advice on family trip to USA

[KRC01]

Taking family (wife, 12 & 10 year old) to the US for a month in Dec.
Can anybody provide advice on mobile phones, take ours and buy a local prepaid plan?
Is there a US equivalent of webjet for comparing domestic flights? we've booked the long haul through the agent but her advice id to use the local carriers.

thanks in advance.

 

[Mwenenzi]

Welcome to AFF

For phones have a look in the dedicated sub forum here. Communication & Internet. Several others have had the same question

For local USA flights try putting for example LAX-PHL into google. Some people use KAYAK - Cheap Flights, Hotels, Airline Tickets, Cheap Tickets, Cheap Travel Deals - Compare Hundreds of Travel Sites At Once But most USA airlines work on a hub & spoke system meaning you often connect. If freq flyer miles are a consideration just look at the major airlines American Airlines, United & Delta.

Edit
Would be better to ask Admin to change your user name. http://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/community/private.php?do=newpm&u=1
You may get spam if you do not

Edit 2 (after post 3)
Link for private message to Spport http://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/community/members/support.html

 

[markis10]

Would be better to ask Admin to change your user name. http://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/community/private.php?do=newpm&u=1
You may get spam if you do not

OP, If you do want to change your name please send a PM to support.

 

[Denali]

Last trip, we went to Radio Shack and picked up a prepaid samsung for me (cost about $90) and it worked like a dream. Also bought a prepaid mifi (cost approx $120 by memory) for up to 5 devices and used it in LA, NY, Ohio, Kentucky and Memphis with no problems. Im planning our next trip to the US so might get a SIM for me and will be getting a mifi again, already found the Radio Shack near our hotel.

 

[Quickstatus]

Hi M,

I second the advice to checkout the other mentioned threads.

Here is a quick guide:

Whatever airline you are using to fly to USA, use a US domestic airline that has an interline agreement with your transpacific airline. So you luggage can be checked through to the final destination.
Eg Qantas will interline your bags through on most domestic airline, VA will interline bags with fewer airlines, UA same.
In the main most domestic airlines in USA are the same once you peel off the exterior facade.

Re phone:
Go to the US to your final destination. Then go to an ATT shop and get a prepaid sim card for 65/month - will give you unlimited calls in USA, and 2gb data, and unlimited sms to australia and about 100 minutes calls to landlines in australia. You will need unlocked phone. You can get sim cards sent to you in Australia but the costs rise for the postage. In transit use your australian sim card on global roaming and look at your global roaming charges before you leave - you may want to get the phone company to turn off internet on the day you leave. Just turning off internet at the phone is NO guarantee.

this is just a quick summary. have a look first at the other posts first.

 

[jb01]

I usually buy a local sim card in the US, but next time I'm going to give the Vodafone plan a try.
If you're with Vodafone in Aus, you can have your normal plan inclusions available overseas (USA included) for $5 per day that you use it.
It will work out cheaper as we don't use the phone every day, and they only charge the $5 on days you use it.
Again, be careful with data with this though, one email, tweet or facebook post will see the $5 added for that day.

 

[Sprucegoose]

OT we also bought a GPS from RadioShack. Invaluable so consider if you are picking up a phone or whatever. agree with the local Sim option. It does depend on where you are going as to what works best. I found the ATT sim we have just chewed through the minutes !!!