A caution about using your mobile phone overseas

This story brought to you by RAC Travel Insurance. - http://rac.com.au/Insurance/Travel-insurance.aspx

An American who failed to check the conditions that applied to his wireless data service was charged $62,000 ($85,328AUD) for a movie download while on holiday, according to CNN. Using his laptop’s wireless card the man downloaded the animated movie Wall-E for his nephew during a holiday to Mexico. He contested the charge with his provider and succeeded in having the bill reduced to $17,000 ($23,396AUD). As more travellers take wireless devices overseas with them, the stories of ‘shock bills’ are also set to increase. In March this year the Federal Government released a report into mobile international roaming charges in Australia. It found that Australian telecommunications customers were paying “unreasonably high” amounts for these services when they travelled overseas. During the inquiry there were local examples of excessive bills being levied against Australian travellers than ran into the tens of thousands of dollars, including a $17,000(AUD) data bill for three weeks in South Africa. The report recommended negotiating with other countries to put in place a regulatory framework covering wholesale roaming costs, beginning with those countries most popular with Australian travellers. It also recommended reporting requirements for all Australian telecommunications providers that offer roaming services. Things to check before you travel with your mobile or laptop: • Check that your local mobile or wireless provider has roaming arrangements with all the countries that you are travelling to. • Check that the technology your mobile phone uses is supported in the country you are travelling to. • Ask your mobile or wireless provider what their international roaming charges are and how they are calculated. • Tell your mobile or wireless provider what dates you would like international roaming to be activated and if there is anything else you will need to do when you arrive. Be aware that: When you are overseas with mobile international roaming activated you will pay for the international leg of any mobile phone calls you receive from Australia, while your caller will only be charged for the less expensive Australian leg. A pre-paid international calling card, which can be used for local and international calls via your mobile or fixed line, may be a better alternative when you travel.

iPhone - The best Travel companion

When it comes to travelling my iPhone is my best friend. It lets me watch movies on the plane and it delivers my entire travel itinerary at the tap of a button. In the hotel room it’s my alarm clock, night light and radio. The number of uses I have for my iPhone when I am away from home are only limited by the number of Apps (applications) I can afford to download.
In the past I have looked high and low for an effective “stand” for my iPhone, one that wasn’t too bulky to carry when I travel and now I think I have found the perfect one. “The Crabble” by Seskimo.
The Crabble works in both landscape format for video and portrait format to see incoming calls, and it incorporates rubber feet to cope with the sloping surfaces and vibrations of trains and planes. The landscape viewing angle is adjustable back to 45° by moving the crab-like claws in or out. Although slightly larger than Seskimo's original credit-card sized stands, the Crabble fits, unfolded, in a normal billfold wallet making it easy to store and always easy to find. An essential tool for the iPhone or Touch power user, at $4.99/€3.99/£3.49/¥499, it is one of the cheapest iPhone accessories on the market.

Crabble on YouTube

SmartGate

SmartGate gives some travellers arriving into Australia's international airports the option to self-process through passport control. It uses the data in the ePassport and face recognition technology to perform the customs and immigration checks that are usually conducted by a Customs officer. SmartGate can be used by Australian and New Zealand ePassport holders, aged 18 or over. It will be gradually opened to other nationalities that have ePassports. For more information on the Australian ePassport please click here SmartGate is available at Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Melbourne and Auckland International Airports for arriving travellers. It will be progressively introduced into further Australian international airports with Perth and Sydney scheduled next.

A video instruction on the use of SmartGate.

Pillow Talk

As simple as it might seem the secret to a good night’s sleep when travelling on business is not the bed, rather it’s the pillow.
On all of my trips (except “overnighters”, when I only have a carry-on bag) I take my own pillow. I find the familiar scent and comfort of your own pillow negates most problems you may be faced by the bed (being too hard or too soft). I do notice a difference on the “overnight” trips and I am grateful that I only have to endure one night on the foreign pillow.
Now I know what you are thinking, "I don't want to carry my pillow through an airport", don’t be put off by the size of your pillow and the room in your suit case, I find the pillow will squash down to fit almost any size and the added benefit is that it helps keep all of my clothes snug whilst minimising the movement of all items with-in the bag.
You don’t have to take my word on this tip as even the “Rich & Famous” know the virtues of taking your own pillow on a trip as can be seen by this photo of Eva Longoria from “Desperate Housewives” fame, seen here carrying her pillow at Paris Airport in 2006.