Those of you who have been ripped off at SEA will be happy to know that the pay phones now have placards warning people to get a rate quote before they make a call! I was just there over the weekend.

No Pay Phones at BDL Airport
 

Those are high costs. At least you were able to make a call. I was stranded in Bradley Int'l in Hartford, CT without a cell phone AND there were no pay phones. There were signs galore directing you to where the phones WERE, but once you get to the area - they had all been ripped out. Talk about scary. Luckily I asked my baggage claim rep if I could use the phone - and it was local - not sure what I would have done if they didn't let me make the call.
I just think about all the elderly folks landing late at night who don't have cells....and need to make a call. Or find out their flight is leaving late. My mom is 84 and she would be very distraught.
From now on - my travels to CT will be via Logan in Boston and rental car.....:(

You don't even have to carry the prepaid card. Just the access number and PIN. I carry a slip of paper with my necessary phone numbers in my wallet. (A PDA that never has dead battery.) The prepaid card was originally to provide Long-distance service to our family's mountain cabin. The card itself is paid for with Discover card points. The whole family carries the numbers to use in an out-of-coins experience.

I use a TracFone (prepaid) for domestic travel. It is the cheapest cell plan if you don't call much. World travel me bride's T-Mobile quad-band works almost everywhere. Chuuk is the only place I've been it hasen't worked. Roaming us usually a buck a minute. Usually is the sticking point. I didn't check the rate for Ecuador before handing around the phone to my fellow travellers. USD $5/minute. Ouch!

You can find calling cards in some airport giftshops

Just stand there looking distraught in front of the pay phones for a minute, making sure to catch the eye of other pax around you. Then casually ask if someone would let you borrow a cell phone for a minute. Most people would probably allow you to.

The SAM's Club AT&T prepaid card rate is right at 3 cents a minute; however, the payphone connect charge has steadily increased over the years to its current 50 units, or almost $1.50, not 75 cents.

Different story when using the card in a hotel room (unless hotel charges you to call the AT&T 1-800 number). No connection charge and a very affordable 3 cents a minute.

By the way, anyone know why it now costs me 5 units a minute on the AT&T card to call within Colorado, 5X the rate to call any other state? Talk about a rip-off. :confused:

I got charged over $20 for a one minute call (got an answering machine and left a brief message to say I had arrived from Europe) in Detroit.

The airport authorities are partially guilty for allowing companies which operate in such dishonest manners to have phone concessions.

It is also my understanding that credit card merchant agreements in the US do not allow charging different for a card as they do for cash. Maybe the complaints also need to go to Visa International and the head office of Mastercard. It would appear that these phone company fraudsters are violating the credit card agreements.

Also this sounds like good grounds for an Attorney General consumer protection case or private class action to shut down these sleazy fraudulent phone operations.

Many pay phone companies are allowed to charge different rates for in-state calls.

The state or local authority that regulates telephone rates (the "Pullic Utilities Commission" or something similar) sets the rules for each area. The thinking may be that in-state calls have a greater chance of being 'urgent' or 'emergency' calls than do out-of-state calls, hence the differential.

I've been on both the receiving end and the giving end of such an arrangement. If it's a domestic call, most people these days have tons of minutes and no roaming charges, so a 3 minute call is basically free.

A lot of airport courtesy phones allow outbound toll-free calls (usually accessed by prefixing a 9 to the number), thus allowing calling card or other toll-free calls.

Can I dial the number for you?:)

Be warned Seattle airport still has payphones that rob travlers who use credit cards.The company behind it is Faircall /BBg .You ask why does the airport allow it , well they get money from the scheme.Shame on public airports that prey on travelers.

Be careful the phones at Seattle airport STILL overcharge travelers. The company name is Faircall now,but there is nothing fair about a $40 charge .Faircall is part the the BBG communication world wide airport overcharge scam .Be warned as the airport makes a nice commission from the schemer

Phone like its 1989
 

Who ever uses Payphones these days lol? I mean the last time I used one to make a pay call was 4 years ago. I have a cellphone and laptop. $8.00 for a 2-3 phone call thats my latte and croissant :D