Should You Use Airline Wi-Fi?

Above, an Air China jet at Narita International Airport. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To use airline Wi-Fi or not use airline Wi-Fi? That is the question.

To help you along in deciding whether or not to use the Wi-Fi that airlines are now making available, here is a portion of an article from the Huffington Post:

Accessing private information from someone on an airplane isn't as hard as portrayed in "Inception." In fact, the act can be completed simply by using onboard Wi-Fi. 

So say security experts, who want travelers to know the Wi-Fi commonly available on commercial airliners isn't any safer than the unsecured network at your local coffee shop. Which is not to say you shouldn't use it (assuming you're willing to cough up the requisite cash), just that you'd be wise to keep the laptop on which you conduct sensitive business safely stowed in the overhead compartment. 

GoGo, one of the largest providers of in-flight Wi-Fi, provides a secure encrypted connection for only one part of your interaction with them: when you give them your credit card information. After that, the company acknowledges in its FAQ section, the data you transmit over the network could easily be intercepted.

I have not as yet used Wi-Fi while flying and it isn't for the reasons that the Huffington Post article cites. It is due to the ridiculous charges the airlines charge for using the service.

To read the full article, go here.