Boarding Call 🚀
👩💻 Why Airalo took off (and why U.S. ads often flop)
🛜 eSIM playbook: when to use carrier passes vs. travel eSIMs
📱 One eSIM, 120 countries — how we do it for corporate teams
ESIM WW
How the US beat me
A quick story. In 2019 I helped launch an eSIM service for travelers. We assumed the biggest market was Americans going to Europe, so we aimed our ads at the U.S. Result: crickets. Then, in 2020, I walked into a T-Mobile store in the U.S. and was told, “Add $20/mo and get international data abroad.” For many U.S. customers that erased roaming pain. Our eSIM project was later shelved as travel paused.
Lesson: you can build great tech, but if you don’t understand the audience and market pricing, growth is hard.
Meanwhile, Airalo exploded globally — largely outside the U.S. Why? In many regions (APAC/MEA/LATAM), roaming is still pricey, carrier plans are messy, and travelers want instant, local-priced data without hunting for a kiosk. Easy app, clear plans, quick install → product-market fit.
🧭 The eSIM Decision Tree (simple & honest)
Use your carrier’s international plan when:
You’re U.S.-based with a plan that already bundles decent roaming (or a cheap day pass).
You value one bill + zero setup more than rock-bottom price.
Use a travel eSIM when:
You want local/regional pricing without swapping physical SIMs.
You’re visiting multiple countries (Europe hops, regional roadshows).
Your carrier’s pass is expensive or throttled.
Buy a local physical SIM when:
You’ll stay weeks/months in one country and need the cheapest per-GB rate.
You’re comfortable registering in-country and managing a new number.
Use Wi-Fi only when:
You’re on a tight budget and can live with offline periods. (For business critical travel, we don’t recommend it.)
💡 Why Airalo (and travel eSIMs) work so well outside the U.S.
Price gaps: In many countries, local data beats U.S. day passes by a wide margin.
Frictionless purchase: No store visit, no passport photos, QR → online in 2 minutes.
Multi-country packs: One plan spans multiple countries; perfect for Europe or SE Asia.
Distribution: SEO + influencer + word-of-mouth among frequent travelers and expats.
Device readiness: iPhone/Android eSIM support is now mainstream; no tray, no pin.
If you advertise eSIMs to U.S. customers who already have painless roaming, conversion will be tough. But sell to Europe-bound Americans who want more data, or to non-U.S. travelers who face high roaming — and it clicks.
🧰 Quick eSIM Setup Tips (share with your team)
Install before you fly. Scan the QR over Wi-Fi, and keep your primary SIM for calls only.
Data only: Set the eSIM as “Cellular Data” and keep “Voice” on your main line.
Roaming off on your primary line — avoids surprise charges.
Hotspot/Tethering: Confirm it’s allowed on the plan (most travel eSIMs do).
APN & profile notes: Save the APN name; if data stalls, toggling APN often fixes it.
Keep the profile: Don’t delete between trips if it supports multiple countries — just top up.
🔵 Travel Code eSIM for Corporate Teams (new)
We’ve baked eSIM into Travel Code so travelers stay online, globally, with one profile:
1 eSIM → 120 countries (no re-install each trip)
Top-ups from your Travel Code dashboard — by the traveler or by the manager with a corporate card
Centralized control: Assign data, see usage, pause lines
No more store runs, no more SIM swapping
Built on our earlier eSIM experience, redesigned for modern corporate travel needs
This is the 21st century: your team should land connected, with good coverage and fair pricing.
TL;DR
eSIMs win when carrier roaming is expensive or you cross borders often.
The U.S. market is unique; many domestic plans reduce the need for travel eSIMs — so target the right audience.
Travel Code now offers one eSIM for 120 countries with dashboard top-ups — simple for travelers, controllable for finance.
Want us to enable eSIM for your travelers?
Reply “eSIM” and we’ll switch it on for your company, set default top-up rules, and show your admins how to manage it in 10 minutes.
FAQ
Will my phone number change? No — we set eSIM as data-only; your main number stays for calls/SMS.
Can I tether? Yes, plans support hotspot.
Compliance & privacy? We log usage at the account level (not browsing), and follow corporate privacy settings.
Manage travel. Don’t just book it.
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P.S.
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