Hmmm... I googled for the AT&T "Passport" plan and did get a hit on a page that outlined 3 options. Then, after logging in to my account & filling out the initial info (which phone & which countries) the page that presented as "best" for me was this daily passport plan. I'm going to be gone over 2 months. I certainly don't want a $10 / day plan!
Are the old plans really gone, or am I not looking in the right place??
Are you referring to this? https://www.att.com/offers/international-plans/passport.html
You can still get the old passport plan by calling customer service. I just did this a couple weeks ago. $40/month for unlimited text and a small amount of data. All I need.
No, the other plans are still there, you just have to get past the hard sell on the $10 plan. I think it shows a link to "want to see other plans" or something like that.
Different strokes for different folks. I had used the $40/month plan in the past, meaning $80 for a 6-week trip, but I hardly ever used the phone, sometimes not even once. I relied on my iPad on wifi, but wanted to have phone service just in case I needed it. When I called in to AT & T, I was happy to learn of this $10/day, only if I use it, plan. It should save me $80, or at least $50 or $60.
It is indeed a hard sell, but for me this past trip it was a better deal than the previous Passport plan; I typically travel for 12-14 days and with the cost of the plan plus the calls I'd make to my parents I usually had an extra $100-120 on my bill. This time with 12 days gone I only used data or made calls on 7 of them, so just $70. I'm glad to hear the old plan is still available for those it suits better.
The thing that gets me about the $10/day plan is that I think a telemarketer call or incoming text from someone random could count as "using" it that day and therefore cost $10. 4 of those on a 3 week trip and your're surpassing the passport plan. Is this correct?
Thanks, all. Yes, that link in the first reply is where I began this morning. I did the login and worked through a succession of screens: SLOWLY filled in all the countries for the one phone (really, really awful interface!) ... and then the next screen switched me to (only) the $10 day plan.
We'll be gone 60+ days. If I could trust that it would really be a "per day" deal then, sure, it might work out about the same as a couple of months on the cheapo plan. But I've read some horror stories (one I think was here on RS) from people who THOUGHT they'd only used a couple of days, only to find that AT&T "counted" a weak WiFi connection as a usage day. I know, I know ... sounds fishy and there are always horror stories.
In the past we've bought one plan for two months to cover "emergencies" -- and never had to use much of the data allocation at all. We plan to stay in Airplane Mode on both phones 99% of the time. But we're staying in AirBnB-type places and need to make a connection to the host on arrival in each city. I'm hoping texting will work for that, and that no odd calls come in while I have the phone switched on.
And then there's the issue of preventing voice mail from firing up whenever the phone is switched on. But that's another question/topic.
I'll sleep on it and try the phone contact tomorrow.
I think that if you don't do a plan you can still make/receive texts @ something like 60cents per text right? So could you do the $10/day plan and have it not activate unless you use data?
We used the $10/day plan on recent 2 week trip. Only used it on two days, so total cost $20. If you get charged for "weak wifi" days, its because you don't have the settings right. I had airplane mode on the whole time, and turned wifi on only when I was at hotels. No unexpected charges. When you don't need to use the phone, keep it turned off.
" But I've read some horror stories (one I think was here on RS) from people who THOUGHT they'd only used a couple of days, only to find that AT&T "counted" a weak WiFi connection as a usage day. I know, I know ... sounds fishy and there are always horror stories."
It's not "fishy." Here's the thread you're referring to: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/tech-tips/wifi-assist-ate-our-data
As said in that thread, it's an issue in the US as well as abroad, and on any kind of phone or tablet with both cellular data and Wi-Fi (Apple, Android, Windows). Just make sure you have turned off the option to use cellular data when the Wi-Fi is weak, and you won't have this problem. On Apple, it's called Wi-Fi Assist; on my Samsung, it's called Smart Network Switch (I don't know if it's the same on other Android phones).
I find the ATT website extremely frustrating on this matter as well. You need to call ATT customer service and they can set up the $40 a month plan for you over the phone. I just did this last week. You can also use the "live chat" feature that pops up on your screen.
I have been pleased with the service in previous years. My cellphone worked without difficulty across Europe and Africa. I really like that if my parents (both in their late 80's) need to try to contact me, they just can input the same number that they usually use and they will get in touch with me! I don't really use it for calling, but do like my unlimited texting being available as well. For me, $40 so that I don't worry about my folks not being able to get in touch is a bargain. I'll gladly pay this just for peace of mind.
I left for Europe April 24 and at that time could not get the ATT site to get past the $10/day page. I live chatted and finally got an agent who said the ATT web had a glitch and he figured out a work around. He told me to tell it I was going to Kenya when it asked what country you were going to use it. Sure enough it allowed me to process the change to the one-month, $40 passport plan and it worked without a problem during my 23-day stay in Hungary, Austria Czech Rep and Germany. He said he tried everything and this was the only country that worked!
I've used the Passport plan several times in Europe and Canada and find that I have had just enough data to do what I need during 3-week to one-mont trips. Make sure that your settings are not using data when you don't want it. I turn off cellular data on my iPhone until I need to use an App.
The $10 day pass is best for people who want to use a lot of data. For $10 I can use as much data as I use at home? Sounds fantastic to me. I use GPS all the time and I can't find my way out of a paper bag, even at home. And if you accidentally get it activated by receiving or sending one text, you can take it off and you'll be billed at your pay-per-use rates. Pay per use outgoing international text is $0.50. Incoming texts bill domestically, so generally they are free since most people enjoy unlimited texting at home.
