Jul 24, 2008
Looking for free Wi-Fi while traveling? Equip yourself with a Starbucks card
Starbucks has made a few headlines in recent weeks for its decision to close about 600 of its stores. Apparently, there are plenty of people who have realized that paying $4 for a cup of coffee is perhaps not the wisest use of limited funds and have wisely cut back their consumption. Starbucks itself is also apparently becoming as aware of its saturation as the rest of us.
But the chain, which currently has some remaining 7,000 outposts nationwide, will be no less ubiquitous in the short term. That prevalence can be a good thing for travelers, even those who never drink a drop of coffee. Laptop computer travelers can now use Starbucks as their personal Internet cafe and never pay for web access on the road.
That's because earlier this year, the chain announced that it would change its wireless Internet services, which were a paid service in most fully-sized stores, to become free. The only thing customers must now do to gain access to the Internet with their laptops in its shops is obtain a free Starbucks Card (www.starbucks.com/card). That is a prepaid card, like a gift card, that is loaded with the amount that the customer chooses. As long as they use that card at least once a month, Starbucks Wi-Fi is free for two hours a day.
Customers can buy a water, a coffee, a sandwich to eat while they surf the web, or the usage can be as simple as putting a few more dollars on the card. That means that for the price of a beverage, the web could theoretically be free for a month.
The deal also means that AT&T, which arranges the Internet connectivity, may send customers up to four sales e-mails a year. To keep personal in-boxes unclogged, my suggestion is to set up a special, free webmail account on Yahoo or a similar service to which the pitches will be sent. A list of Starbucks stores with wireless facilities can be found at www.starbucks.com/wifi.
Write and read comments about this post.
But the chain, which currently has some remaining 7,000 outposts nationwide, will be no less ubiquitous in the short term. That prevalence can be a good thing for travelers, even those who never drink a drop of coffee. Laptop computer travelers can now use Starbucks as their personal Internet cafe and never pay for web access on the road.
That's because earlier this year, the chain announced that it would change its wireless Internet services, which were a paid service in most fully-sized stores, to become free. The only thing customers must now do to gain access to the Internet with their laptops in its shops is obtain a free Starbucks Card (www.starbucks.com/card). That is a prepaid card, like a gift card, that is loaded with the amount that the customer chooses. As long as they use that card at least once a month, Starbucks Wi-Fi is free for two hours a day.
Customers can buy a water, a coffee, a sandwich to eat while they surf the web, or the usage can be as simple as putting a few more dollars on the card. That means that for the price of a beverage, the web could theoretically be free for a month.
The deal also means that AT&T, which arranges the Internet connectivity, may send customers up to four sales e-mails a year. To keep personal in-boxes unclogged, my suggestion is to set up a special, free webmail account on Yahoo or a similar service to which the pitches will be sent. A list of Starbucks stores with wireless facilities can be found at www.starbucks.com/wifi.
Write and read comments about this post.
Labels: websites
Fifty years ago, 
Arthur Frommer is generally acknowledged to be the nation's foremost travel authority. He is the founder of the
