draver Thanks for checking Google Voice vs Roamless. I use GV anyway in the US so when abroad it's a great solution for the very rare calls I might make. And it still keeps free US calls/texting. So it works well for me which is why data provider voice rates matter less to me. But I understand not everyone here is US based.
BigFlyer great reminder about the free Skype minutes. I always forget about that despite being a 365 subscriber.
Originally Posted by
CheckInPeach
I'm a bit surprised about that penny cruncher mentality in a frequent flyer forum. Not trying to defend Airalo but calling them not competitive is quite a far stretch. They may be not the cheapest but they are in a similar range than others, specially for a global one year plan that is the topic here. Also they do offer 5G on the global plan, I always connect 5G if the provider is offering it, at least in those countries I'm using it. I rather pay a bit more and go with an established company instead of saving a few cents and have to deal with a reseller of a reseller.
I think Airalo has successfully marketed themselves as the "big reliable eSIM provider". For that, you pay a small premium, which is worth it for some people. Despite the marketing, you will find people who have some activation issues with Airalo just like with some other eSIM providers. So the marketing isn't necessarily accurate. Personally, I've used eSIMs from many different providers over the years (though PAYG is a new concept to me prior to draver's post) and haven't had issues except in rare cases (like SoSIM in HK not accepting my KYC). Unlike with local SIMs, I think one of the benefits of these global long validity plans is that you can set it all up before your travel and you know you're good to go. So you can use one of these other competitive companies rather than necessarily paying the Airalo premium to avoid a no-name local SIM provider. I'm not endorsing any company specifically, but I think even on a frequent flyer forum, many people would like to know they're getting a good deal.