This was published 2 years ago
Traveller Letters: Here's why people aren't using their travel vouchers
The Art Gallery of NSW. Credit: Destination NSW
PUTTING THE "OUCH" IN VOUCHER
If Alex Hamill (Traveller Letters, June 19) thinks the issue with digital drivers licences is dumb, why then does each state have different COVID apps? Then there is the NSW Dine & Discover Voucher which I tried, and failed to use online to purchase tickets to the Archibald at the Art Gallery of NSW. When I sent an email requesting help, the reply was: "You can't purchase tickets online as our ticketing provider is in Queensland, they don't recognise them. You need to get tickets over the counter." Great. But I live on the NSW South Coast and it's as much as a two-hour trip to Sydney. Perhaps this is the reason why the NSW Government says there are many unused vouchers.
Robert De Lazzari, Wollongong, NSW
LETTER OF THE WEEK
DRIVING YOUR DOLLAR FURTHER
I recently was in need of a rental car from Brisbane airport to get around for a few days. The first stops were the websites of the big-name car rental companies. The quotations for a four-day hire of a basic small car were around $700, which seemed rather a lot and that was not counting "recommended" extra insurance fees.
Digging a bit deeper, I found Apex car rentals from whom I ended up booking a car for less than half the price, including zero-access insurance. Apex is located off-airport, so you will need to call them for a pick-up once arrived. That worked without a problem or long wait. I have never had a better and more professionally handled handover of a car anywhere. Everything was explained in great detail. The cars are a bit older with a few cosmetic flaws, but they will photograph every single scratch and email the photos to you within minutes. This should avoid any confusion about damages in case of a problem upon returning the car. Overall, renting a car from this company was a great experience and their details are now stored in my address book.
Gerhard Engleitner, Newcastle, NSW
HIRE POWER
Further to Alex Hamill's letter about Avis requiring a physical, plastic licence. We recently had to hire a car in Sydney and ended up at No Birds Car Rental (Bayswater Car Hire). They insisted we show our digital licences on the Service NSW app on our phones to hire the car, stating they do not accept plastic licences. They also would not let us hire the car until they had done a credit check on us as we were new customers. We had to sign the form agreeing to this check being done. We had never had this happen before when hiring cars.
Brett Gore, Morpeth, NSW
GIVING BACK
Here's the thing, Andrew Verlei (Traveller Letters, June 5). Getting the card issuer to provide a no-nonsense refund is not at all straightforward. We booked eight tickets for our family of six adults and two grandchildren for a hoped for memorable family holiday to Fiji last July with Virgin Australia costing $987.50 each. We paid the entire amount on Amex (plus the travel agent's service fee to use the Amex card). The travel agent is no longer in business and VA is not interested in a credit, instead saying to contact Amex. Amex will refund only the card holder and their partner, forget the other six, less an excess of $500 each (for the two of us). So, for an outlay in excess of $7900 we might get a total refund of $975. VA has our money and we would like it returned.
Robyn Dunne, Highett, VIC
NOT SO FLASH
To describe Flash Jack's in Gundagai, NSW, as a boutique hotel (Traveller, June 19) is, I believe, somewhat misleading. We stayed at this "hotel" in April. There is no reception desk, no restaurant, no bar and, in fact, no one on the site with check-in "online" . The room we occupied was clean and had nice decor (according to my "on trend" partner ). Our bathroom was not an ensuite but in another room across the corridor, a feature I missed when booking. When there is a reception, restaurant and bar onsite this Flash Jack's will be worthwhile a booking but just make sure you reserve a room with an ensuite.
Ian Mills, Manly, NSW
SAUSAGE NOT INCLUDED
As an Uber driver in Cairns I hear all the horror stories about a lack of rental cars and ridiculous prices - up to $995 at Eurocar recently for a Corolla for two days. But I have also spoken with tourists who thought outside the square. There are hundreds of camper vans parked up all over town. A clever rider with me got a JUCY van for $85 a day. But even smarter is the Bunnings ute: Only $65 a day and the first hundred kilometres free.
Humphrey Hollins, Cairns, QLD
NEVER ON A THURSDAY
We love Tasmania and return often after having lived there in the late 1980s. This week we have been gin and whisky tasting and have a funny story to tell. We stopped outside Hobart for a tasting and were very warmly welcomed. However, we were told that there was no food available, as the distillery had had a very busy weekend. It was a Thursday.
Anne Skippington, Frenchs Forest, NSW
BLANKET STATEMENT
Dining out at the Barangaroo harbourside precinct in Sydney is lovely but not in winter, So many of the restaurants, all quite amazing, have only outdoor seating. Al fresco gas heaters are good but when there's a chilly wind blowing off Sydney Harbour, they don't quite cut it. We were given fleece blankets by wait staff one night recently.
Kerrie Wehbe, Blacktown, NSW
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