Traveller Letters: If your photo had been taken in Australia, there would be outrage

Deborah Harding, Anglesea, Vic

PRISONER ISLAND

After eight months of failed attempts to get a job in Western Australia (prior to their opening), I decided, as a 26-year-old, to throw caution to the wind and go backpacking around South America. Currently in the colourful old city of Cartagena, Colombia I have been tickled by people's responses when learning that I'm Australian. At first, they're perplexed, noting that they usually come across huge swathes of Aussies in their travels but haven't seen any in recent times. They then comment on us being "locked up'" before congratulating me on making it out and welcoming me back. This exchange occurs daily. I have to say, with a belly full of ceviche and the sounds of salsa ringing out, it's good to be back.

Maggie Duff, Cartagena, Colombia

EDITOR'S NOTE Are you abroad at the moment or have been recently? Traveller would love to hear from you about your holiday experiences and anecdotes, lighthearted or earnest, during what still remain unusually challenging times for travel.

DISPIRITED OF AUSTRALIA

I've been seeking a refund for an emergency exit seat paid for but not granted last January. At the fourth attempt on March 24 to get through to customer service I was told the booking did not exist in the system and was asked to send the scanned ticket and seat reservation receipt to the Qantas customer service address. This I did but within an hour received an automated email saying "the mailbox you are trying to reach is no longer monitored". How can you "fly with confidence" when this is the service you receive?

Pippa Devlin, Alphington, Vic

EDITOR'S NOTE Traveller has received a large number of complaints from readers about Qantas customer service, chiefly in regard to extraordinarily protracted call centre wait times with one of our senior editors recently experiencing the problem. We asked our regular columnist Michael Gebicki to take a look at the matter with his report appearing this week. Due to the volume of letters we've published and have been unable to publish due to space restrictions, and the need to ventilate other subjects, Traveller is closing correspondence on this subject but we will monitor the problem.

LET IT BE THERE

What a treat to read your review of Liverpool, England , one of the unsung heroes of English travel destinations. Another notable feature of this lively city is the extent of pedestrianisation in Liverpool CBD. These spaces have contributed to an openness and spontaneity – impromptu table tennis and piano playing – among others pastimes. Posh Pads is a comfortable, centrally located and reasonably priced place to stay.

Rose Saltman, Mosman, NSW

WEIGHING IN

I recently flew Melbourne to Gold Coast and had a similar experience to your reader (Rants & raves, March 19) but my ticket luckily including checked baggage. However, when I went to double check my bag, the scales at the check-in had my bag weighing 10 kilograms, while when I dropped it at the bag drop point, it came in at eight kilograms. This is not the first time I've noticed Melbourne Airport scales being misleading, with my last experience costing me $100 for overweight baggage. Now, if I do have carry-on only, I pay for an increased limit as a precaution.

Francesca Pridham, Coolangatta, Qld

EMISSION ADMISSION

I appreciated Lee Tulloch's admission that "there's no such thing as sustainable flying" (Traveller, March 18). Although it is pleasing to read about plans for carbon-neutral aircraft and programs like Qantas' Green Tier loyalty program, we can't kid ourselves that flying isn't one of the worst things we can do for the environment. That only one in 10 customers even bother to offset their flights, which often only costs a few dollars, further highlights the extent of the problem. The past two years of pandemic have taught us to appreciate our local communities. Next holiday, instead of jetting off, why not consider taking a road trip and enjoying all that the local regions offer, supporting small businesses along the way?

Amy Hiller, Kew Vic

WIN A SET OF THREE HARDIE GRANT TRAVEL BOOKS

The Letter of the Week writer wins Hardie Grant travel books worth more than $100, including Ultimate Train Journeys: World by Tim Richards, Cinnamon and Salt by Emiko Davies and Top Walks in Australia by Melanie Ball. See hardiegrant.com

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