I'm not sure how useful this map is, as most airports have free public WiFi. Sometimes you may have to watch a 30-second video advertisement while signing on. I frankly have no problem trading 30 seconds of inattention for a corporate sponsorship of my being online. But there are other alternatives.
Anil Polar's labor of love has been the creation of the above google map collecting WiFi passwords contributed by his readers at airports around the world. I'm not sure how useful this information is. Looking at the airport closest to my home, San Francisco International Airport, the collected passwords are from several airport lounges — AirFrance/KLM (international terminal), Centurion Lounge (Terminal 3), and Admirals Club (Terminal 2). If you have access to those lounges, there's no purpose to this map. I suppose you could sit on the hard floor outside those lounges, but why would you do that? SFO has free public WiFi.
There are better alternatives! For instance, American Express Platinum Card members (1) get free admission into the Centurion Lounge, (2) receive Priority Pass which provides free admission to the AirFrance/KLM Lounge, and (3) have access to complimentary WiFi at over one million Boingo hotspots worldwide. And if you're flying internationally in business class, you also receive complimentary lounge access
If you're a frequent flyer, legitimate lounge membership is actually a good idea. Here are some of the advantages.
- (1) Comfortable seating in chairs or sofas that are not bolted to the floor.
- (2) Quiet and decorum.
- (3) Complimentary snacks and drinks.
- (4) An airline desk (sans the long lines out in the terminal) with top agents who can rebook flights or process that upgrade.
- (5) Clean restrooms without lines.
- (6) Sometimes showers.
- (7) Free WiFi.
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