Originally Posted by
gfunkdave
As you said, TLS addresses the MITM issues you raise. Use a VPN if you want; as far as I'm concerned they are a waste of money unless you're trying to access something the local network forbids (like getting through the Great Firewall) or want to appear to be in a different place because of geographic restrictions on what you're trying to access.
Getting through the GFC is painful with a VPN. If you use a recognised provider, it can take a long time to establish a connection to one of the entry points. I've had cases where I connect to the hotel wireless and watch the VPN client take its jolly sweet time connecting so I could access my emails. The last few times it took between 30-60 minutes before the connection established.