Tagged With "Sky-Fi"
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Re: Best and Worst U.S. airports: No surprises
I believe Airports should be judged solely on whether you had a pleasant experience. There is no way Orlando isn't in the Top10. New York is a disgrace. But I pass through as an alien - US residents see no problem. Philadelphia is a dream. Excellent Airport.
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Re: Denver airport leads the charge for your phones
Having traveled to Denver in the past month, I'll vouch for that fact there a lot of places to charge your devices. And there are still lots of gates that completely lack chargers, so they still have a long way to go. The free wifi at Denver is quite fast and widely available. Much appreciate! I think this should be a top priority for all airlines -- places to charge that phone and iPad before you fly. It would be good if the consumer organizations provided comparative scores.
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Re: Marriott to offer free wi-fi to all its Rewards member
A lot travel agents are upset with this because they say it puts them at a disadvantage because clients cant get free wifi booking through them http://www.travelmarketreport....omote-Direct-Booking
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Re: Marriott to offer free wi-fi to all its Rewards member
In my experience, loyalty is built with perks the customer doesn't have to think about or read the rules to decipher. I always stayed at the same hotel in Tucson prior to flying out because they were happy to let me leave my car indefinitely. I didn't have to figure it out. The wifi issue is the same, just give it to everyone. Nickel & diming leisure travelers will, I suspect, often lead them to look at other options every time they book a hotel.
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Re: Marriott to offer free wi-fi to all its Rewards member
I think you're exactly right, PortMoresby. For quite some time, we've looked mostly at the inexpensive chains precisely because they offer clear and valuable perks: Free breakfast, free parking, free WiFi. Our occasional high-end hotels through Priceline have sometimes moved the per-room fee down to a lower tier, but after you've paid $20/day for parking, $11.99 a day for WiFi...not so lower! The two-tier WiFi issue is becoming a bug for me, too. I recently stayed at a DoubleTree by Hilton...
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Re: Marriott to offer free wi-fi to all its Rewards member
It makes me wonder who they think is their target upgrader. In this age of data plans, most people who want or need fast access already have it. It seems to me not a very well thought out marketing plan. Having it free for everyone would make them more in goodwill than a few paying for it. For those, like me, who are more annoyed by the ploy than I need the service, it's definitely a losing proposition.
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Re: Marriott to offer free wi-fi to all its Rewards member
When you have a high-speed data plan on the phone, it can get eaten quickly when used as a hotspot, especially when the whole family is on devices! But if these chains want to be viewed by their customers the way many people view Spirit Airlines...they're on the right track!
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Re: Marriott to offer free wi-fi to all its Rewards member
The main clients of larger upscale hotels are business travelers, not mom and pop travelers. These are the same travelers that pay 10x what we pay to fly at the back of the plane for the privilege of a slightly larger seat and being able to get out 4 minutes before I do. Most don't care about wifi charges because their businesses pick them up. I think Marriott's action is a step in the right direction and they should be applauded for it. I've been a premier Marriott member for years so I get...
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Re: Marriott to offer free wi-fi to all its Rewards member
While business travelers are important to those brands, Marriott and the others make a big pitch to fill those rooms with vacationing and weekending families and couples, too—and I'm sure you've seen a lot of them there. As you point out, the cost of WiFi for business travelers is usually absorbed by the company, so it's hard to see why this new benefit would be attractive to them, since it's already essentially free for them. So it seems obvious that the benefit is, in fact, aimed at the...
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Re: Marriott to offer free wi-fi to all its Rewards member
And let us not forget the dreaded "resort fees". Defined as meaning anything the hotel wants it to mean. And charged whether we use the facilities it's said to cover, or not. Look in the dictionary for the definition of "chicken shit" and you'll find "resort fees". If everyone must pay it, it should rightly be included in the room rate. Even my favorite, AirBnB, makes options available for hosts - cleaning fee, security deposit, a charge for more than 1 person and even possibilities for...
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Re: Marriott to offer free wi-fi to all its Rewards member
I will say one thing for Airbnb, as compared to hotel resort fees: With Airbnb, before you click, you see the total of what's included, and what goes to whom. The resort fee and some of the others are often a surprise on arrival...
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Re: Marriott to offer free wi-fi to all its Rewards member
Indeed, small favors. Shock before leaving, rather than shock on arrival or departure.
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Re: London development plans "sky pool"
I agree Jonathan! When it's done, I'd like to photograph it from a safe distance, but I don't even think I could walk under it.
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Re: London development plans "sky pool"
I suspect it's going to look quite a bit different "as built," since I notice that in the picture, the water runs right to the edge, and one side hasn't even a place to sit! By the time it's done, there will need to be an ugly wall to keep bathers in, and keep water from splashing pedestrians below. At ten stories above building walks and parking lots, I'm not sure the view down through the pool will be worth it, either.
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Re: Flying this week? Check your Airline!
As "Climate Change" continues to keep Western Europe in a warm Caribbean breeze - then crossing the pond will be fine. Presuming - of course - you get a take off from America !
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, September 27, 2014: Rome from the Sky
..and it's a view that's worth the effort..!
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, September 27, 2014: Rome from the Sky
Agreed. Interestingly, Roma did not leave me with a good impression during our first visit in 1980. However, after returning many times, it becomes a more meaningful place for me to enjoy. Now, we take pleasure in just walking the streets, stopping when we decide to linger, and generally hanging out in its diverse neighborhoods. During our trip in May we found some new restaurants, walked familiar neighborhoods from different directions, and discovered new gelatorie to continue our...
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Re: The Changing Mood of Calgary Skies
Love the idea of photos taken in different seasons from the same spot.My favorite of your excellent photos above has to the Crescent-Moon Shot
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Re: The Changing Mood of Calgary Skies
Well done DrY! They're all good photos, but my favorites are the plane flying into the sunrise (top one), and those scary storm clouds, which I love to watch!
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Re: The Changing Mood of Calgary Skies
I too, love the scary clouds. And frosty winter day, too, almost monochromatic, a vintage feel. Good work, Dr.Y.
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Re: The Changing Mood of Calgary Skies
Lovely Pictures! I lived in Canmore for 1 year (well 10.5 months). It is a beautiful part of the world, even if summer only lasts from July 25 until Aug 5.
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New gonzo cruise ship even has sky-diving!
In the race to think up more features to add to cruise ships, Royal Caribbean is looking up...with a top-deck skydiving simulator on its newest ship, Quantum of the Seas, which has just started operating out of the New York area. Would you believe...
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JetBlue, Amazon team for free WiFi, Prime benefits
It's almost enough to make you forget JetBlue's upcoming bag fees. Passengers will continue to enjoy the lower-end (Simply Surf) tier of JetBlue's Fly-Fi product, courtesy of Amazon, and Amazon Prime members will be able to use the service to access...
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"Sky-Fi" cost keeps shifting...up and down
The more it becomes clear that inflight Wi-Fi is what passengers want, the less clear it is just how much will be available and how much it will cost. Airlines are switching—with costs involved—to satellite based services from vendors such...
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Marriott to offer free wi-fi to all its Rewards member
Marriott is breaking the old internet template used by many hotel chains. Lower priced hotels, including lower end Marriott properties (eg. Fairfield Inn, Courtyard) have offered free wi-fi for some time. Upper end Marriott properties have...
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August 13, 2017: The Milky Way
A beautiful photograph of a prairie night sky is our featured Pic of the Day, from Pierre Renault.
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November 13, 2019: Welcome to Montana
Samantha arrives in Montana, her 40th state, with a welcome that matches its name as Big Sky state.
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January 17, 2020: Big Sky Country, Montana
DrFumblefinger shares some images taken while on a roadtrip through Montana.
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day. Sept. 8, 2013: Portuguese "Castle In The Sky"
Portugal's answer to Bavaria's fairy-tale castles (and to Disney!), the Pena Palace sits high on a mountaintop above the town of Sintra, and above the 10th-century Moorish Castle that guarded it. The palace was built in the second half of...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, August 6, 2015: Windmills in the Sunset
Recently my wife and I traveled across Montana by car. It's a large state with some amazing mountain ranges and lots of wide open plains -- the "Big Sky" country the state is known for. The sun was beginning to set when I spotted a group...
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French air traffic control strike highlights bigger issue
Air traffic in parts of Europe is being affected by a strike of French air traffic controllers, scheduled to last through tomorrow. As a result of the strike, French airspace is closed to most flights, even those not landing in France. Some flights...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, September 27, 2014: Rome from the Sky
The best views of Rome are to be found atop the Victor Emmanuel monument, a massive white marble structure some Romans disparagingly call the "Wedding Cake" or the "Typewriter". Be that as it may, there's a great travel gem here....
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Best and Worst U.S. airports: No surprises
ThePointsGuy crunches the numbers and finds the usual suspects at both the top and bottom of the U.S. airport list.
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Red Roof rolling out guaranteed speedy Wi-Fi
With more and more travelers demanding good service, Red Roof is working on upgrades to be able to guarantee "fast and free"
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France adds 'sky marshals' to trains
France is ramping up security measures on its rail network, including on-train guards and more scanning.
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5 tips for travelling abroad with your iphone
Almost anywhere you travel in the world these days—especially to any First World country or popular tourist destination—a strong cellular signal and Wi-Fi hotspots in hotels, restaurants, Internet cafes, shopping centers, and airports are readily available. So even though you may be on the opposite side of the world from where you live, your iPhone or iPad can still serve as a powerful communication, organization, and productivity tool, as well as an interactive entertainment device. The...
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Denver airport leads the charge for your phones
Denver has added nearly 10,000 charging points in its terminals, and has upgraded its Wi-Fi as well.
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Is Italy headed for a Wi-Fi war?
Political squabbling is nothing new, but up-to-now it hasn't included disputes over the safety of Wi-Fi.
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Flying this week? Check your Airline!
With more winter storms this week, thousands of flights are being canceled...and yours might be affected. The cancellations don't only affect areas that are snowed in, because airlines protect the network by not flying planes into areas where they...
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The Changing Mood of Calgary Skies
Calgary, a city of about 1.1 million people, is situated in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. It's in the region where the Great Plains of Central Canada abutt the mountains. Calgary is about 1 hour's drive east of beautiful Banff...
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Moscow to put Wi-Fi in famous cemeteries
Wi-Fi coming to famous cemeteries in Moscow. See more.
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Google offers flat $10/GB for data in 120 countries for travelers
Google has a bargain $10 per GB data plan in 120 countries. Read details.
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Icelandair offering Gate2Gate Wi-Fi service on flights.
Icelandair offers Wi-Fi during takeoffs and landings
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Want fast internet at your hotel? Head to Abu Dhabi
See what's the fastest available Wi-Fi at a hotel is
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Re: Google offers flat $10/GB for data in 120 countries for travelers
This plan might be good value for travelers crossing a lot of borders, but those visiting one country will find many cheaper alternatives. In Italy, for instance, €10 will buy you 2Gb of 100 Mbps data, and €20 will buy 5Gb.
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Re: Google offers flat $10/GB for data in 120 countries for travelers
Looking at the link, it seems to mostly be intended for tablets, rather than phones. But that may come with time, I guess. I tend to travel with a phone and my laptop, so data for a tablet is not very useful to me.
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Re: Google offers flat $10/GB for data in 120 countries for travelers
Definitely so! In fact, reading the online discussion on their forum, it becomes clear that using the data-only SIM disables all normal voice-and-text uses of a phone; if you want to make calls from it, you have to use Google Voice or other app. I’m really not convinced it’s a great deal—especially for those who have T-Mobile (one of Google’s underlying carriers for this process) since we already get unlimited free data as part of our regular phone plan…and in the same countries as Google’s...
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Re: Google offers flat $10/GB for data in 120 countries for travelers
Below is a good review of Googles Project Fi's Cell Plan too. It switches between T-Mobile, Sprint and Wi-Fi. I have Republic Wireless, which is Hybrid calling plan also and I've found it so useful to use Wi-Fi for calling when the cell signal's weak. If the cell signal is blocked inside a building, or because of weak rural cell coverage, you can still phone or text if you have Wi-Fi. http://techaeris.com/2015/12/1...roject-fi-in-action/