This was published 6 years ago
Traveller letters: Airlines and travel operators feed their passengers too much
Do airlines feed passengers too much?Credit: Shutterstock
LETTER OF THE WEEK
FAST NOT FEAST
The letter "KL stopover" (Traveller letters, April 14) reminds me that unlimited food during travel for me is a minus, not a plus. What really irritates me on tours is that the operators insist on including breakfasts in the price and they find it too difficult to offer "no breakfast" options along with the single supplement. I never eat breakfast at home. If I eat breakfast, I feel hungry for the rest of the day no matter how much I eat. If I don't eat breakfast, I don't start to feel hungry until 2pm or 3pm, and I'm much happier. Airlines also insist on feeding their passengers too much. One of the advantages of flying business class is that you don't get bothered by passengers sitting next to you eating when you don't want to eat.
Wayne Robinson, Kingsley, WA
THE MORE THINGS CHANGE …
Ancient history it may be – but the two letters about India (Traveller letters, April 7, 2018) suggest the more things change, the more they remain the same. In early 1973 I landed late at night at (then) Bombay Airport. I wanted to confirm the early morning flight to Delhi for the next day. It was impossible. No record (apparently) of the flight or names listed. Feeling frantic I headed off by taxi to a hotel. Back early the next morning, check-in went without a problem, as smooth as could be. The flight was delayed and we landed after the connecting flight to Agra had gone. A car was placed at our disposal to take us to Agra to the Taj Mahal and return. I remember telling this story some time later and an old India hand explained to me that my difficulty in confirming my flight from Bombay to Delhi was code that I should have offered some money to help expedite the matter. Young and naive, I had had no experience of such matters. But it makes me wonder if such petty bribery is not still part of the travel scene.
Jim Kable, Caves Beach, NSW
SMOOTH PASSAGE IN INDIA
There are certain simple rules that can make life a lot easier at the Indian airports (Traveller letters, April 7, 2018) . No.1: Never argue with an immigration, customs or security officer about anything. Any argument will make life very difficult. No.2: As well as your passport, carry another photo ID. In India passports are viewed with suspicion. No.3: Always carry photocopies of visas, passports and any other document. No.4: Clearing formalities can take between three and five hours, so be prepared and patient. If you complain, things could get worse. No.5: Always follow orders, even if they look silly.
Follow these simple rules and getting in and out of India will be a breeze. Welcome to incredible India and enjoy your stay.
Subhashini Viswanathan, Belmont, NSW
APPLAUSE FOR THE DANES
Sue Reid's unfortunate Copenhagen experience with pickpockets (Traveller April 7) mirrors a similar robbery we experienced, also in the vicinity of King's Park. This time the thieves created a noisy disturbance at a bus stop to temporarily distract my friend while they unzipped her backpack and took her wallet. The locals were kind and helpful but it was the police who made the situation clear. We were told that gangs of "fly in, fly out" Eastern European criminals used cheap budget flights to target wealthy tourist areas, safe in the knowledge that by the time their description was circulated they would be counting their takings on the flight home. Some even flew in and out on the same day.
Our story did have a happier ending. The wallet was found, minus the money of course, and a Danish local made a special trip to deliver it to where we were staying, and to offer apologies on behalf of her country. Her kindness was also matched by the locals who gave us an office desk and landline to use so we could phone banks in Australia to cancel the cards. So full marks for the Danes.
Anna Harley, West Brunswick, VIC
ESSENTIAL ITEMS
As a deaf person using two cochlear implants, I'd appreciate advice about taking hearing-aid/cochlear-implant processor batteries in baggage when travelling either domestically or internationally.
Hearing instruments (hearing aids and cochlear-implant processors) operate using button "cell" batteries. These batteries are an essential item for deaf travellers – they need a sufficient supply of batteries to last the duration of their trip – whether for a few days or many weeks or months (as in, say, a round-the-world trip). Hearing instruments are a medical requirement for deaf travellers, so they can hear what is said to them – including safety instructions.
I've had my cochlear implants for more than 10 years now, and until recently have had no problem taking batteries with me when flying. However, about a year ago, when flying to Queensland with Qantas, there was some argument with security as to whether I should be carrying them with me (on-flight luggage, in handbag etc) or put them in with check-in luggage. I've had conflicting information as to how to carry the batteries – if I'm only to be away for a few days, I can just take a few blister-packs of batteries with me in my handbag; but if I need a larger quantity, I take at least one box containing 10 blister packs with me, in my suitcase. On this occasion, I was asked to remove the batteries from my suitcase and take them with me as carry-on luggage. This surprised me, as I'd been putting boxes of batteries in my suitcase for years, with no problems.
When I asked a travel agent about this, she Googled the topic and got conflicting advice from hearing-aid-using passengers, and customs staff, so got no clear answer on this.
Could someone "in the know" give me (and other deaf travellers) some clarifying advice as to travelling with hearing instrument batteries? Airport and shipping terminal security staff need to be aware that these batteries are absolutely essential to enable deaf people to hear comfortably when travelling, so they must not be confiscated by security staff!
Kaye Gooch, Prahran VIC
ROOM WITH A VIEW
At risk of placing my Freudian anxieties before the public, I hate transparent glass toilet doors (Room with a View, March 31, 2018). It seems to have been a recent fad with architects. We now comb through hotel search results to make sure we haven't booked another Room with a View.
Ian Robertson, Moss Vale, NSW
HOTEL HEROGRAM
Graham Child is pleased with the Sama Sama Airport Hotel in Kuala Lumpur and I am in full agreement with him (Traveller letters, April 14). It is a well maintained hotel with excellent food, with quiet and very comfortable rooms, terrific staff and a pleasant walk from the terminal. There is a shuttle service if one is too tired to move another step and all undercover to the entrance and good value. The fast train into the city is about half an hour. It's my stopover of choice if I'm heading to Europe or other parts of Asia.
Donna Mills, Macksville, NSW
HOTEL HEROGRAM #2
Thanks so much for your piece on the Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem (Traveller, March 17). I am inspired to go there for so many reasons and have put it at the top of my "big trip" list. Apart from the building itself and the interiors and wonderful art by so many artists (including Banksy), the thought of supporting local businesses in otherwise "challenged-income areas" is a no-brainer for me.
Lauren Sloan, Brisbane, Qld
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