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[daviator]

Has anyone here ever used Boingo.com's (www.boingo.com) services?  From what I can tell, Boingo is basically a public wi-fi aggregator, you pay a monthly fee (typically $8-10) and you get access to many of those pay-by-the-hour WiFi networks in airports, cafés, hotels, etc. around the world.

If it works, it's a heck of a lot cheaper than paying the ridiculous fees those networks often charge for a la carte usage.  I'm going to be out of the country for a couple of weeks next month, and I'm thinking it could be very handy for my iPhone and iPad.

Anybody have any experience they can share?

[perkiset]

[KaptainKrayola]

I have used Boingo when sitting in an airport waiting for a flight or spending the night thanks to missing a flight but i don't use them regularly.  I think they charge like $10 for 24 hour use.

worked fine for me there but have never used a boingo hotspot outside of an airport.

[isthisthingon]

Haven't used it.  First reaction: sounds a little like a timeshare that I'd cancel when I realized I didn't use it enough.  Then I looked at all the locations and if you travel all the time it might be a great deal.  Will be nice when enough wifi spots can effectively eliminate the need for wireless, or at least for the voips among us.

[daviator]

I used to travel all the time, but these days it's just occasionally.  But for $8 a month, it might be worth it.  Perhaps I'll give it a try.

[isthisthingon]

I checked the map in my area and I have 6 Starbucks and 4 McDonalds with the service.  But Starbucks now gives all their wifi away for free with no logins, 2-hour limits, etc., and I'm not much on McDonalds these days...

so like perk said:

[perkiset]

Important note: WiFi at Chik Fil A also. Just sayin'.

Oh wait, its already free 

I would only consider such a thing as Boingo if I repeatedly hit the same hotels. I'd get to (any) hotel that didn't offer it, pay the %$#%&24.99 per 24 hour period to get crapnet and be one PISSED off bugger that Boingo didn't serve me. Or, I'd buy the time block and THEN remember that I should have tried Boingo.

Dunno Dv8r ... I'm skeptical if you don't see an immediate benefit.

[daviator]

Well, I'm not thinking of a long-term membership, I'm thinking I'll try it for this Europe trip that's coming up.  If it works in airports, and in some cafes and coffee shops in each city where I'll be, it might be really useful.  Free WiFi is darned near impossible to find in Europe.

After that I'd likely cancel, it's not that useful to me while I'm not traveling.