Why no free wifi at ORD?

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Feb 2, 2014, 10:32 pm

#31

Frequent Freak

Join Date: Apr 2001

Posts: 1,386

Quote:

Originally Posted by milepig

It isn't what the vendor pays for the water. Its the ghastly high fees they pay to be allowed to have their shop, the way they need to use airport employees (this may have changed?), along with the millions of layers of fees/bribes they have to pay to get in in the first place. I live in Chicago, I love Chicago, but it is corrupt to the core.

There's your real reason. If the mayor or some alderman's cousin ran an ISP, I promise you there would be free wifi at ORD.

Feb 9, 2014, 12:19 pm

#32

GUWonder

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Quote:

Originally Posted by flyingill

Coming from Chicago, I am surprised at the free Wifi at airports. If Chicago charged for restrooms, then everyone would use them on the plane and the plane would be full of our stuff rather than Chicago.
Chicago is expensive and so are other city airports. High prices in other cities do not phase me as they are the same as they are in Chicago. We get paid more in Chicago b/c our other expenses or more...expensive.
We have more problems in Chicago than Wifi (mayor, potholes, lack of staff and recycling in schools, taxes, gangs, transit).

DCA and IAD have free wifi access.

Feb 16, 2014, 7:03 am

#33

xaliasx

Join Date: Mar 2010

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Bottom line

Quote:

Originally Posted by GUWonder

DCA and IAD have free wifi access.

Chicago political corruption > Washington / Moscow (DME & SVO have free wifi) / Beijing (PEK) / heck even Caracas (CCS) has free wifi

Guess there is no correlation between free airport wifi in a given city and the dishonesty of the city's politicians, or I live in one of the most corrupt places in the world.

Feb 16, 2014, 4:08 pm

#34

cheltzel

Join Date: Apr 2010

Location: ORD

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Posts: 5,122

Quote:

Originally Posted by xaliasx

I think the most corrupt place in the world wins out.

Feb 20, 2014, 7:48 am

#35

MissRoseDarrensAngel

Join Date: Sep 2006

Location: USA

Posts: 111

I was surprised I had to pay for wifi at a few airports, but not at others. I still have to pay for it at some hotels too but not at others. I live with it, thankful that I have a smart phone with an unlimited data plan on it within the US I can use. When traveling internationally, then I will use my kindle and pick up a signal, and if I have to pay a bit I will.

Mar 5, 2014, 9:52 am

#36

Randomized

Join Date: Mar 2014

Posts: 1

Chicago is a laggard in this department. It is an insanely busy airport that brings in plenty of revenue, some of which can be diverted to swallowing the cost for free public wi-fi. If dozens of other major US airports can do it, ORD sure as hell can.

In the year 2014, where internet connectivity is a necessity (especially for business travelers who might want to accomplish some work on layovers), free wi-fi is a DUH proposition.

By the way, isn't Chicago supposed to be a "progressive" or forward-thinking city? Heck, they even released llamas and goats into the airport fields to clear away the brush, so talk about being granola. Mayor Emanuel wants to make the city the most bike-friendly in the country. The city's efforts to cultivate this progressive image doesn't jive with the paywall policy.

Obviously, the city is more concerned with raising more revenue in the short-term. Withe competing pressures from other airports, I think the paywall will fall in due time.

Mar 7, 2014, 8:41 am

#37

toomanybooks

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I was at ORD a couple weekends ago. My phone detected a link for "free wifi," but I could not get it to work.

So who knows?

Apr 6, 2014, 6:51 pm

#38

SkiAdcock

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I was sitting outside the United Club near T1, C17 to try & pick up its signal when I noticed a free wifi at ORD option (w/ 5 bars/good strength; better than the UC's). Clicked on free wifi & it worked. It's being sponsored by companies I think. You have to watch a 15 second ad & then you can either go to the sponsor's site or say no thanks & just do your normal surfing, email, etc.

Not sure if that's true for the entire airport, but if it is it's worth watching a 15 second ad

Cheers.

Apr 7, 2014, 7:17 am

#39

gobluetwo

Join Date: Jun 2007

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Randomized

Obviously, the city is more concerned with raising more revenue in the short-term.

Welcome to Chicago.

Quote:

Originally Posted by toomanybooks

I was at ORD a couple weekends ago. My phone detected a link for "free wifi," but I could not get it to work.

So who knows?

These may or may not be legitimate. Just be careful when connecting to these that they aren't spoofed and actually allowing unwanted access to your device.

Apr 8, 2014, 12:53 pm

#40

SkiAdcock

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Quote:

Originally Posted by gobluetwo

These may or may not be legitimate. Just be careful when connecting to these that they aren't spoofed and actually allowing unwanted access to your device.

It seemed legit when I accessed it. It's similar to the free wifi set-up in LAS. You click on the free wifi link, info re: airport comes up which you have to agree to (the usual disclaimers/lawyer speak), then info re: sponsor, you have to watch the 10-15 second 'ad' from the sponsor, then you can continue to the sponsor's site (presumably which is why they're underwriting it) or say no thanks & then just access email, FT, etc. I accessed the ORD free wifi on my Kindle Fire HD, not a mobile phone or laptop.

Cheers.

Apr 9, 2014, 12:00 am

#41

Starblazer

Join Date: Oct 2009

Location: Up North

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Posts: 782

Sounds like the AWG system that MSP and DTW have... pay or free with an ad.

May 16, 2014, 7:41 am

#42

CosmosHuman

Join Date: Feb 2008

Location: CLE

Posts: 1,886

I don't know if someone mentioned this before but I just found out if you have Time Warner Cable internet at home you can install their app on your phone/tablet/laptop to get FREE wifi. I did a location search at ORD is covered.

http://www.timewarnercable.com/en/in...-hotspots.html

May 25, 2014, 11:04 am

#43

ryandelmundo

Join Date: Sep 2010

Location: Bali, Indonesia

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Posts: 967

An airport has free escalators so you can move about. It has free toilets. Free drinking fountains. When traveling, communication with others about your flights and such seems as much a necessity as anything else.

We pay plenty of money in fees to the airport (and we all know these fees vary widely) to fly in. Most of us spend a money while here on food and the like.

Shameful not to have internet. Bangkok airports are finally getting free wifi but before, as a traveler, you don't really have access to their payment systems. I couldn't get it to work. Travelers to the US must really be befuddled.