Traveller letters: Customs and security at Brisbane Airport is a shambles

GOOD SNOOZE GUIDE

After returning from a 28-day holiday to British Columbia and Alaska, it was good to sleep in my own bed again – two cotton sheets, two Australian-wool blankets and a thin cotton quilt lovingly stitched by my wife.

On holiday, in hotel after hotel, and on a cruise ship, my wife and I had to endure the dreaded doona. Each night's sleep followed an unvarying sequence: sleep; waking up sweating from the heat of the doona; dragging the doona off the bed; sleep; waking up cold; dragging the doona back onto the bed. This sequence would be repeated up to four times a night.

Our best night's sleep on the entire holiday was in an ultra-cheap hotel in Vancouver. While our bed in that hotel also had a doona, in the wardrobe we found an old, but clean, blanket. We replaced the doona with the blanket. Result: blissful, uninterrupted sleep.

Why has the dreaded doona replaced sheets and blankets?

Doug Brown, Turramurra, NSW

BREAKING NEWS

While in Ljubljana, Slovenia, I fell and broke my left wrist. On admission to the emergency department of the hospital, I was asked if I carried an Australian Medicare card, as there is a reciprocal arrangement between the two countries for medical treatment.

Fortunately I did have the card with me, as I was aware of such an arrangement with Italy, where my next trek was happening. My treatment at the hospital cost me nothing, and my travel insurance company was also unaware of the Medicare agreement with Slovenia, likewise my travel agent.

Susan Lenne, Clovelly, NSW

Financial constraints mean I will probably never travel overseas again, but I can still gain some vicarious enjoyment by reading Traveller each weekend. The glorious photos and the first-hand narratives allow us to travel without having to queue up at airports, endure long flights in a squashed situation, or cope with extremes of weather and unexpected disasters. Armchair travel has its pluses.

Joan Brown, Orange, NSW

JUSTIN CASE

Reading that Traveller editor Anthony Dennis is in Montreal would present an ideal opportunity to report on the latest embargoes likely to impact on tourists visiting the US, entering from the other side of the border with Justin's Canada. Has there been any talk of a wall?

Allan Gibson, Cherrybrook, NSW

GIMME SHELTER

In reference to Simon Moriaty's comments about the umbrella at security situation at Adelaide Airport (Traveller letters, June 2), Brisbane's international airport used to do the same. Apparently they were concerned about items concealed inside the umbrella though I'm not aware of why they no longer do this.

Does it really matter why they do this? After all, the security people are "just doing their job". I find the security thing tiresome too, being a regular traveller, but apparently it's for our own good.

Perhaps you should make inquiries further up the food chain if you're unhappy with the treatment. In their defence, I'd find the prospect of continual questions whilst doing my safety-focused job rather tiresome as well.

Julie-Anne Reid, North Nowra, NSW

BALD TRUTHS

Several years ago I was treated for breast cancer with chemotherapy and lost my hair. I am of Anglo-heritage and I wore a beanie to go through security at Sydney's domestic airport.

I was told to remove my beanie. I said, ''I have no hair'' and the response was "you have to if you want to go through". Upset I threw the beanie on the counter and was allowed to go through security bald.

Three days later flying back from Launceston I was again told to remove my beanie. I said, ''I have no hair, if I was wearing a wig would you tell me to take it off?". The response was, "I am only doing what I have been told to do''. I refused and was let through.

One week later at Sydney domestic airport I was asked to remove beanie. I said ''no'' and gave no reason. I was getting much more assertive. I was allowed through.

My question is why does anyone need to remove head covering going through security and how do they treat Muslim women wearing a head scarf? Luckily Catholic nuns no longer wear a veil to cover their hair.

Elizabeth Aspery, Port Macquarie, NSW

BAD DREAM

I read with interest the report by Kylie McLaughlin (Traveller, June 16) about her Melbourne to Los Angeles Qantas flight on the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner in business class.

My wife and I recently experienced a return business class flight in the A380 on the same route. Our experience was not to the same standard that we have enjoyed with Emirates, Etihad and Virgin.

The seating environment lacked the features McLaughlin noted and the service did not equate to the ticket price. Perhaps the introduction of 787-9 is not before time.

Kevin Carter, Eltham, VIC

My advice to Richard Griffiths is not to choose on the basis of aircraft model or manufacturer (Traveller letters, June 16). Boeing and Airbus have little power in determining how tightly squeezed the passengers will be; this is an airline issue. I am in Tokyo now and couldn't be happier with the 2-4-2 Dreamliner economy configuration of the JAL flight I took yesterday.

Cristina Corleto, Stanmore, NSW

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