I'm back from vacationing in Barcelona and I got a few quick things to say. 1)I was saddened by the fact that none of the airports I came across had free Wi-Fi. Newark International (EWR), Brussels (BRU), and Barcelona (BCN) failed the free Wi-Fi test.
2)I have nothing but praise for Jet Airways. It was my first time flying with them. Not only did they have the cheapest airfare, but their plane was comfortable and spacious (this coming from someone who's 6'2" and never has enough legroom). Unfortunately, they didn't have onboard Wi-Fi, but they had a pretty cool list of movies, TV shows, and games. Brussels Airlines on the other hand was atrocious. Planes were small, they had no built-in LCD/entertainment hub, their air conditioning was a joke, and you had to pay for everything — water, snacks, food, etc. Maybe we got shortchanged by Brussels Airlines since it was the second leg of our trip, but still — it left a bad impression.
3)Although Barcelona's airport lacks Wi-Fi, the city has various open hot spots. There were blue street signs posted throughout letting people know they were in an open hotspot.
4)Europe is so energy conscious it makes us here in the States look horrible. Brussels Airport has motion-sensor escalators that only power up when you're on or near them. Many establishments in Barcelona prefer to keep their air conditioners off or powered on very low in order to save electricity. Our hotel would make it a point of taking off our lights and AC every time we left the room.
5)As any geek would, I brought my laptop with me to Barcelona. I also took my MagicJack adapter and a headset with me so I could test out MagicJack from abroad and make calls back home to New York. I wasn't sure whether the calls would be free or not, so I contacted MJ's online tech support before leaving. After a quick wait, they notified me via live chat that the calls would be free. And indeed they were. (You only pay for international calls originating in the U.S.) However, what impressed me the most was that my MagicJack calls came through loud and clear. I was using our hotel's Wi-Fi (which was so-so connectivity-wise) in Barcelona to make the calls and it was more than enough bandwidth. Again, I realize some people have had nothing but problems with the company, but I fully recommend MagicJack for the constant traveller or anyone looking for a budget VoIP line.
