Traveller letters: Why can't all airline staff speak English properly?

However, our tour to the Disko Bay area of Ilulissat, superbly organised through Greenland Travel in Copenhagen (they are highly recommended), was fraught with delays and miscommunications.

Key words to remember when in Greenland are "it depends". It depends on the weather if planes are delayed, it depends on whether the boat came in if we get fresh supplies for breakfast, (the hotel ran out of bread one morning for breakfast) and it depends on what type of ferry you get if the boat trip is to take two hours or six hours. Remember, there are no roads in Greenland, so travel is by air or ferry.

Despite all of this, we had a great time. You need to be fit, love scenery, like simple food and above all, take delays in your stride. This may not be a destination for everyone … but it depends.

Oh, and by the way, on our flights to and from Australia, we did not encounter any reclining seat or overhead locker rage.

Stephen Darlington, Bathurst, NSW

THE END

I was rather surprised, and somewhat disappointed, after reading all the writers' choices for their final flings here on earth (Traveller letters, Jul 15), not one mentioned any of our iconic Australian landscapes.

After having travelled extensively, I still think our Australian landscape is hard to beat. I have already decided that if I knew my time here on this planet was limited I would return to Davidson's Safari Lodge in Arnhem Land.

A sunset cruise along Cooper Creek with Mount Borradaile as a backdrop watching the eagles soar and the brolgas dance is not to be matched.

Mary Lawson, Marrickville, NSW

GOING OFF

There's got to be a better way of checking airline passengers for metal knees and hips when passing through security. I have two metal knees and I can vouch that the security experience is irritating and degrading and you are made to feel like a criminal.

The existing method in airline domestic terminals is to single out the passenger for a further search, after they have set-off the detector in the walk through aisle. Not only do officers check the offending knees or hips but go over the body of the passenger with a metal detector while the arms are extended.

Sometimes shoes need to be removed and in some instances it is up to the passenger to find a chair to use to put their shoes on again. However, I'm not suggesting that passengers who set off the metal detector should walk straight through, which would negate the point of the security check for metal.

But perhaps a card could be provided by the doctor that certifies that the passenger has metal knees or hips and therefore no metal detector check is necessary.

I will be interested to learn of the experiences (good or bad) of other travellers or if the full body search security negates the need for the separate metal detector check.

Dennis Rutzou, St Ives Chase, NSW

THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT

I thought I'd try to cheer up Christopher O'Connor and Simon Kenyon (Traveller letters, Jul 15) about Qantas' priorities when dealing with customer complaints.

I travelled from Perth to Sydney one evening last week and, along with other passengers, encountered a problem. I woke the next morning to find an email from Qantas guest services sitting in my inbox, apologising profusely for the problem occurring and hoping that I hadn't been inconvenienced by the in-flight entertainment system not working.

David Davies, Callala Beach, NSW

LET'S SPLIT

It sounds like Debra Miniutti (Traveller letters, Jul 15) was a victim of the curious European practice of "split trains". On a family trip in 2013, we booked the high speed ICE train from Mannheim to Essen, but when it turned up our coach number didn't exist, even though it was the correct train and route number.

In a mild panic, we jumped on with our five suitcases fearing we'd miss our next connection. There were no seats of course, so we asked a guard in the vestibule where our coach was.

He patiently explained that it was in the train behind the one we were on, even though there was no indication on the ticket or at the station this would be the case.

We got off at the next stop (Frankfurt) anxiously hoping that the information we were given was correct. Sure enough, a few minutes later the second half of the train turned up, with our coach number and table seats ready and waiting for us.

A valuable lesson for the uninitiated.

Brendan Jones, Annandale, NSW

PASTE IMPRESSIONISM

Could someone please explain the rationale? Travelling to America with hand luggage, a half-filled 120 millilitre tube of tooth paste is confiscated because the container size is more than 100 millilitres? A question at security did not elicit a commonsense reason.

Returning with hand luggage, 10 new 30 millilitres tubes of toothpaste (for future trips) are fine. Why is 60 millilitres of toothpaste a problem one way and 300 millilitres of toothpaste not a problem the other way? Bob Moses, Wollongong, NSW

STAR TREATMENT

On a recent trip flying to Brisbane from Tullamarine travelling with my disabled husband, Jetstar staff went to all lengths to make our trip easy and stress free. On checking in, having requested wheelchair assistance, we were helped in every possible way. Our return flight was the same with friendly and helpful staff. Well done – certainly we will use Jetstar on our next trip.

Kay Nelson, Bairnsdale, VIC

FREE ADVICE

Gluten-free on airlines even in business class is bland and boring so not having it on the plane was certainly a blessing. I tried it once and never again.

When travelling overseas I order from the standard menu and always find meals that are mostly gluten free, if hesitant about something on my plate I leave it there. This will only work when travelling business class which results in disappointment for those in economy.

The most extraordinary gluten-free food I have ever had was provided on a train, yes a train, and that trip was on the Orient Express from Venice to London.

Magnificently prepared meals for breakfast, lunch, dinner and brunch. It can be, and is, done superbly on land in many restaurants also, so why not in the air? Obviously it comes down to the catering department and the budget of the airline.

Sandy Herring, Narrabeen, NSW

Traveller's 10th anniversary reader survey

Vote for your Destination of the Decade and Airline of the Decade in our reader poll to mark 10 years of Traveller