> Honest question: it's still a consensus that they do have value in situations such as airport Wi-Fi, correct?
No. I don't think this was ever a consensus. When is the last time you've used a (sensitive) website that is not run over HTTPS? Unless the CAs (or the certs) are compromised, you have no reason to use a VPN when on public Wi-Fi, because it is encrypted with this so-called "military grade encryption" that VPN providers love to mention.
Edit: forgot to add, if the CAs or the certs are compromised, VPNs won't help anyway.
No. I don't think this was ever a consensus. When is the last time you've used a (sensitive) website that is not run over HTTPS? Unless the CAs (or the certs) are compromised, you have no reason to use a VPN when on public Wi-Fi, because it is encrypted with this so-called "military grade encryption" that VPN providers love to mention.
Edit: forgot to add, if the CAs or the certs are compromised, VPNs won't help anyway.