This summer, I flew back to the US to attend a family wedding. As a frequent traveller, I had prepared accordingly:
iPad?
✔️ Charged and ready
Netflix?
✔️ TV shows downloaded
Spotify?
✔️ Playlists available offline
Yet, I made a mistake I’ve done already one too many times before: connecting the iPad to the airport Wi-Fi during my layover.
After my connecting flight took off, when settling myself down with my iPad ready to watch a little TV, I realized my error.
Most of the shows I had previously prepared had now disappeared. Those that remained displayed the error, “Download not available in this country.”
I started mentally kicking myself.
Fool — you should have kept it on airplane mode until arriving.
Groaning and resigning myself to the airline's offering, I looked up at the seat console TV to browse the in-flight options. Then I noticed a little sticker on the back of the seat, reading “free high-speed in-flight Wi-Fi available”.
Instantly my brain oscillated from “Hallelujah!” to complete skepticism.
I bet it’s expensive and slow as hell.
I tried connecting to the network and, as expected, I was met with…not much. After waiting a little while, an orange error message under the Wi-Fi network appeared that read “No internet connection.”
I tried forgetting and reconnecting to the network a few times and eventually, I did manage to get a connection — and, incredibly, it seemed like it was indeed for free! (I had assumed there would be tiered plans.)
But, I couldn’t get a single webpage to load, it was just continuously buffering.
Now, the frustration I had with myself for connecting to the internet prematurely was displaced onto the airline.
I felt it was a classic case of over-promise, under-deliver, and it left me feeling even more irritated than before.
Full blog available on Medium.
Credits:
Read aloud by the author.
Image credits:
Music credits:
True Feelings: Relaxing Lofi by The Turquoise Moon
Relaxing Lo Fi Chill by Sondé
Sofa Sleeping by Jon Presstone
