Gettin’ Carried Away

Which carrier offers the best deal for American travelers? As I said in my previous post, I will explore a different carrier, and I’ve decided to do it in alphabetical order to eliminate bias. First up was Altell. Next? AT&T

THE LOGISTICS

National Plan

AT&T has come a long way since its former days of being Cingular Wireless. Now, every plan available is considered “national” with zero roaming charges in all 50 states. The cheapest plan costs $39.99. This gives you 450 daytime minutes, 5,000 nights/weekend minutes, rollover and unlimited mobile-to-mobile. However, text messaging is not included.

AT&T also offers a combo Nation with Canada Plan. The lowest rate for Nation with Canada is $59.99 per month, giving you 450 daytime minutes and rollover. Unlimited mobile-to-mobile applies in the U.S. only. All Nation with Canada plans give you 1000 nights/weekends minutes.

International Roaming Add-Ons

If you frequent other countries, you may consider purchasing any or all International Roaming add-ons:

• World Traveler: For $5.99 per month, you’ll have access to lower rates compared to AT&T’s standard rates. For example, calling anyone while in the UK would cost $1.29 per minute without the World Traveler add-on, and $.099 per minute with it. However, AT&T posts a disclaimer stating that you may not be able to dial other international destinations other than lines in the UK and the U.S. while you are in the United Kingdom.
• World Connect: For $3.99 per month, you can call to over 220 countries no matter where you are located. Again, using the UK as an example, it would cost $0.08 to reach a land line and $0.28 to call a mobile phone (whether you are calling to the US from the UK or vice versa). There are no travel restrictions, so you would be able to phone any country at the rates listed on their website.
• Canada: For $4.99 per month, you will be charged $0.59 per min while roaming in Canada and $0.09 per min while roaming in U.S.
• Mexico: For $4.99 per month, you will be charged $0.59 per minute while roaming in Mexico, $0.09 per minute when calling from the U.S. to a Mexican landline, and $0.25 per minute when calling from the U.S. to a Mexican wireless device.

MY ANALYSIS

National Plans

I can remember the days when you had to buy a separate National Plan, so the fact that all plans include zero roaming charges throughout the United States is awesome to me. However, the Nation with Canada Plan kind of irritates me. What about Mexico? Also, why offer a Nation with Canada Plan and a Canada add-on? I suppose if you frequently call Canada, the Nation with Canada Plan makes more sense. The only benefit I see is that you are not charged for roaming in Canada (or the U.S.)… just an additional $0.45 per minute should you go over the minutes in your plan.

Now what if you’re just taking a trip to Canada? Depending on the amount of time you’re spending there, it might not make sense to get the Canada add-on, seeing that you’ll have to pay $4.99 for the a month of service (even if you’re only going for a few days). However, an AT&T sales rep might just try to push the this service on you when you call to tell them you’ll be out of the country for a bit. The service can easily be canceled after a month, but how much are you really saving?

The standard rate is $0.79 per minute, but with the Canada add-on, you’ll pay $0.59 per minute. Say you’re in Canada for a week, and you call home each night for 10 minutes. Without the plan, you’ll pay around $55. With the Canada add-on, you’ll save $9 on the calls. While I realize, these days, that every penny counts, what if you don’t call home every night? And if you do, what if you only talk for a minute to let someone know you’re ok? Evaluate your cell phone habits before you decide to spend the $4.99 for the monthly add-on. And don’t forget to cancel the service for the next month!

Now, on to the rest of the International Roaming Add-Ons:

• World Traveler: With the example I picked (the UK), you save $0.30 on rates. However, AT&T posts a disclaimer stating that you may not be able to dial other international destinations other than lines in the UK and the U.S. while you are in the United Kingdom. This isn’t always the case, though, as I know plenty of travelers with AT&T phones who have called other countries (besides the U.S.) while in the UK. This is your best option if you’re traveling the globe.
• World Connect: Again, using the UK as an example, you’ll save $1.21 when calling a land line and $1.01 when calling a mobile phone, whether you are calling to the US from the UK or vice versa. There are no travel restrictions, so you would be able to phone any country at the rates listed on their website. This is your best option if you’re frequently calling a friend, relative, coworker, etc in the UK.
• Canada: I forgot to mention that you will save $0.70 on calls to Canada from the U.S. This option might be good for a parent whose child is traveling in Canada. I went to Canada twice in high school, so this option might have been ideal for my mom if she wanted to contact me on a daily basis. However, if you’re calling Canada a lot, the Nation with Canada PLAN is a better deal.
• Mexico: The standard rate to Mexico is $0.99 per minute, so you’re saving $0.49 per minute while in Mexico, $0.40 per minute when calling a Mexican landline, and $0.24 per minute when calling a Mexican wireless device.

** All prices are projected for your average, run-of-the-mill mobile phone, and none of them include text/picture messaging. Blackberry phones, iPhones, PDAs and other Smartphones require additional data plans ranging from $30-60 per month no matter what plan you select.

When iPhone users travel abroad, AT&T encourages them to turn roaming off to block email, browsing and downloads. Data plans for text messaging (and web browsing, email checking, etc) are available, but the lowest rate is $24.99 for 20 MB of data/usage in just 90 countries. That’s great for text messaging, but it won’t help you for usage. Remember, each time you check your email or look at a web page, you’re using a lot of data. 20 MB will go fast if your phone is your lifeline while you’re traveling. If you want more MB, the most expensive data plan is $199.99 per month for 200 MB. You might just want to use net cafes for net activities.

I started traveling around the same time that my friends and I got cell phones. I can still remember that one word that made our parents shudder at the thought of shelling out big bucks for a phone bill. And that word was… roaming. Now that I am a frequent traveler, and I’ve been paying my mobile bill for quite some time now, I’m a little more concerned with the extra costs. Which carrier offers the best deal for American travelers?

I have decided to start a new series of posts and explore a different carrier in each article. I’m doing it in alphabetical order to eliminate bias. First up? Alltel.

THE LOGISTICS

National Freedom Plan

This is the main national plan offered by Alltell Wireless. You are covered all across the nation. Alltell calls it the Freedom Plan, since you also have access to My Circle and Anytime Plan Changes.

The most affordable plan costs $39.99 per month

• 1 My Circle Number
• 500 minutes
• $0.40 per additional minute

The most expensive plan costs $199.99 per month:

• 20 My Circle Numbers
• 6000 minutes
• $0.25 per additional minute

International Dialing

International dialing is free. You must add it onto your existing plan, and you may only call the following countries:

• Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Bonaire, Puerto Rico, St. Maarten and U.S. Virgin Islands for $1.29 per minute.
• Mexico for $0.79 per minute.

To call other countries not included in the above list, you’ll have to purchase an international add-on for $3.99 per month for discounted rates. For example, the standard rate for the UK is $0.65 per minute; with the add-on, the price is $0.20 per minute.

The North American Freedom Plan offers toll-free calling from the U.S. to specific areas in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as back to the U.S. The cheapest plan starts at $59.99 and includes 10 My Circle Numbers, 450 daytime minutes. All North American Freedom Plans come with 1000 nights/weekends anywhere covered in the countries listed above, in addition to unlimited mobile-to-mobile in the U.S. only.

The last international feature is Cruise Ship Roaming. The standard rate on a cruise ship could be as much as $2.49 per minute, in addition to a $0.50 toll. With this feature, you’ll pay up to $0.13 per minute if you’re on one of these ships.

MY ANALYSIS

National Plans

You can change your plan at any time without extending your contract, which is unheard of with most other carriers.

With the cheapest plan, you only get unlimited to calls to one number and just 500 minutes to any other number. However, all National Freedom Plans $49.99 and higher include:

• a certain number of daytime minutes
• 5, 10 or 20 My Circle Numbers (which you can change at any time)
• Unlimited mobile-to-mobile
• Unlimited nights/weekends
• Free nationwide long distance

That $199.99 per month plan is the most expensive and comes with the 20 My Circle Numbers. However, did you know that Alltell offers a $99 per month Unlimited Calling Plan? The website says that the plan offers unlimited to calling to unlimited numbers 24/7, in addition to free nationwide long distance. So why would you choose the $199.99 per month plan?

International Dialing

It’s pretty cool that you don’t have to pay extra to call certain areas in Canada, Mexico, etc. However, if you do purchase the international add-on, calling Canada only costs $0.10 per minute. In the long run, if you’re an avid traveler, getting the add-on should save you more money than purchasing both the North American Freedom Plan and the monthly international add-on. I’ve also never heard of Cruise Ship Roaming being offered on a network. Seems like a lot of unique options here to me.

** All prices are projected for your average, run-of-the-mill mobile phone, and none of them include text/picture messaging, web browsing or emailing.

Also, Alltel recently merged with Verizon Wireless in January 2009. Alltel users will continue with their existing plans; however, once the contracts are up, Alltel users will most likely convert to Verizon plans. Verizon is currently unsure if they will continue the My Circle Plan once all Alltel contracts have ended.

It never fails that I fall ill before a trip. For instance, take this post I wrote earlier this year. I was headed to New Orleans, but before I traded the Windy City for the Big Easy, my hometown gave me a lovely parting gift: a horrible cold.

I had always been told by fellow travelers and by friends in the medical field that a sick person (especially one with a head cold) should really try to avoid flying. I already had a lot of pressure constricting my sinuses, so a drastic chance in the air pressure outside my body could really do some damage. I once flew over nine hours from France to Germany to the United States while nursing the sniffles, so I thought I’d take my chances with the measly two-and-a-half-hour plane ride from Illinois to Louisiana.

On BOTH occasions, I stepped off the plane with an immediate ear infection. The pain was… immense. I couldn’t yawn or swallow without an excruciating, stabbing pain bursting in my ear. The ache slowly faded as the days wore on, and when I returned home, I bought some Earplanes to help with any future discomfort. They worked! However, my most recent sickness before my latest trip was a little different from the common cold, and I ended up having to change my flight and cancel a night at the hotel. And, aside from some extra fees, making the necessary changes was… smooth sailing.

I’ve been under the weather for a little while. Two weeks ago, I started noticing a little tickle in my throat. I just kept drinking water and it eventually went away. As the week went on, I found it increasingly difficult to sleep, and I woke up every single day with a dry, scratchy throat. It’s happened to me before when the weather starts changing from warm to cold to warm and back again in Chicago, so I didn’t read too much into it. When I started coughing a little bit about nine days ago, I shrugged it off and kept on truckin’.

My sickness eventually evolved into a sore throat, body aches and wavering fever. I thought it might be the flu, so I kept up with the fluids, took some meds every four hours and alternated hot and cold drinks for my sore throat. Nothing helped. I had to call off work twice, and I eventually made my way to the ER because the pain was just too unbearable. Turns out, I was a little dehydrated and had contracted rapid strep throat. My throat was almost completely closed up… pretty gross, I know. I was supposed to leave for New York that night, but I was in no condition to travel.

First, I logged onto Southwest.com to try and change my flight. It was actually really easy to do, since I booked in online. If you book a flight over the phone, you’ll have to change the reservation over the phone, as well, if needed. Anyway, I chose a flight for Friday morning. All I had to pay was the difference in price. Obviously, a flight is going to be a little pricey if you purchase it the day before it leaves, but I was happy that Southwest didn’t slap me with any additional fees. Now, onto the hotel.

I booked through Priceline.com, because the site had an amazing deal. However, Priceline has this ‘No Cancelation’ policy, so I couldn’t just cancel the first night of my stay. I could, however, call the hotel and tell them I would not be coming until the next day, and my room would still be waiting for me whenever I did arrive that following day. So, while I still had to pay for a night on which I didn’t even sleep at the hotel, I didn’t have to fork over any extra fees.

In the end, my advice is to make sure you read through the cancellation/changes policies enforced by a given airline, hotel or agency. While you may lose out on money, you can still avoid paying hefty fees.