Travel network needs - advice!
Oct 24, 2014, 10:04 am
#1
Flyertalk Evangelist and Moderator: Coupon Connection and Travel Products
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Milton, GA USA
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum Elite, Hyatt Discoverist, Radisson Elite
Posts: 19,040
Travel network needs - advice!
Ok experts....
We are travelling next month.... hate to say I have not been out of the country for several years.... and new technology. Trying to figure out the cheapest/easiest ways to stay in communication while we are travelling.
We will be in Hong Kong for five days and Sydney, Australia for nine days.
I have a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 on AT&T and my partner has an iPhone 5 on Sprint.
What would you recommend as the easiest/cheapest way to have data/voice while in Hong Kong and Sydney?
If there is somewhere else I should look... do let me know.
Thanks, as always.
We are travelling next month.... hate to say I have not been out of the country for several years.... and new technology. Trying to figure out the cheapest/easiest ways to stay in communication while we are travelling.
We will be in Hong Kong for five days and Sydney, Australia for nine days.
I have a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 on AT&T and my partner has an iPhone 5 on Sprint.
What would you recommend as the easiest/cheapest way to have data/voice while in Hong Kong and Sydney?
If there is somewhere else I should look... do let me know.
Thanks, as always.
Last edited by wharvey; Oct 24, 2014 at 10:11 am
Oct 24, 2014, 10:21 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: ORD
Posts: 14,231
For starters, I'd check the sticky thread:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...m-threads.html
Cheapest will be to buy a local SIM. Easiest will be to activate each of your carriers' international roaming and buy a data plan through them - usually $25/100 MB for data and somewhat discounted rates for voice/text.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...m-threads.html
Cheapest will be to buy a local SIM. Easiest will be to activate each of your carriers' international roaming and buy a data plan through them - usually $25/100 MB for data and somewhat discounted rates for voice/text.
Oct 24, 2014, 10:42 am
#3
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Home
Programs: AA, Delta, UA & thanks to FTers for my PC Gold!
Posts: 7,676
You may want to check out this beta testing thread for Hong Kong:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...hong-kong.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...hong-kong.html
Oct 27, 2014, 9:50 am
#5
Flyertalk Evangelist and Moderator: Coupon Connection and Travel Products
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Milton, GA USA
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum Elite, Hyatt Discoverist, Radisson Elite
Posts: 19,040
Yes, the two hotels will have wifi... just wanted a cheap option when we are out and about.
Oct 27, 2014, 1:02 pm
#7
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Washington D.C. via Sao Paulo via Houston via Washington D.C. via Boston via New York
Posts: 1,172
This is where I went in HKG - http://patnotebook.com/buying-mobile...-kong-airport/ it was inexpensive enough and worked in my unlocked phone. As long as the phones you have are unlocked. If they are, than you should be able to just swap out the SIM card, which they will be able to do and they can also set it up and make sure the data is good to go. As far as Syndey is concerned, I have not been yet but I am fairly certain it's the same deal. I saw recently in HKG that the Hyatt was renting out cell phones for travelers, don't know if you are staying there.
Oct 27, 2014, 3:31 pm
#8
Join Date: Sep 2007
Programs: DL Silver, AS MVP, UA Silver, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Plat, SPG Plat, National Exec Elite
Posts: 3,883
Do you need to be in contact with each other when out and about (i.e. will you be separating), or is it just to stay in contact with those at home? If you need to be in contact with each other while apart in the city, I'd say a local sim is the way to go. If you just need to stay in contact back home, I'd say Google Hangouts (now with voice dialing) or Skype while on WiFi would do the trick just fine.
Oct 30, 2014, 7:50 am
#9
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Florida
Programs: UA 2MM
Posts: 1,917
Travel network needs - advice!
Find a friend with T-Mobile, have them buy an extra sim and activate it on their account. It will be about $10 per month and that will give you unlimited free data and texting while roaming most anywhere in the world.
Nov 1, 2014, 1:39 pm
#10
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 7,875
the texting works, the phone calls do as well. The data is really spotty. It isn't consistent and they limit you to EDGE speeds (which, if you haven't used that recently, make almost anything online impossible, other than checking email).