Traveller Letters: My extra legroom seats were given to someone else

Booking.com em, Danno

I recently had to cancel accommodation booked at Kona, Hawaii, for this month. I booked through booking.com who passed the booking to Vacasa, a local booking agent. I cancelled with Vacasa and had a full refund within 48 hours. I could not believe it after reading so many horror stories in Traveller about delayed refunds or no refunds. Viva Vacasa.
Peter Johnston, Malabar, NSW

Streaming on Uzbekistan

I much appreciated your “Underrated and overrated list” (Traveller, January 3), especially since it tallied so much with my own thoughts. May I suggest one addition: airline safety videos. My vote goes to Uzbekistan Airways. The Qantas one treads the historical path quite well but Uzbekistan Airways employs Uzbek history in a wonderful way.
Beate Josephi, Forest Lodge, NSW
EDITOR’S NOTE While not an airline commonly patronised by Australians, having viewed this rather epic safety video on YouTube we have to agree with our reader. Watch it below. Let us know your favourite and least favourite airline safety videos. We’ll publish the best responses.

Every cent needed

“Tipping in one of the wealthiest countries is out of control” (Traveller, January 3) because being tipped is the only way hospitality and service staff earn enough money on which to survive. Some earn as little as $3 an hour, with only two weeks’ annual leave.
Jen Gladstones, Heidelberg, Vic

Independent gets vote

A few months ago, at about 9.30pm on the night before we were due to fly to Milan where we were due to join a tour of the Italian lakes, we were notified by Turkish Airlines that our Istanbul-Milan sector had been cancelled with no explanation. I texted our wonderful independent travel agent, and around midnight, she was still messaging me, trying to find out what was happening. When we arrived at Istanbul, we learned that airport workers at Milan were banning all flights within Europe. What to do? Again, I contacted our travel agent. It was a Saturday, and she was at a football match in Melbourne. She advised us to get to Rome (Turkish Air provided the flight), and booked e-tickets for the train from Rome to Milan. We arrived at our destination about five hours late. I believe her team won the footy.
Jules Klok, Noble Park, Vic

Bath time

Free (that is, no payment or gratuity accepted) walking tours (Traveller, December 21) are not hard to find. One I would highly recommend is The Mayor of Bath’s Honorary Guides in Bath UK. We were informed before it commenced that the guides do not accept any gratuities. The content of the tour and the guide were excellent. When I asked my guide if she could recommend a good coffee shop in Bath she told me she couldn’t as she needed to avoid any possibility of being unduly influenced by local businesses. (I found a great one anyway, namely Colonna & Smalls in Chapel Row).
Susan Beynon, Mosman, NSW

Scan pan

Given that the Melbourne-Sydney airline route is one of the busiest – and most profitable – in the world, you would think Melbourne Airport would have modern security scanners. Instead, depending on the terminal, we still have decades-old technology requiring passengers to remove their laptops and devices from their bags. For the sake of efficiency and traveller respect, can the airport please upgrade its scanners?
Simon Benedict, Docklands, Vic

Talking Turkey

To the writer whose Turkish Airlines flight was delayed and who has not been compensated under the EU rules (Traveller Letters, December 30), you can use one of the specialist companies who are experienced at getting the money to which you are entitled. They do take a cut but they will get the money if you are entitled. The service is free if no compensation is payable. A quick Google search will help you find them. And, to the writer who said the compensation rules do not apply as Turkey is not in the EU, the rules also apply “if your flight departs from the EU to a non-EU country operated by an EU or a non-EU airline”.
Andrew Jenkinson, Stuttgart, Germany

Boots were made for flyin’

In reply to “Bin monitoring” (Traveller Letters, December 30), I arrived at my destination for a two-week walk around Mont Blanc in Europe without my luggage. Luckily I wore my boots on the plane. Carry-on is the way to go – no more lost bags and inconvenience.
Jennifer Jones, Horsham, Vic

Check-in this out

A recent correspondent (Traveller Letters, December 30) asked why hotel check-ins take so long. I’m not sure I know the answer but I know how it can be made more pleasant. On a recent stay at the Sofitel Phnom Penh, Cambodia, my wife and I arrived after a somewhat harrowing taxi trip from the airport (if you’ve done it you’ll know what I mean). As we approached the reception counter we were gently ushered aside to some comfy chairs and offered cool towels and an iced drink. Our bags were spirited away and all that was needed were our passports and a credit card. The process still took a few minutes, but it was a relaxing introduction to the hotel.
Ross MacPherson, Seaforth, NSW

Tip of the week: There’s something about Mary

My brother-in-law and I recently returned from Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. We had low expectations out of our own ignorance but we’re now hoping to go back. The two countries have different forms of government but many similarities, including good hotels, easy access to reasonable and cheap food outlets, an absence of beggars, no worries about personal safety or security and fascinating historical cities, some magnificently restored and others not so. There’s a very fast train in Uzbekistan which is contrasted by a deteriorating rural road system. Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan, is an extraordinary, rebuilt white marble city while Mary is well worth a visit, despite the difficulty of road travel. The cities of Samarkand, Tashkent and Khiva in Uzbekistan are full of impressive restorations and friendly people.
Michael Hill, Charlestown, NSW

Off the rails

I recently caught Queensland Rail’s 5pm Tilt Train from Roma Street to Howard to visit family for Christmas, which was an interesting experience. Three plain-clothed police with sidearms and stab vests patrolled the train checking tickets. A woman in my carriage at one stage carried on a loud 10-minute phone conversation, swearing and threatening to kill the person on the other end of the phone with a knife when she got home to Rockhampton. In the same carriage when we stopped at Maryborough Station, a drunk woman stood in the aisle yelling abuse at her relatives on the platform and then refused to get off the train until they came onboard and carried her bags for her. Queensland Rail staff were nowhere to be seen, unless handing out stodgy microwaved meals. The joys of rail travel in Queensland ... no thanks.
Dave Butler, South Yarra, Vic

Not so great Scot

Beware. I travelled on the much-vaunted Caledonian Sleeper train from Fort William in Scotland to London. They ran out of food. Staff told me this frequently happens; management under-order to avoid having left-overs. A dismal experience.
Kim White, Mirboo North, Vic

History lesson

Over Christmas my family and I visited Gulgong, a small Central West town just beyond Mudgee. What a delightful town it is with its history of gold and farming. The narrow winding streets follow the paths of the original bullock tracks, past iron-laced verandahs, horse troughs and hitching rails. Henry Lawson features as well, with a large collection of his memorabilia at a small museum. Our Christmas lunch at the Prince of Wales Hotel was a grand affair. The hotel was built in 1871, also the adjoining Opera House. We were welcomed with a cocktail followed by a traditional three-course lunch with truffles and mulled wine to follow. Our little party enjoyed a bottle of local sparkling wine as well. We enjoyed the whole experience so much that we hope to come back next Christmas.
Helen Lewsley, Springwood, NSW

Home not so sweet

As seasoned travellers, we were taken for a ride literally and figuratively by a personable cabbie at Sydney Airport on our arrival home. We had paid $36 for an Uber from our Inner West Sydney home to the airport at the start of our holiday. Our cab fare home cost an eye-watering $90 in a maxi taxi. Same trip, same tunnels. Welcome home.
Lisa Dixon, Croydon, 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