This would also prevent you from seeing potentially important phone calls.
I didn't want to get calls at all while overseas.
Technically speaking airplane mode with wifi is no longer airplane mode.
For one thing, this is how the iPhone UI presents it, and since "Airplane Mode" is just an arbitrary UI thing, that's as valid as anything. For another thing, many airplanes now have WiFi during flight, so it seems you'd be hoist on the level of pedantic you're currently invoking.
However, using the "Data Roaming" option is a good idea.
Nah, it's the airlines/regulators that are being hoisted. Normally you are 'required' to shut down all transmitters in your devices during flight, and this is what airplane mode would do. As has been discussed over and again, the reasons for this are mostly bunk, which is underlined by allowing transmitting 802.11 (only if there's money in it, natch). I can't speak for how Apple chooses to represent concepts in their UI...
I didn't want to get calls at all while overseas.
Technically speaking airplane mode with wifi is no longer airplane mode.
For one thing, this is how the iPhone UI presents it, and since "Airplane Mode" is just an arbitrary UI thing, that's as valid as anything. For another thing, many airplanes now have WiFi during flight, so it seems you'd be hoist on the level of pedantic you're currently invoking.
However, using the "Data Roaming" option is a good idea.