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Traveller letters: Emirates handle technical problem that forced plane to turn back with wonderful professionalism
Emirates deserves praise for how it handled a technical issue that saw a flight turned back to Dubai.
SMOOTH OPERATORS
We departed Dubai for Sydney on Emirates EK 416 at 9.30pm on Wednesday, September 18, after a short stopover, having come from Rome earlier in the day. Two-and-a-half hours into the flight, just short of India, the pilot announced that due to a technical problem we were heading back to Dubai, and not to be concerned as we were perfectly safe and expected a normal landing.
An hour later he repeated his message confirming the safety aspect and not to be concerned at the fuel being dumped en route nor to worry regarding accommodation, forward bookings or missed flights.
Arrival in Dubai could not have gone more smoothly, particularly for the early morning hours. Emirates had thought of everything: transport, quality accommodation, a replacement flight but above all communication. After a good sleep and breakfast in Dubai, back to the airport, onto a new Boeing 777 and a perfectly smooth flight home where we were met and those in transit catered for immediately. Even our transport from Sydney airport was waiting, albeit a day late. Well done and thank you Emirates for absolutely wonderful professionalism.
Dr Bruce Greig, Lane Cove, NSW
OSLO NO NOS
A meal in Norway is likely to set you back 30 per cent more than in Australia.Credit: Getty Images
Kathy Keech (Traveller letters, September 21) may be impressed by Australia needing to follow the lead of one Oslo hotel in Scandinavia that she stayed at but I beg to differ. For instance, if the breakfast buffet is able to feed all customers, all staff, the local homeless and still have leftovers even then, I'd say either the chef and the kitchen has no idea on quantities, or the manager said what you wanted to hear.
I've never come across a hotel manager who is proud to see so much food not paid for. That may also be why the retail price was 30 per cent higher than Australia's as Norway has one of the highest consumption income tax regimes in the world, being near double Australian taxes.
Are you OK with that here? Finally, on the issue of the environment, Norway is rich and bountiful because of its massive oil and gas exports. Really, there's much more to it than eggs on toast.
J. Mcilvena, Torquay, VIC
LETTER OF THE WEEK
MONOLITHIC MEMORY
Catherine Marshall's cover story, "What goes up ..." (Traveller, September 21) contrasts sharply with my own Uluru experience. It was still "Ayers Rock" on December 27, 1970, when the heat rising from the gravel runway right beside the monolith forced our group's Cessna 182 light aircraft to struggle to land. Yes, mid-summer is an absolutely crazy time to go out back and my skin had already turned to lizard texture the 24 hours before in Oodnadatta's 40 degrees.
Our four assorted strangers plus pilot had flown from Moorabbin Airport in Victoria barely 36 hours earlier, sleeping on the ground at the Oodnadatta airstrip and waking covered in fine red dust blown in overnight by that never-still, lazy desert wind. Overnight at the Rock meant dossing down on the ground in the lee of a concrete toilet block – no resorts, no camel rides, no Indigenous tours – just the incredible awareness of the intense spiritual power of the Rock. Did I climb? I started to, but gave up, defeated by the burning heat coming through the soles of my sandals and the furnace-like gulps of air hitting my lungs. I've never wanted to go back to Uluru in case the majesty of the place had been lost with popular organised tourism.
Morea Reid, Mt Waverley, VIC
BUDGET CONSCIOUS
How refreshing to read Alison Stewart's "Easel Rider" (Traveller, September 21) account of cycling through the Dordogne valley in France. Normally a flick through Traveller is a slobbery, jealous stint spent with greedy eyes (much bigger than my financial stomach), hanging out of my modest income head. Keep them coming please.
Tessa Lee, East Devonport, TAS
RUFFLED FEATHERS
I read the "Animal Magic" piece (Traveller, September 21, by Keith Austin with interest as it was 1964 when I last visited that part of Africa. I was surprised to read that Keith's view from a hot air balloon revealed emus running wild in the Masai Mara. Flightless as they are, just how did they get there? Just a few more Aussie tourists?
Neil English, Doncaster, VIC
EDITOR'S NOTE We suspect both our writer and sub-editors temporarily had their collective heads in the sand in respect to this story. We've corrected the online version and apologise for the error.
A TOAST TO GEORGIA
A great story on Georgia (Traveller, September 14) by Paola Totaro. I wish I'd learnt about how good this country was some time ago. And, as an aside, Georgia has a strong rugby culture and is participating at the Rugby World Cup in Japan with its national team sporting a shiraz-coloured jumper. It's a reference to Georgia's ancient wine industry heritage.
Paul Drake, Black Head, NSW
EMOTIONAL BAGGAGE
A recent Qantas trip demonstrated the ease of communicating in Australia, but once away, all bets are off. A short holiday saw a lost bag, a delayed flight, then a cancelled flight carrying my newly found bag which held summer clothes and a text I needed for an assignment.
Try being 5' 8", size 16 with size 40 feet and buying clothes in a small conservative town in Malaysia.
A swimsuit was out of the question. I found my bag returning through Bali and the delightful staff organised for it to be sent home, and Trish and her colleague in Tullamarine were terrific, kitting me out with pyjamas and amenities, but the good times ended there. My carry on has split from extra items, the bag tracking is still showing it has not been found (it was delivered), I couldn't get a response on Facebook for days.
Furthermore, my father was given incorrect information from a call centre in Hobart, and I found an email in my spam folder a few days after my return. So, thanks for the loyalty bonus, but I need a late note for my lecturer.
Cathrine Baird, Eastwood, NSW
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