Thanks for your story. I used both MATLAB and Octave, and while the language syntax is the same and most of the built in functions and basic toolbox functions are similar, Octave come short as soon as you start using graphics and more advanced toolboxes.

I flew Delta and they offered free internet for WhatsApp, iMessage and Facebook Messenger text-only messages. Better than nothing, but I suppose some of you here would have been able to access the full WAN through that.