iphone 5 wifi strange behavior do I need a replacement...

Hello...

Ok so my new iPhone5 arrived last week. Of course there are numerous issues that we all know about. Where I live on Vancouver Island does not have great coverage for LTE so the phone bounces around the data networks and eventually drops the network connection. But, at home all things being equal I have not "noticed" my iMessage and network issues all that much until now as a pilot I am traveling and ooooohhhhhhh!!!! it is useless for me right now.

I am in a hotel connected to the WIFI... Laptop (PC), iPad and iPhone5... both running IOS6. The iPad is fine, working as it has for the last year or so that I have had it BUT.... it is not receiving messages sent that are then taken on the iPhone although the settings are the same.... so this means that my iMessage is only working on my cell number and not on the email which is listed and working on my iPad.... ???Hmmm This is additionally apparent when my phone (which is apparently connected to the WIFI) is tried to be used to send a message to my wife.... it will not send it as an iMessage. I tried shutting off the Cellular Data to force it to use WIFI and when I do messages are only able to be sent as text... but the wifi works for the internet and other applications.... not great but it is working.......

So..... my iPhone 4 worked just fine in the same circumstance with IOS6 so it is not the software, unless it is somehow specific to how the iPhone5 and its peripherals are using the software.... so how do I call Apple to get this sorted??? From other posts my WIFI MAC Address matches the ones that are claimed to be of an issue (apple) ones...

Anyway, suggestions, comments, re-directs are welcome. The other question is if I do get a replacement does that mean that Apple will also replace my 35$ ZAGG screen protector.... or do they expect me to just balls up for that on my own.... Two phones, nearly 1000$ each..... not cool.