Best cell phone plan for pilots

drunkenbeagle said:
T-mobile is hands down the best deal. It is really nice not needing to buy sim cards when out of the country. Free SMS and data everywhere I have been around the world, except for the USVI (50mb limit per day) - BVI was still unlimited. India, China, Israel, all of Europe, Canada -- free data.
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How's the coverage domestically? I've been with AT&T for a LONG time (wife and I share a family plan) but the international packages when she travels are getting really expensive. That's attractive, but at least domestically, I get outstanding coverage with AT&T.

Is T-mobile as good for coverage?
 
killbilly said:
How's the coverage domestically? I've been with AT&T for a LONG time (wife and I share a family plan) but the international packages when she travels are getting really expensive. That's attractive, but at least domestically, I get outstanding coverage with AT&T.

Is T-mobile as good for coverage?
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The only place I haven't had coverage was camping in the middle of the state, in the middle of nowhere. But there was no Verizon or AT&T coverage there either.
 
killbilly said:
I've been with AT&T for a LONG time (wife and I share a family plan) but the international packages when she travels are getting really expensive.
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I had an 85 page phone bill for international roaming on month last year. Total roaming and data fees? $0.00

It is really a no-brainer. Being able to use google maps, get directions, find where to eat on Yelp or whatever and not have to think about paying for data makes your life so much easier.
 
killbilly said:
How's the coverage domestically? I've been with AT&T for a LONG time (wife and I share a family plan) but the international packages when she travels are getting really expensive. That's attractive, but at least domestically, I get outstanding coverage with AT&T.

Is T-mobile as good for coverage?
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It's gotten a lot better over the years. Parts of Nebraska are the only places I've had any real problems.
 
Might have to switch on over to T-Mobile after hearing what everyone has to say. How's the 4G LTE speeds domestically?
 
flybywp said:
Might have to switch on over to T-Mobile after hearing what everyone has to say. How's the 4G LTE speeds domestically?
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Fast enough that I have not ever thought it was slow. The unlimited plans (at least when I switched) include 5gb or so of tethering, which is pretty much always faster than hotel wifi. Hotels would in fact be the only time I use it.
 
I have T-Mobile. Unlimited video on LTE for YouTube, Hulu, Netflix, etc. Great international roaming. Coverage isn't as good stateside but the wifi calling makes it easy to call home from anywhere.
 
Throw in an Atlantic crossing and that T-mobile phone isn't so great. That's all I'm saying. I've got one since it does work so well from a wifi hotspot in North America. International isn't just Canada and Mexico...


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drunkenbeagle said:
If you call a number that is international (outside of the US), you still pay international voice rates. Even over wifi, even if you are in that country. You could just use a local phone if you are there already though.
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Yes, I know. I rarely make calls to local numbers when I'm oconus.
 
BEEF SUPREME said:
Throw in an Atlantic crossing and that T-mobile phone isn't so great. That's all I'm saying. I've got one since it does work so well from a wifi hotspot in North America. International isn't just Canada and Mexico...


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I've used wifi calling on 4 continents and have only had problems on the sketchiest of hotel wifi.
 
BEEF SUPREME said:
I'm in Sierra Leone and T-mobile wants 3 bucks a minute for wifi calling.

YMMV


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BEEF SUPREME said:
Read it and weep homie:

http://www.t-mobile.com/templates/popup.aspx?PAsset=Inl_Txt_Messaging2

https://www.t-mobile.com/Cms/Files/...CA3EB86A4/file/StandardIntlRatesByCountry.pdf




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That's if you use the cell service. Wifi calling to CONUS is still free. Even from Sierra Leone. Use the hotel wifi. In fact wifi calling to CONUS is free from every spot on the planet that you can find wifi.
 
I switched from T-Mobile to Verizon when getting the new iPhone specifically for coverage reasons. In major cities T-Mobile worked fine, but in between and in some smaller towns there was little coverage. Plus coverage indoors was pretty poor. I still would prefer T-Mobile from a company and plan point of view, but almost being stranded in Arcata, CA unable to call FSS to file an IFR flight plan because of a missing payphone made the decision for me.

Now for international, T-Mobile was definitely better.
 
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Zondaracer said:
I have T-Mobile. Unlimited video on LTE for YouTube, Hulu, Netflix, etc. Great international roaming. Coverage isn't as good stateside but the wifi calling makes it easy to call home from anywhere.
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Verizon has unlimited data on the NFL mobile app. VERY important this time of year ;)

Screaming_Emu said:
T mobile for the international coverage plus wifi calling.
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I think just about everyone has wifi calling now. But, yea, Verizon international is practically non existent.
 
B767 said:
I think just about everyone has wifi calling now. But, yea, Verizon international is practically non existent.
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You'd think so, but in explaining it to people at my company and trying to show them how to turn it on... it turns out certain carriers have disabled the software for it on certain devices to promote other devices.

Also wifi calling/texting sometimes works and other times does not in the PRC. But... PRC, the • hole that it is.
 
With TMobile, I went to Europe this summer and they had a promotion. All of July and August they enabled unlimited LTE at no extra cost. Then they did the same promotion for some countries in South America and I just got back from Chile and my kids watched Netflix over LTE because it was faster than my in-law's wifi.

In most cases when I'm abroad or my wife is abroad, we use FaceTime audio wth the free roaming data and it works great.
 
AT&T seems to work great in the Carribean/Mexico/South America. The company had Verizon for a LONG time and we started to have serious coverage problems in most of the Caribbean all if a sudden. Seemed to be more related to the 5 year plus old flip phones we were using though.

There's two pilots that vouch for T-mobile as well here, and it appears to be cheapest as already echoed in the thread. Main point, Verizon is iffy at best with certain phones it seems and it seems to still the most expensive. It used to be worth it for their coverage, but now it looks like might not be. I don't have issues with it with an S6 on Verizon internationally, but you are at the mercy of local cell service and their agreements with mainland US companies. About the only reason I'm still with Verizon is because I know it will most likely work in the sticks and a little laziness. Looks AT&T has expanded a lot recently though.
 
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