions, such as cheapairplane tickets, discount hotel rooms, and cheap vacation packages, donot give into the temptation of signing up for inflight Wi-Fi on your tripwithout first considering the risks.
It is only natural to want to check in on your socialnetworks, and stream your favorite movies and TV shows while in the air.
Over 70 airlines worldwide now offer inflight Wi-Fi. Unfortunately, there has been little progresson security technologies to protect shared network users from hackers, scams,and spies.
The following are reasons why inflight Wi-Fi could cost youmore than you think, according to Shannon McMahon:
InflightWi-Fi is not secure. Unless you haveyour own virtual private network (VPN), using wireless internet while flyingcan make your private information easily accessible to others. Shared networks, including public Wi-Fi andairport networks are where most personal, business, and credit card informationis stolen. Tourist frequented Wi-Finetworks are targeted by scam artists and hackers more often than others. Connecting to unsecured wireless is likewalking barefoot or eating off a dirty floor you are a lot more likely tosuffer consequences.
Governmentagencies might be watching you via inflight Wi-Fi. Intelligence agencies can spy on your everydigital move when you are connected to inflight Wi-Fi. If you value your personal privacy related toyour online activities, you would be well served by skipping an inflight Wi-Ficonnection.
InflightWi-Fi can host viruses. Be aware thatmalware and viruses can damage your phone and/or laptop through a publicnetwork and compromise your device.
InflightWi-Fi costs more than people tend to think. Gogo (one of the largest inflight Wi-Fi providers) users spend upwardsof $60 per month just to be able to download emails on business trips. It often charges $7 for one hour of inflightWi-Fi and up to $28 for a Global Day Pass. Even then many of its users complain about slow speeds.
InflightWi-Fi is wildly unreliable. Frequentfliers know from experience that wireless service often does not work at allover water, which can be most of a transcontinental flight. RouteHappy recently found that Wi-Fi speedscomparable to that of a home connection is available on only seven percent offlights worldwide. You are far morelikely to end up with spotty connection and a drained battery as your devicerepeatedly tries and fails to connect.
Pass on the headache and dangers of Wi-Fi on your nextflight and opt instead for offline apps and pre-downloaded entertainment. Amazon Prime is now offering a wide varietyof video available to be downloaded.
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