Travel Technology - Where to charge your laptop?

Many airport are providing free wi-fi nowadays. That doesn't mean they make it easy for you to use them...

How much time on average do you spend looking for a plug-in to charge your laptop at an airport?

Are these readily available?

Does the airport provide them or do you plug your laptop in at the STARBUCKS while you are having your coffee?

I'm interested in your experiences... let me know so I don't have to search for them for so long... I've had some bad luck lately.

ORD is by far the worse. Outside of the RCC, there are a total of four - count em, four - usable power ports in each concourse of Terminal One. At each end of B and C, where they go into the half-circle, next to the UA Arrivals and Departures monitor there are two chairs and in front of them two power ports on the floor.

No other power port in that terminal works. Perversely, Terminal 2 (UAX) has plenty all over the place.

LAX sucks about as hard.

SFO and DEN are both fantastic, with plenty of ports near chairs. SEA and IAD are decent, as well. Most other airports are fair to middlin. No problems at BWI, GSO, BNA, or BOS.

It varies. They need enough outlets for vacuuming the floor but not much else. (Maintenance crews always carry long heavy-duty extension cords.) I've never had a problem finding one close enough to my gate, though I've sometimes had to sit a few seats away from the outlet and run the cord past a few people. Then again, I don't tend to use ORD Terminal 1. I suspect LAX terminals vary just as much.

One of the primary reasons I joined the American Airline's AAdmiral's club and the Alaska Board Room is to have Internet access, power outlets, and a place to sit and work other than the floor.

One of the primary reasons I joined the American Airline's AAdmiral's club and the Alaska Board Room is to have Internet access, power outlets, and a place to sit and work other than the floor.

Ditto, those in my case it is the United Red Carpet Club for ORD, IAD, and LAX.

If I only had to connect through SFO and DEN, I'd be a happy man.

Ditto, those in my case it is the United Red Carpet Club for ORD, IAD, and LAX.

If I only had to connect through SFO and DEN, I'd be a happy man.

Thanks.

In all honesty, I wouldn't be surprised to see more working areas in airport terminals developing shortly... I think with so many low cost carriers appearing and perks decreasing things might start changing soon...

After all, how many of us want to keep their laptops in their laps any longer???

This is funny, when I was traveling so much more and always had a portable DVD player with me, I always looked forward to a connection in Ohare, I never had problems finding a power plug there (usually on the columns by the walkways).

When I was traveling with a laptop and wanted to have enough juice to do the entire trip though I always depended on a second battery.

Mr SWise carries a small extension cord and splitter in his bag. This gives him a few more feet of range for plugging in, plus it allows him to share the outlet if others need to use it as well.

He says it comes in handy at meetings in conference rooms on-site also, as there are rarely enough outlets for everyone to plug in.