Cdn iPad in Vegas, ATT or Verizon?

[Arid]

I'll be spending a week in Vegas in May and it'll be the first time I'm not bringing my laptop. I figure I'll be picking up a sim for my iPad while in Vegas to access emails and the likes, any recommendation as to which will work better for my situation? I'll be using wifi in the hotel (Four Seasons) I'm staying so just needed access during times I'm out and about.

 

[donnaw]

I go to Vegas regularly. I have an AT&T iPad and get really good LTE speeds even buried deeply in a hotel room. Don't know about the Four Seasons but I stay at the Nugget downtown and wifi is $12.99/day. I surf, get my email, etc. (no streaming but a bunch of Skype audio-only calls) and use about 400-500 mb in a week. I found it much more cost effective to just forego the hotel's wifi and use my AT&T data.

You might call the hotel and see if the wifi is free or costs and what the cost is before you make your decision.

Also, I don't know what device you are planning on using but Verzion and AT&T use completely different spectrums. Be sure your device is capable of using the one you choose.

And most importantly, have fun!

 

[Arid]

I go to Vegas regularly. I have an AT&T iPad and get really good LTE speeds even buried deeply in a hotel room. Don't know about the Four Seasons but I stay at the Nugget downtown and wifi is $12.99/day. I surf, get my email, etc. (no streaming but a bunch of Skype audio-only calls) and use about 400-500 mb in a week. I found it much more cost effective to just forego the hotel's wifi and use my AT&T data.

You might call the hotel and see if the wifi is free or costs and what the cost is before you make your decision.

Also, I don't know what device you are planning on using but Verzion and AT&T use completely different spectrums. Be sure your device is capable of using the one you choose.

And most importantly, have fun!

Thanks, donnaw. Forgot to say I'll be bringing my iPad only this time. I'm there every year for business and this is the first time without my notebook. I've always stayed at the Four Seasons and have access to their wifi. Good point I should check what my costs are with them as I take it for granted as a necessity for my travels.

I have the new iPad purchased from Apple and here in Montreal, Canada for that matter, does not distinguish which carrier you use. I was told it should work on either. Anybody know for sure?

 

[donnaw]

If you have an iPad from Canada both will work but the Verzion version will not give you LTE. With AT&T you should be able to get one and get 3 gigs for $30 dollars. I believe they also have a $14.99 plan but it's only 250 mb. Don't quote me though. Check out their website. I use the 3 gig plan and have never run out of data, but then I don't do any streaming.

I have read about some folks having issues without having a US address. Someone else can post to that. You may need to use the hotel address. I also read that some folks haven't had that issue because they used an American Express card.

Vegas is so famous for their vistor aid and the Four Seasons is a great hotel. You might try calling them. Especially if you have stayed there before and have a relationship with a casino host. But I suggest you call AT&T or use their web chat and explore your options. It should be doable but you may have to jump through a couple of hoops. Hopefully someone else will post a more informative post.

I wish you luck and hope you post your solution so others can use the info.

 

[wallman]

Thanks, donnaw. Forgot to say I'll be bringing my iPad only this time. I'm there every year for business and this is the first time without my notebook. I've always stayed at the Four Seasons and have access to their wifi. Good point I should check what my costs are with them as I take it for granted as a necessity for my travels.

I have the new iPad purchased from Apple and here in Montreal, Canada for that matter, does not distinguish which carrier you use. I was told it should work on either. Anybody know for sure?

The Cdn new iPads are basically compatible with AT&T's network.

You will need to obtain a microsim from AT&T or an Apple store. I have heard you can get them free from an Apple store by asking, but might have to pay at an AT&T store.

For billing info, the easiest is if you have an AMEX card. Use the hotel address. You will need the postal code as well as the phone number as well. Just use the hotel main line and address. If you don't have an AMEX card, you will have to get one of those prepaid Visa cash cards. I tried to get it to work, but I was never successful. I have read that other's have had success.

The best plan is the 3Gb for $30. There is also a 5Gb plan for $50 and a 250 Mb plan for $15. All last for 30 days. You can activate the plans on your device.

You can also cancel your plan before the 30 days are up and this can be done in Canada. I have activated a 3Gb plan in Canada, traveled down to the US and then connected without any issues as well as cancelled the plan in Canada. This was with my iPad2, but I don't see why it wouldn't be the same for the new iPad. I will be heading down soon to pickup a new LTE AT&T microsim for my wife's new iPad so I'll confirm for the new iPad later. .

As for hotel WiFi, depending on your physical location the connection could be spotty. As another poster stated, it would probably be cheaper just to use your iPad. If you install a remote desktop app, you could even log into your work laptop at home.

I would be interested in hearing your results when you get back form Vegas.

 

[donnaw]

Walkman made a good point that I forgot to add, your plan will automatically renew at the end of 30 days so you will need to cancel it. I usually cancel mine a couple of days into it. It's ok to do that because canceling it doesn't cancel the access to the data, only the renewal.

 

[wallman]

Walkman made a good point that I forgot to add, your plan will automatically renew at the end of 30 days so you will need to cancel it. I usually cancel mine a couple of days into it. It's ok to do that because canceling it doesn't cancel the access to the data, only the renewal.

Good to know. I thought once it was cancelled you would lose the data plan.

 

[Akack]

Good to know. I thought once it was cancelled you would lose the data plan.

You have 2 options when you cancel:

1) cancel NOW = account closed immediately and you forfeit any data remaining

2) cancel LATER = account closed after your data expires or remaining monthly contract date, whichever comes first.

After you sign up in Vegas, just choose cancel LATER the next day or you can cancel NOW right before you board the plane back to Canada.

 

[b.c.]

For billing info, the easiest is if you have an AMEX card. Use the hotel address. You will need the postal code as well as the phone number as well. Just use the hotel main line and address. If you don't have an AMEX card, you will have to get one of those prepaid Visa cash cards. I tried to get it to work, but I was never successful. I have read that other's have had success.

I have previously used a prepaid Visa gift card purchased at Target to successfully activate AT&T iPad data plan while visiting the US. For billing info I used the hotel address

The other trick I've heard but not tried myself is:
Use your home credit card and home billing address but in the box asking for zip code you enter just the 3 numerical digits from your Cdn postal code and append 2 zeros. Eg if your postal code is V1A 2B3, then enter 12300 for the zip code in the billing info

Not sure if that works for AT&T but I heard it works for those annoying prepay gas pumps in the US that want to verify against your zip code

 

[Arid]

Thanks much for all the tips and recommendations. With all that talk about Amex, I just realized I should give my Amex concierge a call and put them to good use. After going through my itinerary, Amex called back and said they'll arrange to have an AT&T LTE sim for iPad waiting for me at the hotel reception upon my arrival (charged to my Amex no doubt as is my hotel booking). We'll see how well it works when I'm there in three week's time.
Thanks again for all the suggestions!

 

[donnaw]

Thanks much for all the tips and recommendations. With all that talk about Amex, I just realized I should give my Amex concierge a call and put them to good use. After going through my itinerary, Amex called back and said they'll arrange to have an AT&T LTE sim for iPad waiting for me at the hotel reception upon my arrival (charged to my Amex no doubt as is my hotel booking). We'll see how well it works when I'm there in three week's time.
Thanks again for all the suggestions!

Sweet! Post back when you get a chance and let us know how it went. I just got back from a week there and had a ball and I think I ate my way through Vegas.

Have fun!

 

[b.c.]

Wow, I guess membership really does have its privileges!

 

[wallman]

Thanks much for all the tips and recommendations. With all that talk about Amex, I just realized I should give my Amex concierge a call and put them to good use. After going through my itinerary, Amex called back and said they'll arrange to have an AT&T LTE sim for iPad waiting for me at the hotel reception upon my arrival (charged to my Amex no doubt as is my hotel booking). We'll see how well it works when I'm there in three week's time.
Thanks again for all the suggestions!

I did a quick day trip today. You really should not get charged for the AT&T microsim. I got it free from the AT&T store. This is the 2nd microsim I have received free. One for my iPad2 last year and one for the new iPad. I didn't have time to activate, so I can't report back on the LTE speeds.

I did visit an Apple store first, and surprisingly it was if they had never heard of people travelling and looking for a microsim to activate. They sent me to the AT&T store in the mall, where I had no problem getting the microsim for free.

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I have previously used a prepaid Visa gift card purchased at Target to successfully activate AT&T iPad data plan while visiting the US. For billing info I used the hotel address

The other trick I've heard but not tried myself is:
Use your home credit card and home billing address but in the box asking for zip code you enter just the 3 numerical digits from your Cdn postal code and append 2 zeros. Eg if your postal code is V1A 2B3, then enter 12300 for the zip code in the billing info

Not sure if that works for AT&T but I heard it works for those annoying prepay gas pumps in the US that want to verify against your zip code

That's a good tip on the zip code, I'll have to try that next time I hit one of those gas pumps.

Most posts I have read say the prepaid Visa cards work best, but I think it was probably my user error that stumped me. Since I had an Amex, I tried that and it worked.