Why I Stopped Buying Airport SIM Cards (And What I Use Instead Now)


73 Fly Travel Reports
By Jeremy P • Updated April 2026 • 4 min read
“Last year in Heathrow, I paid £45 (about $95 NZD) for a basic 10GB SIM card at one of the kiosks. I was tired, my Uber wouldn’t load, and I just wanted to get to my hotel. It was a classic tourist trap, but I felt like I had no choice. I didn’t realise I could have paid about half that if I’d sorted it before I left.”

It’s the same feeling every time. You step off the plane, and before you even hit immigration, the panic sets in. You need to tell your family you landed. You need to find your hotel address. Most importantly, you need an Uber.

For years, my ritual was the same: hunt for the “Tourist SIM” kiosk, stand in a sweaty line, hand over my physical passport to a stranger, and overpay for a package that I knew was costing locals a fraction of the price. I realised I was consistently overpaying just for convenience.

And the frustrating part is, I thought this was normal. Everyone around me was doing the same thing.

This was the pattern every time I travelled

The old way

  • Land at destination
  • No signal / hunting for WiFi
  • Queue at SIM kiosk
  • Hand over passport
  • Overpay for data ($50–$80+ typical)

What it’s like now

  • Land at destination
  • Turn off airplane mode
  • Data works instantly
  • Head straight to the Uber
The difference isn’t just convenience. It’s cost.

The “Tourist Tax” is real

You’re buying when you’re tired, disoriented, and desperate to connect. Airport kiosks mark up prices by up to 400% because they know you’ll pay. They have a captive audience. Plans are priced significantly higher than what you’d find in the city centre, often 2 to 3 times more expensive for the exact same network. And you don’t realise it until later.

Beyond the cost, there’s the security risk. Handing over your passport to be photocopied at a random stall always felt wrong in a digital world. Plus, fiddling with tiny SIM trays and losing your home SIM card in a taxi is a stress nobody needs on day one of a holiday. You’re not really paying for data. You’re paying for the fact you’ve just landed and don’t have another option.

Wait, what’s an eSIM?

At first I thought this sounded complicated, like something for tech-heads. It’s actually simpler than a physical SIM. Think of it as a “Digital SIM Card” that is already built into your phone. Instead of inserting plastic, you just download a digital profile.

I installed mine before leaving home. It took under 2 minutes to set up. Once you land, your phone just knows to switch over to the local partner network. It’s that simple. No settings to mess with once it’s installed.

First time I tried it: landed, turned off airplane mode, and within about 10 seconds I had full signal. Booked an Uber before even leaving the terminal. That’s when it clicked I’d been doing it the harder, more expensive way every single trip.
73 Fly eSIM installation guide
This is literally all you do: scan a QR code and you’re ready. I did mine the night before my flight. It removes one more airport scramble from your trip.

What I ended up using: 73Fly

It’s designed specifically for NZ travellers, which made things like setup and support feel a lot simpler than the global apps I tried. That alone made it feel more straightforward than the alternatives.

After trying a few different providers, I stuck with 73Fly. It felt like it was built for travellers who just want things to work without a PhD in telecommunications. I’ve consistently paid less than half of what I used to at airports.

Why I prefer it:

  • Consistently cheaper than what I was paying at airports. Savings in most destinations were obvious.
  • No daily roaming-style charges that add up quickly. No daily fees or hidden “activation” costs.
  • What you see is what you pay. Transparent pricing from the start.
  • WhatsApp and iMessage stayed tied to my NZ number.
  • I’ve consistently paid less than what I used to at airport kiosks.

Here’s roughly what I was paying before vs now:

For the UK trip above, this is roughly what the options looked like for 2 weeks:

Service Est. Cost / Trip
Home Roaming $140
Hotel / Airport SIM $90–$110
73Fly eSIM $15.99
Prices vary by country, but the pattern is consistent: buying in advance is cheaper. Same outcome. Just cheaper.
If you travel even once or twice a year, this adds up quickly.

Want to stop overpaying for data?

Takes about 30 seconds to see plans for your destination.

This is one of those small travel changes that saves you money every single trip.
See plans for your destination

No physical SIM needed. Setup takes under 2 minutes and you can do it before you leave.

Common things I worried about

1. “Will I lose my NZ number?”

No. Your phone can run two SIMs at once, so your NZ number stays on your device.

However, we recommend turning off data roaming on your NZ SIM (or switching it off completely while travelling). NZ carriers can still charge for roaming if it’s left enabled.

You’ll use your 73Fly eSIM for all data instead.

2. “Is my phone too old?”

If you have an iPhone from the last 4 to 5 years or a recent Samsung / Pixel, you’re almost certainly good to go. You can check phone compatibility here.

3. “When do I install it?”

You can set it up any time before you fly. I usually do it the night before. I won’t activate its data window until you land and it connects to the local network.