Letters: how oversized cabin bags should be handled

CABIN PRESSURE

Regarding recent letters to Traveller concerning oversize cabin luggage on aircraft, I well recall a flight my wife and I took a few years ago from Paris (Charles de Gaulle) to Gothenburg, Sweden.

All the passengers were bussed from the terminal out to the waiting aircraft on the tarmac and before climbing the stairs into the plane everyone's hand luggage was checked by airport staff.

Any oversize or unacceptable item was taken from the offending passengers and placed on a nearby pallet to be loaded later into the cargo-hold area - no problems on-board was the pleasing result.

Other airlines, please copy!

-Michael Askey

LETTER OF THE WEEK

I unfortunately fell and broke my hip two days into my South African holiday in June this year, which necessitated a total hip replacement in the Sandton Clinic in Johannesburg, where I was wonderfully cared for by surgeon, physician and nursing staff. My husband and I returned to Australia with Qantas. Our travel health insurance, Allianz, covered all my medical expenses, kept in contact with my surgeon and upgraded us to business class. An Allianz registered nurse visited me in hospital virtually every day of my 11-day stay. The Qantas aircrew were exceptionally kind to me at all times. They helped me with my crutches and regularly inquired after my health and comfort. My husband and I were immediately put at ease once we boarded our Qantas flight at Oliver Tambo airport Johannesburg. The ground staff of Qantas had a wheelchair waiting for me on disembarking in Sydney and wheeled us through customs to our awaiting transport. My husband and I cannot praise the crew, both inflight and ground staff, enough and we thank them from the bottom of our hearts for their care.

-Yvonne Reddy

ISRAEL OR BUST