Virgin requires one chargeable event every 180 days I think not a year (at least that's what the literature says) so instead of making an expensive phone call while roaming to keep it active, why not simply send a text message...virgin charges ?1.40/minute to make a call while roaming in the USA but only 35p for a text message (even cheaper, I set up GPRS on my virgin phone, went to
www.polyphonicringtonez.com\wap, downloaded a free ring tone, and it cost me all of 9p even though I was in the USA and that should do the trick!
But you're right about Mobile World although prices for calls to the USA are incredibly cheap (5p/minute although rounded up to the next highest minute) but last time I was in London, the sim card was free and you only had to buy air time ( believe 10 quid minimum so I used almost all of it so it was no big deal that the card expired...I didn't feel I had lost anything)...I rarely have people reach me via calling the UK number anyway...I have calls forwarded and use my USA number either through my ld carrier (AT&T) or if voicestick can ever resolve the issue of being charged for a 5 minute call when the call goes to voicemail that would be better as the caller hears a message "we are connecting your call"...as a matter of fact on some mobile plans in the UK it is cheaper for my friends to call my USA number (although I pay a bit) than to pay the high cross network fees on their plans.
Finally, Motel 75, if whomever is calling you in the USA doesn't have a good ld plan for foreign calls, tell them to prefix the call with 1016868 (fron a landline)...cuts the price to a German mobile to something like 13?/minute; at least I think that's what it is (you can check current rates)....