LD Phone Mileage Plans
 

I know that this has been discussed many times before but since we have a lot of new members on this board, it might be time to renew the subject.

I just received my GTE phone bill with my MCI long distance charges and wanted to share it with you. For a little history, I do not make a lot of LD calls at all. Maybe 1 or 2 every couple of months or so.

I made 2 calls for a total of 3 minutes totaling $.39 in May. So here is the breakdown of the add on's to the bill to show you what my 2 calls cost me:

Total Long Distance....................$ .39
Carrier Access Charge..................$1.46
Federal Universal Service Fee..........$ .54
MCI One Partial Minimun Usage Fee......$4.61
Federal Excise Tax.....................$ .24
State & Local Taxes....................$ .80
Federal, State & Local Surcharges......$ .99
Universal Lifeline Telephone SVC's.....$ .02
California High Cost Fund-B Surcharge..$ .12
California 911 Surcharge...............$ .03
CA Relay SVC & Comm. Devices Fund .....$ .01
Total MCI Charges......................$9.21

So it cost me $9.21 to make those 2 calls and to collect my monthly 1000 CO miles which are worth something around $.02 per mile. Just thought it was worthwhile to point out how much of our LD bills are actually going for the calls.

The killer in that list is the $4.61 "minimum usage fee" - I pay $5.95/mo for Sprint, but at least that brings my rate down to 5¢/minute (yours is more like 13¢?); I also make more like 150 minutes of calls per month so it's worth the fee compared with 10¢/minute and no fee.

But back to you and MCI, are you sure that this is the only billing plan available if you want miles? And even if it is, $9.21 for 1,000 miles isn't a bad rate...just would have hoped for better.

I really haven't 'shopped' for better rates since I rarely make any calls, sometimes none for months at at time but still get billed for the $5.00 a month.

I just switched from MCI after doing a similar calculation. To be fair to the long-distance providers, many of these charges are taxes, which they don't really control. I am now quite happy with a special plan through QWest, $.059/min 24x7 with no monthly fee. No miles, but it's billed to my Starwood Amex.

See the following:
***************
Get $25 for switching to Qwest long distance at 5.9 cents a minute!
No monthly fee and online billing with Essential.com
http://www.SmarterLiving.com/qwest

Plaese note that you can actually get $100 for switching to Quest if you want to do so! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Noticed the same costs on my bill. Talk about piling on! Now I have no LD carrier and use pre-paid calling cards @ $.059/min. It's alot less.

MCI called offering 10K United or Delta miles to come back, but I'm not sure it's worth the hassle getting them to remember to give me the miles, and I like the simplicity of this latest iteration.

Go to bigzoo.com purchase long distance time in advance with a credit card and pay only 3.9 cents per minute, no monthly fees, no added taxes... Ive cut my long distance bill way way down.

Can you get any miles from Sprint PCS Wireless Comms. without using them for land line long-distance.

Yes, Sprint PCS gives 5,000 NW miles - 2,500 immediately, and another 2,500 after 6 months, plus 5 miles per $ spent.

Leroy11 - Yes, you can earn NW WorldPerks miles for SprintPCS service:
see: http://s1.sprintpcs.com/promotions/html/northwest.html

On thing with MCI, if you do not make that many calls... then sign up for the Net9 (I think it is the name) program. There is one deal that is online, bill credit card directly... and no min charge/per month. It is 9cents a min 24/7 except sunday I think is 5cents.... it works well for me since i seldom call LD.

<<From a prior message:
Plaese note that you can actually get $100 for switching to Quest if you want to do so!>>

How does one do that? Is there a specific url that links to a $100 deal for Qwest?

Just recently went through the reminiscing myself of how much of the rip-off, quite frankly, that MCI is after all of the hidden fees and surcharges.

And that's not even talking about the taxes, to say nothing of the piss-poor customer service.

I've long switched out of MCI.

I'll be ****ed if the jackasses at MCI should ever get from me so much as even a trace of my spit to seal an envelope.

SPINTPCS OFFER
WorldPerks members can now earn up to 5,000 Northwest Airlines WorldPerks Bonus Miles in just six months … just for choosing Sprint PCS. In addition, for every dollar you spend with Sprint PCS, you'll earn five WorldPerks Bonus Miles (earn seven Bonus Miles if you're a WorldPerks Elite Member).

CALL 1-877-PCS-PERKS (727-7375)

I have switched LD providers over the years, usually as a way to rack up more miles. At the end of the day, regardless of miles or anything else, my opinion is that MCI basically blows. I used to have MCI and MCI internet. Everytime MCI did a merger, the deal called for them to divest their internet subscribers and I have been automatically switched without my nod of approval. I got tired of telling my mail list that I had a new e-mail every three months, not to mention the cost of printing new business cards and stationary.

I have been with Sprint for the three years I have lived in CLT and have been very happy. And I love earthlink as my ISP. We have switched twice for a BRIEF time to rack up miles and Sprint always takes us back with open arms and we still reap the mileage bonuses. With five cents per minute all the time for $4.95 per month, you can't beat it if you make more than a few short calls.

MCI seems to always be copying what AT&T or Sprint do. But, with MCI trying to swallow Sprint, where does that leave us? What is the future of AT&T as far as miles go? And where will Qwest fit in?

The telecomm merger games are almost as interesting as the airline deals being talked about right now.