1 Family Plan, 2 Area Codes

Question

Question:
Any advice or idea on how to get different area codes ported into one family plan?
Scenario:
Two people want to join one family account (iPhones, AT&T) and port their existing numbers over. She has an ABC area code number and he has an XYZ area code number. Now, they both live in the OMG area code, but want to keep their numbers (strange, I know!). The family account is created and activated successfully. The ABC area code number is ported and the new billing and residence address is in the OMG area code.
Problem:
The XYZ number cannot join the Family plan, because AT&T's billing system requires that all numbers on one family plan are in the same market (=general metropolitan area). According to 6 out of 10 AT&T Wireless representatives, the aforementioned Family plan can now only accommodate area codes within the vicinity of ABC, regardless of the plan's registration in the OMG area code, which is actually located adjacent to the XYZ area code.
Thoughts:
This market billing problem seems to be particular to the one service provider chosen by Apple for the iPhone. Apparently, the scenario described above already overcame a similar, but lesser problem outlined at ( http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/07/06/30/howto_port_ineligible_mobile_numbers_to_att_andiphone.html ).
Is this really so unlikely to happen that it is not worth to change AT&T's policy and/or processing systems? Is it worth it to pay more per minute on two individual accounts for a phone that is already almost as common as a RAZR? Is it worth it to lose a long-held mobile number for a phone whose price may soon drop again, from a company that is about as faithful to its existing customers as Paris Hilton?
While its features may have been enough to prompt the iPhones' purchase, account inconvenience may quickly prompt a return, unless there is a way to have multiple area codes on one family plan.

Answer 1

NorthernSky wrote:
Scenario:
Two people want to join one family account (iPhones, AT&T) and port their existing numbers over. She has an ABC area code number and he has an XYZ area code number. Now, they both live in the OMG area code, but want to keep their numbers (strange, I know!). The family account is created and activated successfully. The ABC area code number is ported and the new billing and residence address is in the OMG area code.
Problem:
The XYZ number cannot join the Family plan, because AT&T's billing system requires that all numbers on one family plan are in the same market (=general metropolitan area). According to 6 out of 10 AT&T Wireless representatives, the aforementioned Family plan can now only accommodate area codes within the vicinity of ABC, regardless of the plan's registration in the OMG area code, which is actually located adjacent to the XYZ area code.
I think it depends if OMG, XYZ and ABC are all the same market. My husband and I share a family plan but I'm ABC area code and he's XYZ but both our area codes fall in the XYZ market. We actually live in OMG area code now and had to go back to XYZ in order to merge our plans into a family plan.