NOLAnwGOLD

Sitting her in the Presidents Club in IAH with free quick and easy Wifi access in the lounge is great!!! THough I miss my Milanos and the expresso machine, I'm much more into the free Wifi. Will NW Worldclubs ever do so?

slippahs

WiFi might be a great advantage, especially since it might attract new WC memberships...

Is NW locked into a Wifi contract with Concourse Communications (IIRC) at MSP? If so, that might complicated adding free Wifi into the WC there?

NOLAnwGOLD

I'm quite sure that the could modify the contract and give them some of the revenue (or back some of the revenue that NW gets from them)...there's always a way....

notsosmart

At DTW, two days ago, I kept getting kicked off the network. I paid $6.95, and managed to read one email and one online article before I finally gave up.

Can't get them to give me my money back, either.

So yes, free would be better, especially if the connection quality is total carp.

fromYXU

Works fine today!
I agree that Club membership would be best with free access. A access card offered at the front desk would do it for me.

clarence5ybr

Since Concourse Communications is terminal-wide, I'd always assumed that their deal is with the airport authority, not with NW, and that the signal you get in NW is just what happens from blanketing the concourses with coverage. Has anybody seen a node in a WC?

I just moved to RNO, and I miss the free concourse-wide wireless that I got used to at the ABQ airport. I guess most airports are greedy enough that their cut of the revenue from a service provider is worth more than helping the customers using the airport.

DJMeatBall

Cathay Pacific offers free WiFi (and free computers hooked up to the 'net, for those without laptops) in most of their lounges worldwide.

The United lounges in NRT also have free Wireless.

Free WiFi access would be an extremely cost effective, awesome amenity to add to the WorldClubs. Does any other US airline besides Continental offer it in their lounges?

ewj

This contract is via the airport. While free Wi-Fi would be great I am betting if it were done the unions would go wild (and rightly so). I love the feee wi-fi and hook up I get when at Alaska Air (and their longes are better).

I doubt that free wi-fi would generate 20 new members system wide and they would need a lttle less then 200 just to break even. If smoking does not being in more members why would free wi-fi?

channa

Why would unions care about free WiFi for club members? Other airports with WiFi have clubs that offer different or free WiFi. It's leased space, and unless it's prohibited in the lease (not likely), it shouldn't be an issue.

Also, I'm sure free WiFi would bring in far more than 20 new members. People who pay up to $10/day just for airport WiFi access while travelling could easily justify the cost of a club membership based on the free WiFi alone.

Not that this is related, but since you brought it up, as for smoking, at least in the U.S., smoking is so disliked, if they allowed smoking, they'd probably lose members as a result.

gretchendz

Have NEVER understood why free WiFi is not a WorldClub amenity....get with it WClub!!!

dave_261

By my count looking at the club list on nwa.com, there are about 25 WorldClubs (of course not counting any partner lounges).
I'm assuming a hi-speed connection would cost about $100 (or less), per month, per lounge, probably including the wireless router (perhaps some clubs already have hi-speed installed?).
That translates into about $30,000 per year or so for the whole chain, assuming NWA couldn't work a deal for hooking up multiple lounges or even in exchange for some promotion for the provider.
That would necessitate about 100 new members to make this a break-even proposition.

As an aside, I noticed that there's no worldclub or partner lounge in Indianapolis. How long will it take before NW puts one there to support all of the new flights?

mmaddog

AS offers both Lan and WiFi for free. WC was never a leader in new stuff, but at lease should be a close follower......

I do believe people are willing to pay for WC because of free WiFi.... they just do the same math as they did with the bloody marys .

BLI-Flyer

Alaska Airlines has free WiFi in their lounges, the Alaska Board Rooms.

ewj

[QUOTE=dave_261]By my count looking at the club list on nwa.com, there are about 25 WorldClubs (of course not counting any partner lounges).
I'm assuming a hi-speed connection would cost about $100 (or less), per month, per lounge, probably including the wireless router (perhaps some clubs already have hi-speed installed?).
QUOTE]


I am not sure how you got to $100 per month. That would only cover the internet access. Not the security, maintenance cost - not to mention infrastructure.

Just think about 20-30 wireless connections, making sure that are not able to see each other machines, having enough working AP. If wireless was $100 a month many more companies would do away with their wires. We are not talking about a coffee shop with 5 people.

channa

heh heh... I always love it when people forget maintenance, support, and staff to run things.

OT, but reminds me of the time an end user was complaining about an email storage policy and tried to justify more space by saying "disk space is cheap." He even went so far as to include a link to a Best Buy ad with a cheap, consumer grade $89 hard drive.

My response was something to the effect of, "If I approve this drive, how long before you're off the email system? I'd love to save a license, the space, and related backup costs. For $89 in one-time costs, to make uptime be your problem, seems like a fantastic deal to me."