Mike Jenvey.....
I think your assumption is correct, re. the only advantage to AOL 'Gold Plus' being freephone numbers in the UK. ...That said, my interest is solely movement around the UK; I've always understood the situation abroad to be more complex.
Notification back here in April of this package seemed a step in the right direction (and the first one I had seen) but bizarrely a big secret on the AOL website. ...It took a really convoluted route to find it; today I can't find it at all (!). ...I thought it a bit pricey at the time for the privilege (maybe me) but this latest devlopment looks good value (in the UK).
A couple of years ago a colleague at work said he was with V21; I'd never heard of them, then or since. ...I mentioned it again today and he confirmed he still is; more to the point he has been very happy with them. ...A bit of investigative surfing would seem to indicate similarly promising. ...Anyone else have a view on them?