Traveller letters: A €500 note that nobody would touch

AIRLINES PANNED II

On QF1, Sydney to London, recently, on the Singapore leg, two toilets on the lower bottom floor of economy section were not working as well. Is there an ongoing issue with toilets on these planes?

Matthew Roberts, Gordon, NSW

AIRLINES PANNED III

I can readily sympathise with the inconvenience suffered by the writer on his recent flight, however, as a long-haul airline captain I'd like to add a little perspective and reassurance.

All major airlines operate their aircraft at times with non-functioning equipment. This is totally safe and legally permissible as airline aircraft are designed with built-in redundancy to enable dispatch without time-consuming rectification at transit ports.

The procedure involves the use of what is known as a "dispatch deviation guide", a comprehensive document which outlines, if any particular components of a system may be inoperative, any mitigating procedures to be undertaken and a time limit before repairs must be made.

The decision to depart is taken after consultation between the captain in command and the company maintenance centre and at all times the captain has the legal authority to refuse to accept the aircraft as presented.

This system has been in use worldwide for many years and is under the regulatory oversight of the Federal Aviation Authority in the US (the country of manufacturer for Boeing as is my case) and here by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.

Maintenance items deferred in this manner are continuously audited by these authorities. Had this system not been available, the alternative on the night of your reader's flight would almost certainly have been an extensive delay or cancellation. I guess it's the lesser of two evils.

Cameron Livingstone, Mosman, NSW

GREENBACK HANDER

A week ago I booked a four-night stay at Sheraton Grand Hyde Park Sydney. Unfortunately it was booked on a Sheraton/Marriott website, which I thought was the same thing.

The confirmation booking was in Australian dollars, which is what I expected to pay but on looking up my credit card I had been charged in US dollars. There was no indication on any website that this would be the case.

Why would a person living in Melbourne and planning a stay at a Sydney hotel expect to pay in US dollars?

I have been unable to alter these charges and have been told, as it is a Marriott booking site it is always in US currency and also told to always phone the hotel for a booking.

Jean Cassidy, Dingley Village, VIC

FOOD INGLORIOUS FOOD I

Congratulations on the newly-redesigned Traveller. I found it really interesting because of the sights you suggest to see in each destination and the useful reviews that, for once, do not concentrate on food.

It's such a welcome change from the food suggestions that have plagued previous editions.

May I suggest that 99 per cent of the time we go to a place to see the attractions, the people, and their achievements such as temples, art museums, great buildings and monuments, and not to just eat?

Elizabeth Proude, San Remo, NSW

FOOD INGLORIOUS FOOD II

Your new-look Traveller section has not been an improvement, and doubt I shall bother if this is what's in store.

Who is interested in what an individual has been taught about belonging, freedom, self renewal and the likes, or what to have for breakfast in Palermo, and even more about food in Boston.

Totally banal. At least there is less about cruising, which is the best I can say.

Bill Cooke, Erina NSW

SITTING DUCKS

On a recent Brisbane to Darwin flight with Virgin Australia my wife and I paid extra for the privilege of sitting in an exit row for the additional legroom.

Most seats in the two rows were unoccupied, and shortly after take-off a couple of people came and sat in empty seats. At no cost to themselves.

This would have been OK in the days when there was no charge by airlines for exit-row seating, but surely not acceptable when a small number of suckers had forked out for the privilege.

The air crew must have known what was going on, as they had provided the cursory briefing to the small number of exit-row passengers about their responsibilities in the event of an emergency. Nothing was said.

Anthony Austin, Palmerston, NT

KEY FINDING

I was surprised to read the recent negative comments in Traveller letters about the lost and found department at Melbourne Airport.

I recently left my bunch of house keys in one of the Melbourne security check trays but had no trouble in later in speaking to a helpful contact at the airport who detailed where to send my self-addressed envelope.

I recovered my keys in Sydney almost before my wife found I'd lost them.

Kim Buddee, Roseville, NSW

GOD BLESS AIR NEW ZEALAND

We recently flew Air New Zealand from Brisbane to Rio de Janeiro via Buenos Aires.

On arrival in Buenos Aires, we were met and advised that our connecting Aerolineas Argentinas flight had been cancelled due to strike action but that Air New Zealand had rebooked us on an Emirates flight leaving slightly later.

Air New Zealand had already emailed a new e-ticket to us and arranged for baggage transfer to the new flight. All we needed to do was present the new e-ticket at the Emirates gate on our iPad, and be issued with new boarding passes.

The whole experience was seamless, highly efficient and an example of service excellence by Air New Zealand.

Wayne Murphy, Bardon, QLD

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