The world is becoming more and more connected. The computer industry is constantly coming up with newer innovations and ways to keep us connect to the Internet. The travel industry is jumping on the bandwagon and offering services to placate the social media-minded traveler.
Hotels around the world are starting to offer wireless services as a standard part of the package. More airlines are now giving people the option of wireless connectivity. Tons of trendy restaurants offer the wireless option as well. It seems that social networking is making its way into every corner of the globe and it’s not just there to check your Facebook profile anymore. What started as a way to pass the time has now reach out and created a way to keep people in touch to whatever source they wish at any hour or minute of the day. Now, no matter what leg of your journey, you can do anything, from a reverse phone lookup, to a destination search, or even to find the best restaurant in town.
In a recent study, email and Facebook has been reported to be the two most used features for travelers in-flight. As of 2011, seven different airlines offer WiFi access for travelers in order to access their email and Facebook accounts. Virgin America, United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta, AirTran, US Airways, and Alaska Airline all offer users wireless services as a part of their ticket charge. The main in-flight WiFi service provider for these airlines is GoGo and will have additional services to in-flight travelers for an additional $4.95 to $12.95. This rate varies and depends on the distance of the flight. Multi-device (i.e. smartphones, laptops, iPads) access is also available but not concurrently.
It’s still unclear as to what this will mean for the industry and if it will eventually affect ticket prices. The majority of flights still don’t offer WiFi but it’s likely, in the coming years that an increasing number of airlines will offer it as a standard feature of airline travel. Eventually, it seems, you’ll be able to access the Internet from any destination on the planet.
There are also online resources, like wififreespot.com.com, that informs trekkers about which hotels have free WiFi services. Similar resources are popping up all over the place and it’s likely that most businesses, restaurants, and just about every other place will have WiFi as a way to compete for business. It seems that, in today’s world of interconnectivity, you have to stay connected in order to stay in business.