Traveller Letters: Including tips automatically is theft

Thanks for your recommendation for the Uzbekistan Airlines safety video (Traveller Letters, January 20). Being a Kiwi by origin I’ve always basked in the superiority of the Air New Zealand videos but now bow to a superior pre-flight demonstration – and an excellent tourist promotion as well. Truly epic, as you say. An hour in-between Australian Open matches was happily filled with a trip down the YouTube rabbit hole of most memorable, most watchable and unforgettable airline safety videos. There are many.
Susan Moustafa, Sandringham, Vic

I can see the appeal of the Uzbekistan Airways safety video, but have you seen the Vietnam Airlines one? An attractive troupe of traditional Vietnamese dancers perform against a backdrop of various Vietnamese landscapes. Somehow they keep time, entertain and inform us of the whereabouts of our life jacket – in a rice field – and I do mean in. I actually looked forward to watching it on each flight. I should also give a special mention to Air China’s old safety video (viewable on YouTube) that stars an adorable animated panda bear.
Donna Page, Marrickville, NSW

My favourite airline safety video is the one on Singapore Airlines. With a beautifully filmed video of sights of Singapore, the safety messages are cleverly intertwined with a calming effect and a pleasant voice-over. Even on my fourth flight with SA in 2023 I was still glued to the screen.
Lynda Konjevic, Drouin, Vic

Noumea and me

I used the information in your timely guide to on Noumea (Traveller, December 6) on a recent visit to New Caledonia over Christmas. The recommendations about the patisserie, chocolatier and restaurant were spot on and followed up with great alacrity and proved to be worthy of searching out. At the excellent restaurant La Marmite et Tire-Bouchon they were pleased to see the article and learn that their restaurant was the first recommendation on your list. They showed the article to all the staff and were thrilled. The food was so good and the cellar so extensive, we visited three times.
Bruce Ramage, Leura, NSW

Gate expectations

I found it interesting to learn that the author of your Singapore Airlines review (Traveller, January 16) finds the security check at the gate aspect of Changi to be tedious. It’s actually the best part of travelling at Changi. Having security at the boarding gate allows people to confidently turn up to the airport 60 minutes before take off knowing there will not be a delay just after check-in with long lines as everyone in the terminal is filtered to the same security zone, such as in Heathrow.
Nick Inatey, Singapore

Thistle blower

The “Where on earth” image of Thistle Cove, Esperance, Western Australia is stunning (Traveller Newsletter, January 17). I’ve recently been house-sitting with friends in Albany, WA, and during the two weeks we visited the most beautiful beaches – at tranquil bays surrounded by granite boulders where we could float in the turquoise water and windswept stretches of white sand with the Southern Ocean crashing in. Simply spectacular.
Lisa Clarke, Watsons Bay, NSW

Scrambled dregs

To answer Betty Kenny (Traveller Letters, January 20), the use of disposable cardboard plates in the US has nothing to do with COVID-19. Disposable is just that, and it’s been going on for over two decades. Just think yourself lucky that you didn’t get to see the “cooking” of scrambled “eggs” there. I watched in dismay as a bain-marie was slopped, using a big soup ladle with the eggs from a huge bucket (think larger than a 10-litre paint drum). I also remain unsure if the scrambled eggs actually contained any eggs at all.
Michael Webb, Cromer, NSW

Barking mad

Annually I travel with Qantas to spend Christmas with family in Melbourne and book early with frequent flying points. Just before Christmas 2023, my brother was desperately ill in hospital. The cheapest economy ticket to travel a day earlier was $644. I called Qantas to complain about the cost with a dog barking in the background (the working-from-home attendant apologised, taking a few minutes to remove the dog and refunded the points without penalty). A subsequent email from Qantas Customer Care said the fare structure helped maintain services to regional centres and complimentary in-flight services. Lastly, it said: “… we suggest in the future you book your flight in advance” (of one day prior to travel). I have received no response from Qantas requesting a refund on compassionate grounds.
John Collins, Balmain, NSW

Tip of the week: It’s a jingle out there

My wife and I have just returned from a five-week trip through Germany and Austria. What an experience – 17 different cities and towns all with their own Christmas market. If you’re thinking of having a similar experience, be aware the bigger cities’ markets can be crowded on weekends but eating dinner at the markets is fun. Try learning to ice skate before you go, as most of the big-city markets have amazing ice-skating rinks. When you arrive in a large town, check if there are Christmas carols being sung in any of the churches. We struck gold in Erfurt in central Germany where 140 carol singers and an orchestra performed for €20 ($33) each. Another tip for Germany is that all supermarkets close on Sunday and on Christmas Eve in Salzburg, Austria, most restaurants and supermarkets were closed.
John Malligan, Pomonal, Vic

Sour notes

I recently went to Cambodia and read that US dollars needed to be pristine. After paying for my visas at the airport and given $US40 in change, I took those notes to my hotel to pay and was declined as there was writing on them. I said I’d got them from the visa desk at the airport, which I thought would be okay. After I explained I had no other notes they eventually took them, but remember to check your US bills.
Karin Mead, Warrandyte, Vic

Comfort discomfort

We had a similar experience to that of Cynthia Hopkinson (Traveller Letters, January 20) with extra legroom seats paid for, not received and not compensated, this time by Qatar Airways. We paid for “Comfort Class” tickets, principally for the inclusion of extra legroom seats in the fare. Our flight was cancelled due to technical problems, and we were reassigned to a Korean Airways flight departing nine hours later. Understandably, the extra legroom seats were not available, but we expected a partial refund as per Qatar’s policy. They claimed the seats were “free of charge”, even though a Comfort Class fare is, at the time of writing, €419 ($690) more than the next cheapest class and extra legroom seats cost €255, if paid for separately. To add insult to injury, Qatar would not pay the EU-mandated compensation of €600 for a flight delay of more than four hours unless I agreed not to pursue any other claim and only gave me 48 hours to accept their offer. They didn’t respond when I questioned the “free” nature of the seat choice, so my 48 hours lapsed. My husband’s claim, lodged last October, only received an automated receipt notice.
Glenda Roberts, Breakfast Point, NSW

Dry idea

Your Dubai International Airport Report (Traveller, January 18) mentioned the shower facilities there for freshening up. It’s worth noting that the showers are free, but you need to bring a towel and soap. I’d recommend bringing a microfibre towel and shower gel in your hand luggage. There’s also a Holiday Inn Express (for about $150) for longer layovers. I had a 10-hour layover overnight, returning from Europe, and got actual sleep. A free shuttle runs between the hotel and airport. If your luggage is checked through to your destination, pack overnight gear in your carry-on. As a stopover-lite, it’s worth it.
Carrie Bengston, Clovelly, NSW

Dodging the dodgy

I recently received an email from a hotel in Thailand where I had a booking.com reservation. The message looked to be via the booking.com messaging system, with a sender email. I was told that my credit card details needed to be verified with the hotel otherwise the booking would be cancelled in 24 hours. It looked dodgy, particularly because of the 24-hour deadline, so I researched it and sure enough it was a scam. Be careful.
Pat Carr, Queenscliff, NSW

The Letter of the Week writer wins three Hardie Grant travel books. See hardiegrant.com

The Tip of the Week writer wins a set of three Lonely Planet travel books. See shop.lonelyplanet.com