Traveller letters: Unlimited food and excellent service at Sama Sama airport hotel, Kuala Lumpur

Today we were bowled over because we received a cheque in the mail with an accompanying letter saying: "As a gesture of goodwill, MVT has decided to refund the tour participants the unused portion of the tour cost. I wish to bring to your attention the fact that our company is not obligated to provide this refund and we are doing it purely because we recognise that this situation came about through no fault of your own, and we want to look after any client who booked this tour through our company."

Dorothy and Graham Harris, Nambucca Heads, NSW

TAKE A HIKE

What an unpleasant surprise to receive our renewal notice from Australian Seniors Insurance Agency. The premium for our multi-trip, worldwide travel insurance had increased more than 40 per cent.

There was no explanation given. Just an invitation to renew our policy for another year. When we checked online, the same policy was available with a 10 per cent discount. The discount was not offered in our renewal notice.

Brian Richards, Balgowlah, NSW

GETTING A LIFT

In his item about winglets, Michael Gebicki states: "A wing generated lift by creating an area of pressure that is greater below the wing than above it." Unfortunately, this "popular" explanation is totally inaccurate. While there is a slight pressure differential, lift is actually caused by the wing deflecting large volumes of air downwards, attested to by Newton's second and third laws of motion; that is, force = mass x velocity, and "for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction". So the wing deflects a certain mass (weight) of air travelling at a certain speed (let's say 500 knots in the case of a commercial jetliner), creating the force (lift), and the reaction is the aircraft weighing up to say, 450 tonnes being lifted into – then supported in – the air. For a complete explanation readers could search the writings of two renowned US aeronautical physicists, David Anderson and Scott Eberhardt.

Martyn Yeomans, Sapphire Beach, NSW

PLASTIC, NOT SO FANTASTIC

I couldn't agree more about taking our principles with us when we visit other countries. Reports that the amount of plastic in the Pacific Gyre is now the size of France is absolutely gob-smacking. Many locations in Bali don't have adequate, functional and effective waste systems – so we visitors can make a difference when we travel. I consistently took my silk carry bags to all shops – and advised all and sundry that I didn't want plastic and spoke about the problems of plastic in Bali and in general. I consistently got really supportive responses from shopkeepers and supermarket staff and other Balinese I spoke to. I discussed ideas for options to plastic with many of these people and floated ideas of an 'I love Bali' calico/cotton bags being made available to people in shops for free or for very little – in place of plastic.

I also did my bit and picked up plastic waste whenever I could and disposed of it correctly – and had Balinese thank me for helping their environment. I gave around two hours to a personal clean-up of around 100 metres of beach in west Bali near one of the locations we were staying at. The more people who saw me doing it the better. If I saw a local I said ' I love Bali' and 'I want to keep Bali beautiful'. Terima kasih (thank you.)

Gayle Russell, Nunderi, NSW

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