Surf or sleep? The new inflight Wi-Fi dilemma
Travel Tips — By Chris on January 5, 2010 at 8:59 pm
For months, I’ve read tweets from fellow travel bloggers and writers about the fantastic inflight Wi-Fi available on seemingly every airplane except the ones I happened to be flying.
So when I noticed the prominent “Wi-Fi available” sign on my Air Tran flight out of Ft. Myers today, I perked up. Finally! I could tweet amusing observations from the plane! I could respond to emails right away! I could write this very blog post that you are reading now! The efficiences were endless.
But when I pulled out my computer and booted up the screen to the Gogo inflight logo, I couldn’t bring myself to log on. Instead, I wanted to read. Sleep. Listen to music. I wanted to do anything during those four hours of travel time except spend more time on the Internet.
I followed my instincts. From RSW to ATL, I shut my computer, leaned back and let the engines lull me to sleep. On the ATL to DCA leg, I took out one of those books I had meant to read over the holidays but never found the time and devoured it in one sitting.
Don’t get me wrong. I love the idea of having Wi-Fi at 20,000 feet when you need it, and I’m sure I’ll take advantage of it eventually. Yet part of me may resist for a while, in response to Luddite impulses that, for me, are out of character.
When I was working fulltime, hours on the plane were hours I had to myself without any interference from the Mother Ship. Now that I’m freelancing and blogging (and working twice as hard), I find I still need those hours - preferably entombed in a set of BOSE noise-canceling headphones – if only so I can rest and recharge without the never-yielding pressure that the Internet can impose of a life if you let it.
At least this time….
Do you sleep or surf? Some comments from the Twitterverse. Add yours below!
@RunwayGirl (Mary Kirby): Surf!
@laurably (Laura Bly, USA TODAY): Read & sleep – or enjoy the view!
@wanderlust13 (Veronica Stoddart, USA TODAY): Crossword puzzle: Makes time fly:)
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11 Comments
I love in-flight wifi for transcons (3+ hours) but rarely bother on shorter flights— I’d rather doze or read a mag or look out the window and listen to a podcast or some good tunes in the iPod. Your blog is great! I love the varied content and especially the short, sweet posts. Good luck!
Hi Chris — In the past year, I have only used the inflight wi-fi twice. I’m like you… I prefer sleeping, reading, writing in my journal and just having time to think.
I wrote about this a year ago (http://boardingarea.com/blogs/pearlsoftravelwisdom/2009/01/) and I was afraid that once more wi-fi became available, I’d always be jumping online once the plane reached 10,000 feet. But I’ve just not been that excited about it. I’ll be even less excited about it now that all of the free opportunities to test out the wi-fi are expiring.
For a coast-to-coast flight, I may want to be online for a portion of the flight, but for my typical 2-3 hour flights, I’m quite happy staying in offline mode.
Carol
The other thing that I’m sure sounds like a great idea to most but fills me with absolute dread: allowing cell phone calls mid-air! Color me old-fashioned, but sometimes it’s nice not to be reachable (& to not have to listen to other peoples’ conversations while I’m trapped in a flying tin can).
Anyone want to ask me how I really feel about it?
I agree with Chris, if a flight is 3+ hours, then I use the Wi-Fi. My schedule is so packed as a freelance writer and blogger that I’ll take any productive time that I can get. For some reason, I’ve always found that flying time is when I accomplish the most.
On the shorter flights, I don’t use Wi-Fi, choosing to read the inflight magazine or catch up on other reading. Let’s hope they don’t ever allow cell phone conversations during flight. I can’t imagine a worse travel scenario.
Sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep
If I had a laptop, which I don’t, I’d probably choose to sleep or otherwise stay offline anyway. We do enough of that on the ground, right? I agree, having some separation while onboard is kinda nice. Plus, the airplane is a fun place to meet new folks if you’re crazy and like hearing all sorts of interesting stories as I do. If I shut myself in my own online world, maybe I’d miss a chance for a great in person interaction.
Hi Chris,
When buying my laptop a few years ago I opted for the more expensive, larger and heavier 17-inch screen. Big mistake for travel! (I couldn’t even open the screen all the way on the tray table.)
This year, I invested in a barely-two-pound Acer netbook and it’s great. I can open and close it easily and it only takes seconds to boot up. I can store it in a large purse, so I don’t have to keep messing in the overhead compartment. Not to mention, it is useful for airport layovers as well.
I think with an easy to use (or easy not to use) device more people will see the convenience of in-flight WiFi.
~Caitlin
Surf baby! All the way. P.S. I linked your blog to my Tequila story
http://www.johnnyjet.com/folder/archive/Guadalajara-Slide-Show-January-2010-14.html
The answer is surf until your run out of battery and then sleep.
Long flights – 3+ hours – I would surf. But then I would make sure I had a real electrical outlet on the plane. Nothing more annoying than getting into something and then have to shutdown because you don’t have any more power.
SLEEEEP ! So much stress & suffering: preparation, packing, traffic en route to airport, and the horrrors of “security” rage and abuse by subhumans (pertecting us), … In my seat, phew! Buckle seatbelt then TOTAL RELAX AND DETACH. (errr, guess I’ll have to have my hands in full view while i’m sleeping).
And hopefully land and “deeplane” in Mexico City or Madrid or connect to Zihuatanejo or to Malage.