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.