On the road
Switching your phone on when you land can cost you: do it in this order
The first ten minutes after a long flight burn the most data, and nobody is looking at the screen while it happens. The right order, step by step.
Nerea Aguilar 6 min Photo by Lei Hwang on Unsplash The most expensive moment of a trip isn't when you watch a series at the hotel: it's the minute you turn off aeroplane mode after landing. Your phone has been twelve hours without a connection and everything that was queued up goes out at once, on a foreign network and before anyone has time to think.
What actually happens in those ten minutes
- Your mail syncs in full, attachments included.
- The trip's photos start uploading to the cloud, and on a flight with a connection there are already quite a few.
- Apps go looking for updates and some download themselves.
- Backed-up messages all arrive at once, with the photos and videos from group chats.
- The browser and social apps reload whatever they left half-finished.
All of that happens with data roaming switched on, which means at the rate of the country you've just landed in. If your plan bills by usage abroad, part of the trip's budget just went.
The right order, and it takes thirty seconds
- Before boarding, at home or at the gate: go into your mobile data settings and turn OFF data roaming on your usual line.
- If you're carrying a travel eSIM, leave roaming on for THAT ONE only and set it as your data line.
- When you land, turn off aeroplane mode calmly. Your line will look for a network for calls and messages, and it won't be able to browse.
- Once the eSIM is connected, check in the status bar that your data is going through it.
With those four steps, turning your phone on when you arrive stops being an act of faith.
The opposite mistake: travelling in aeroplane mode the whole time
That's the reaction of someone who's been burned once, and it has a cost of its own: with no line you don't get the gate-change alert, the call from the hotel or the bank's text when you pay by card, and you can't call anyone in an emergency.
The sensible setup is the one above: usual line on for voice and messages, data coming from wherever you decide.
Before you leave, three settings that hold for the whole trip
| Setting | Where | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Photo backup on wifi only | Your photo app's settings | It's what uses the most without anyone asking for it |
| App updates on wifi only | The app store | One big update swallows a small plan |
| Auto-download in your messaging app on wifi only | The app's settings | Busy group chats send videos all day |
And airport wifi, carefully
It's the obvious way out while you wait for your bag, and it comes with its own strings: sign-ups that ask for personal details, sessions that expire, and open networks where banking is best left alone.
What's worth knowing before you connect is in free airport wifi and why not to rely on it.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my phone use so much data when I land?
Because everything left pending during the flight syncs at once: mail, photo backups, updates and backed-up messages with their videos.
What do I turn off before flying?
Data roaming on your usual line, leaving the line itself on for calls and texts. And backups and updates on wifi only.
Is travelling in aeroplane mode a good idea?
Not as a permanent setup: you lose flight alerts, your bank's texts and the ability to call in an emergency. Better to keep the line active for voice and messages only.
How do I know which line my data is going through?
Your phone's status bar shows both lines and which one is carrying data. In your mobile data settings you choose which one is the data line.
Can I use airport wifi in the meantime?
Yes, for the basics. Avoid banking on open networks and don't rely on them, since they usually require sign-up and expire after a while.
