Generally when many of us sign up for new credit cards we end up applying because of a few flagship benefits. It’s the huge 60,000 sign-up bonus or 5X Points on Airfare that finally convinces us to sign-up for a card. However, after we sign up perhaps we don’t do the best job in maximizing all of the benefits offered by a particular card. I don’t even want to begin to guess how many unclaimed Airline of Choice credits expired worthless at the end of 2018!
I like to think for the most part I at least know about all of the benefits offered by the cards in my wallet. However, it seems every few months I uncover yet another benefit I either didn’t know about or had completely forgotten about. In this case, I recently rediscovered the Boingo WiFi benefit offered by the American Express Platinum card.
Boingo Preferred Plan From American Express
One of the lesser known (and appreciated) benefits of Ame’s Platinum card is a complimentary Boingo Preferred plan. Boingo offers complimentary WiFi access to thousands (millions) of WiFi hotspots around the globe. The service typically costs about $10/month, however, Amex Platinum customers receive a complimentary membership. To access this benefit you must click through the Amex benefits page to access the Amex.Boingo landing page.
By clicking on the enroll now button Amex will redirect you to a Boingo landing page.
This page introduces the benefit and hints at exactly what you are unlocking. A little lower on the landing page you’ll find additional information about the complimentary preferred plan.
Toward the bottom of the page you must enter your Amex Platinum card number into a box to verify your eligibility.
After typing in my card number I reached another page which confirmed that I was eligible for a complimentary Boingo Preferred Plan.
Once I confirmed my eligibility I then proceeded to register for a Boingo account.
How To Register For the Boingo Preferred Plan
I began the registration process by filling out some personal information such as my name and email address.
Toward the bottom of the page I entered a username and password. Within a few seconds I was registered and had access to my new Boingo Preferred account.
Immediately after registering for my complimentary Boingo plan I then proceeded to download the iOS mobile app which is where things start to get interesting. Not that this post hasn’t already been interesting, but if you were like me you still don’t really know what Boingo does…
Download The Boingo Mobile App
The Boingo App is where I actually see a ton of value from this benefit. That’s because the app runs on your phone in the background to find any available WiFi hotspots. Once a hotspot is identified the mobile app automatically connects your phone to the available network. Boingo does a great job explaining how this works when you first launch the mobile app.
Once you launch the mobile app you must first agree to the terms and conditions. After you agree the app will direct you through some features.
Firstly, the mobile app explains how Boingo stores your credentials so getting on a WiFi network is a breeze.
Next, the app explains how there are WiFi hotspots available in all sorts of locations. Personally, I’ve been getting a lot of use out of Boingo in airport terminals.
Next, the app shows you a preview of a map that you can use to find WiFi. The map isn’t as helpful as I’d like it to be, but it does sort of show you where hotspots should be.
Finally, the app introduces their Automagic WiFi technology. What this means is that the app will automatically connect you to a WiFi network when available.
After clicking through each of these prompts you will reach a login screen where you can enter your new username and password.
While of course you can use Boingo on your phone, you can also use it on a laptop or tablet. For tablets you again download the app and follow the above process. If you are on a laptop you simply visit the WiFi registration page and then enter your Boingo credentials.
Final Thoughts
I’ve never given WiFi much thought because for the past several years I’ve had a completely unlimited data plan. However, more recently I’ve started noticing slower internet speeds on my mobile device and I’m starting to wonder if T-Mobile is throttling my data speeds due to high usage. I guess maybe it isn’t smart to teather my laptop to my phone for a few hours a day… So, because of this, I’m hoping that by using Boingo I’ll be able to lower my data usage and maintain the same data speeds I’ve come to love from T-Mobile.
Likewise, I’ve installed the Boingo app on my new Pixel 3 from Google FI in another attempt to curb data usage. Google Fi charges $10/GB for the first 6 GB so I’m hoping to stay below that threshold each month. Ideally with the Boingo app I’ll only have to rarely use data when I’m not on my home WiFi network.
Finally, I ultimately was reminded about Boingo when I saw that I could use my membership for complimentary ViaSat WiFi on a recent American Airlines flight. At the time I wasn’t registered, but I hope next time I fly on a ViaSat aircraft that I’ll have completely free WiFi throughout my flight.
