Each week Traveller publishes a selection of rants, raves and travel tips from our readers. See below on how you can contribute.
Access denied
I paid $2500 to upgrade to Emirates business class on my recent trip to Morocco via Dubai, expecting the full experience. Instead, I was told lounge access wasn’t included. At that price, it’s outrageous that they couldn’t even offer a drink before boarding. Business class should mean business class, not a watered-down version. Travellers deserve transparency about what’s excluded before paying such a premium.
Melissa Green, Randwick, NSW
Letter of the week: Pillow talk
We were in New Zealand when I read Jane Richards’ article on Matakana (Traveller, November 15) as we had recently been to its famed farmers market. Our other amazing restaurant experiences on the North Island included Ortolana in Auckland and the Archive Bistro at the Mudbrick Vineyard and Restaurant Winery on Waiheke Island. In the capital, Wellington, we dined at Supra, voted “new restaurant of the year” for 2025. To cap off an amazing culinary journey, we enjoyed an array of bakery delights at Tomboy bakery cafe in Wellington, where the owner’s father, Zuke, welcomes every guest warmly, even if you just pop in for a coffee. He chatted to us for a long while and treated us to pillow-soft baby doughnuts.
Sally Spurr, Lane Cove, NSW
West is best
I have to agree with Amy Hiller’s letter on domestic travel (Traveller, November 15). I’ve just returned from four weeks in Western Australia where we stayed in Cottesloe in Perth and, regionally, Kalgoorlie, Esperance, Albany, Margaret River, and then back to Cottesloe. There were fabulous driving conditions, spectacular scenery, and long lunches in several vineyards. The standout was the National Anzac Centre Museum in Albany. All beachside locations featured beautiful paved walkways with granite rocks and amazing landscaping, with the ample free parking much appreciated. The only downside? Being charged $40 for a single scone and two double-shot flat whites.
Carlene Economo, Riverview, NSW
Board revolt
Qantas’ group boarding procedure is a failure, especially if you are in groups five or six. Until they can educate passengers to organise their overhead luggage at the gate before they board the aircraft it will always be a failure. It’s frustrating when passengers get to their seats and then proceed to realise, “I need this, but not that”, and, in doing so, block the aisle to any other passenger trying to reach their seat.
Michael McKenna, Warragul, Vic
Case dismissed
After 30 years as a frequent flyer, I’ve had many reasons to contact Qantas Customer Care (QCC). You need to be persistent, resilient and respectful. From being stranded overseas for 10 days (with no help from QCC) to being treated like a card thief when my credit card failed (found out at the airport and was embarrassed). At Hobart Airport recently my new suitcase wasn’t on the luggage carousel. I eventually located it split open with broken zips and contents spewed into a plastic bag. The suitcase was clearly manhandled, which is why it came apart and stressed the zips. No joy from Qantas, despite numerous emails advising that their customer policy doesn’t cover zips and the like. Policy is one thing, but damaged goods during carriage are not acceptable. The case was correctly packed, in perfect condition, and well below the weight limit (as per Qantas policy).
Mark Perry, Noosa Heads, Qld
Discordant note
I was interested in reading Ross Langford-Brown (Traveller, November 15) about taxi scams and how to use cash to avoid this. It reminded me of a recent trip to Kyrgyzstan where we transited through Dubai. On our first excursion to the Dubai Mall by cab we had to pay with US dollars, as I had not had time to obtain the local currency. On arrival our driver would accept only cash, and my smallest note was $US20. On returning to our hotel and reporting the matter, we were advised to always use cabs that will accept cards, and from then on, our travel money card became our best friend. So cash is not always the be-all-and-end-all. Be aware to check that your taxi will accept your cards.
Greg Preston, Cherrybrook, NSW
Double trouble
We recently used taxis to go to and from Sydney Airport for international travel. Our fare home was double the amount of the outgoing fare, two weeks prior. While I questioned the driver, I felt I had to pay. I then found the NSW Point to Point Transport Commissioner and lodged a complaint, with copies of both receipts. This was acknowledged within the listed two weeks by the taxi company, and I was reimbursed the difference two weeks later.
Rosslyn Hing, Earlwood, NSW
Principle concerns
Your correspondent takes aim at a couple who on a tour of Turkey just refused to pay tips, despite “their boasts about their respective successful careers, and the number of properties they owned”. This makes them sound incredibly boring, but does it also make them mean? Where tips are expected and amounts recommended, it is quite possible that the couple who refused to pay did so on principle because the tips were, in fact, covert additional fees for service.
Peter Drum, Coburg, Vic
Guide lines
I echo Roger Fowler’s positive take on tipping on tours. Eight years ago, my wife and I had a great 21-day coach tour of Spain and Portugal with Trafalgar. The tour guide and coach driver were so good that fellow travellers were itching to tip them, awaiting the obligatory envelope and request. On the last trip on the last day, somehow we were able to indicate our desire, and we were able to generously provide a tip to them both. It meant a lot to us, but more to them.
Michael Ford, Malabar, NSW
Profit motive
I was on a recent tour in the five Stans with several Americans, and while they’re used to tipping, I feel it’s the tour operators’ reliance on tipping as a wage supplement that leads to an unsatisfactory outcome for all. In short, the lion’s share of the profit is going to the tour operators. Simply charge more, most of us from a first-world country will be happy to pay another $100, given the cost of getting there and the tour cost, as it’s a comparatively small amount.
Stephen Trevarrow, South Brisbane, Qld
Letter of the week: Grand designs
Before our two-week, first-ever visit to New York we were warned about the noise and the crowds. However, you soon get used to the sounds of the city and start to even feel like a New Yorker yourself. My main interest during our visit was the city’s buildings, especially the art deco ones. We visited the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center and Guggenheim Museum, but the best of them all was the magnificent Chrysler Building. Of course, you cannot dismiss Grand Central Station, as it’s a truly distinctive part of New York, and we were totally absorbed by its aura.
Paul Lawicki, Black Rock, Vic
West Side storeys
My wife and I love big cities as they offer art, food, eccentricity, diversity and walking. For the past three years we’ve booked serviced apartments on New York City’s Upper West Side and The Latin Quarter in Paris for two weeks and can’t recommend them highly enough. Save on breakfast, cook dinner from local shops or markets and get takeaway. You really do get to know locals. Doing a deep dive into a small microcosm gives you a better understanding of the whole. A serviced apartment affords you a concierge, and thus help without the cost of pricier hotels.
Hugh Fitzhardinge, Bondi, NSW
Necessary not selfish
Thank you, Ben Groundwater, for your comments in your cover story “Plane and simple” (Traveller, November 9) about the reclining of aircraft seats. As someone who sits in agony until seats may be reclined, I appreciate you mentioning those who have to do so. We have been pilloried in the past for this. I remember the now defunct The Project television program being anti-recline and scathing about those who did so. It’s not a selfish choice, but a medical necessity for some of us.
Helen Jackson, Freshwater, NSW
Airs and disgraces
When travelling I behave courteously and respect others, so Ben Groundwater’s “High time for some airtiquette” cover story rang loud and clear. My biggest gripe is when airline staff announce boarding and call those seated in the rear section of economy first, yet so many others insist on boarding at the same time. Emirates enforces a civilised procedure (passengers must wait until their section is announced) so everyone gets seated more efficiently. Not only is departure more likely to be on time, but you’ve also endured less squeezing past passengers in the aisle.
Roxanne Le Blanc, Croydon, Vic
Irish rover
I recently travelled to Ireland and rented a vehicle from a Dublin-based company called My Irish Cousin. It sounded a bit dubious, but swift and positive replies to my emails and online quote convinced me to go ahead. What a great experience, with full insurance cover at no additional cost. When queried about fuel, I was told “just return [the car] with about the same fuel on the gauge”. Furthermore, at 78 years old there were no restrictions on renting, provided I showed them a full Australian driver’s licence. And when I needed to change the rental period by one day less due to flight issues, a full refund of the rental amount for that day was provided.
Ken Sinclair, Hunters Hill, NSW
Nam sham
In another example of Vietnam visa shenanigans, we applied for visas via the Vietnamese government website – an extremely tedious process. Ultimately, my husband’s middle name was misspelled on the visa (I doubt he was to blame, and you have to submit a copy of your passport, which surely should be cross-checked with the visa details). He didn’t notice the error before we travelled and was denied check-in for our flight from Bangkok to Saigon. Meanwhile, our family had to travel on without him to meet our tour group. He spent the day arranging and waiting for a fast-tracked visa at the airport and had to pay for that as well as a new flight. The moral of the story? Double and triple check the visa when you get it. It’s some comfort reading multiple similar stories about problems with visas for Vietnam, but we could have done without the drama.
Melanie Brown, Beecroft, 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
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