Traveller letters: Why travellers need to check their booking.com reservations carefully

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This was published 5 years ago

Traveller letters: Why travellers need to check their booking.com reservations carefully

Check your hotel destination thoroughly before paying when you book accommodation online.

Check your hotel destination thoroughly before paying when you book accommodation online.Credit: Shutterstock

PARIS MISMATCH

Is this a problem with growing too big? While staying in Marseille, I unexpectedly needed a room in Paris on a very busy night. I logged on to priceline.com and searched for Paris with a price filter.

Soon I was directed to the booking.com website ("sister companies") and the results showed outrageous prices despite the filter. Eventually three places were shown as available within my price range and I tried them one by one.

No luck with the first two but the third accepted my booking. Who knew that Aytre was not a suburb of Paris but an obscure town on the west coast of France?

The price was non-refundable and I have only received patronising letters from the company in reply to my complaint about the search system on the site.

As a postscript I was told by hotel staff in Paris that people had arrived with booking.com reservations when the hotel was fully booked, an even worse situation.

Stephanie Lee, Willoughby, NSW

LETTER OF THE WEEK

BRAVE NEW WORLD

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We have just returned from three fabulous weeks in Europe and, while letters to Traveller are typically about things that go wrong, I wanted to reflect on a wonderful holiday simplified by technology. It reminded me of my first overseas trip in 1978, armed with my London A to Z, travellers cheques (remember them?) and regularly writing "aerograms" home.

What a new world. Armed this time with my phone and iPad, a European SIM card, my no-charge-for-international-transactions credit card and debit card, we could do anything.

We located a camera shop in Vienna when our camera broke and could afford to replace it; we found a supermarket in Split to stock up our Airbnb (all with free Wi-Fi. We listened to ABC Local radio on the net when we needed Australian news (and voices); we checked online how many thousands were descending on Dubrovnik from cruise ships (and planned alternative ways to spend the day).

We could chat to our kids, send photos of the beaches and sunshine, and even keep an eye on the work emails.

Barbara Opar, Sydenham, VIC

PLUMBING NEW HEIGHTS

In reference to the letter "Longing to Go" (Rants & raves, October 20) about some out-of-commission loos upstairs on QF1, perhaps an announcement over the PA would help: "We have what appears to be an emergency upstairs. If there is a plumber on board, and s/he happens to have their tools in their carry-on luggage, would s/he please press their overhead call button. Alternatively we will be forced to divert to Bunnings Dubai."

Greg Williams, Bilambil Heights, NSW

Does Barry O'Neill, really think airline staff have nothing better to do than clear blocked toilets?

They did the right thing in placing out-of-order signs on the doors and would otherwise have had to listen to endless complaints every time anyone discovered the toilet was unfit for use.

Get over it, Barry, and join the queue like everyone else.

Paula Watson, Holgate, NSW

We recently flew return from Sydney to Los Angeles with Delta. Both flights were fully booked and the return flight included the USA Invictus Games team. The mature-aged cabin crew were exceptional in keeping the toilets clean and functional. Well done, Delta.

Maurice Kerkham, Glenbrook, NSW

HAPPY CUSTOMER ONE

My husband was diagnosed with a very serious illness one month before we went on a two-month overseas adventure to celebrate his retirement and we had to cancel our trip.

Our wonderful travel agent from Flight Centre cancelled our bookings and recouped some of the costs.

We then put in a claim for the remainder of the money to RACV Travel Insurance, who quite rightly requested medical documentation as to his condition and when it began.

Happily, RACV Travel Insurance has paid all of our claim with professionalism and promptness. We can't recommend them highly enough.

Heather Rundell, Burwood East, VIC

HAPPY CUSTOMER TWO

In regards to the "Waiting Game" letter by Michael Canaway (Rants & raves, October 20), while understanding his frustration, we've had the pleasure of flying with Qatar to Europe three times in the past two years, and we can only praise their standard of service and efficiency.

Tim Trnovsky, Belair, SA

HAPPY CUSTOMER THREE

A little over a year ago I wrote and criticised Melbourne Airport after returning home from England. About one third of the automatic passport machines weren't working, there were no staff around to direct or help weary travellers, and a gold coin was required to hire a luggage trolley.

One year on, a vast improvement is evident. When we returned from Canada in October, all the passport machines worked, helpful staff were plentiful and the luggage trolleys were free.

We cleared customs in just over 15 minutes, including baggage collection. Bouquets to Melbourne Airport on the improvement.

Tony Cosma, Rosanna, VIC

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

In May 2014, my husband and I spent four weeks travelling in Cuba. Buying postcards in Trinidad was one of many highlights.

Once written, the next challenge was to find a post office, which we did, then the fun of purchasing the required stamps, affixing those stamps with a glue-stick given to us by the intimidating post-office lady, then finally handing them over.

Despite our efforts, not one of those postcards reached its destination.

Imagine our surprise when our friends in Lions Head, Ontario, rang today to thank us for our Cuban postcard. Still hope for our Aussie friends yet! We'll keep you posted!

Lesley Heffernan, Narooma, NSW

LOST AND FOUND DEPARTMENT

I travelled with Captain's Choice to Iceland in July. It was a fantastic tour though on one day I left a small purse containing jewellery in my hotel room.

Later, when I realised it was missing, I notified my tour manager, Richard, who immediately contacted the hotel. Initially there was no luck and I had consigned the loss to one of life's lessons. When we were on our way home, however, the hotel found the purse.

Richard organised for Hotel Ranga to send the purse to Hotel Borg in Reykjavik, where it was picked up later by David, another Captain's Choice tour leader.

The jewellery made its way back to Australia and was picked up by Richard and today returned to me.

Pauline Paton, Centennial Park, NSW

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