Traveller Letters: The A380 superjumbo's comeback is a disappointment

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Traveller Letters: The A380 superjumbo's comeback is a disappointment

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The superjumbo's return has left a lot to be desired, according to one flyer.

The superjumbo's return has left a lot to be desired, according to one flyer.Credit: Emirates

NOT SO SUPER

Your article on the return of the A380 by Michael Gebicki (Traveller, July 30) was perfectly timed as we had just returned home after a three year hiatus to visit family in the UK. We travelled on four of these superjumbos with Emirates and with the exception of one flight, they were disappointingly average. It was hard to experience the spacious and airy surroundings that Michael spoke of as the planes were full to capacity with fixtures leaving a lot to be desired (broken armrests, headrests and electronic issues) and food below average.

Louise Burley, Patterson Lakes, Vic

LETTER OF THE WEEK

YES MINISTER

In response to cases of mistaken identity while travelling overseas (Traveller, July 30), I resemble Narendra Modi, the prime minister of India, even though he is a native of the northern state of Gujarat, and I am from the southern state of Kerala. In 2009, I flew to Ahmedabad, the capital of Gujarat, for a class reunion. At that time, Modi was chief minister of Gujarat (equivalent to an Australian state premier). One of my former classmates who lived in the city, came to the airport to pick me up. We decided to put on a bit of an act with my classmate, an imposing man well over six feet, had come from his office, wearing a suit, and he was super deferential to me, pushing my trolley along. Many heads turned, with puzzled looks, as we passed through the busy airport. We were saluted by some police and military officers with one even taking charge of my trolley. (Later, I found that I could have been arrested, as it is a crime to impersonate a public figure in India, even as a joke).

Alex Joseph, Patterson Lakes, Vic

ABSOLUTELY MISTAKEN

I've been asked twice if I were (now Dame) Joanna Lumley. Once at Dubai airport and, most memorably, on a Greek island waiting for a boat. A man said to me "are you Joanna". I said "no". He replied, "so, you're not Joanna Lumley?" I again said "no". He said "Are you sure?" I said "yeah, pretty sure". He then called out to his wife: "It's not her!" She replied, "Damn!" Oh well, you can't please everyone.

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Jill Francis, Brisbane, Qld

DISCORDANT NOTE

I was disappointed reading your "Voices of America" cover story (Traveller, July 30). To "celebrate America through song" and only include 1.5 songs with listed female representation is devastating (I say 0.5 for the "Mamas" of Mamas & the Papas). Alicia Keys's chorus in Empire State of Mind has been described as "skyscraper-skimming" but she wasn't even referred to in your article. I am one of Maggie Rogers's biggest fans but she is doing more than her fair share to balance this list. Heaven forbid your two male authors include any Jennifer Lopez, Lauryn Hill, Beyoncé, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, Dolly Parton or even Madonna's version of American Pie, to propel your readers into the 21st century, and actually reflect the technicolour of the "voices of America".

Charlotte Ramage, Kew, Vic

EDITOR'S NOTE: The theme of the cover story, Traveller being a travel title, was matching American songs with the places referenced in them with some of the female performers noted above therefore not necessarily qualifying. We'd welcome readers' own suggestions of great American songs by women artists which remind us of great (or even not so great) places in the US. We'll publish the best responses here.

NEW SOUTH SCALES

Your cover story about songs that celebrate American states brought to mind songs that say something about the NSW inland. By The Time I Get To Howlong, by Spiderbait, evokes the Riverina region's sense of space (and earns bonus points by rhyming "oughta be" with "Coleambally"). Darren Hanlon's Letter From An Australian Mining Town captures Broken Hill in the first line: "If it wasn't for the blinding sun I might enjoy the view." And I would defy anyone to hear Alan Chinn's Baradine and not have it play in your head as you drive into the Pilliga Scrub town.

Matt Watson, Bathurst, NSW

FRESH POINTS PEOPLE

In reply to Ikuko Tanaka (Traveller, July 30), you can retain and add to your Qantas Frequent Flyer points easily by signing up for free to Woolworths Everyday Rewards. Every 2000 points earned from shopping is converted to 1000 Qantas Points and keeps your account active. We have earned 5000 Qantas points in the last 12 months this way without flying, plus you get 10 per cent off your shopping once a month, handy if you can do one big shop a month.

Brett Gore, Morpeth, NSW

DECOY PLOY

I once read a hint about filling a cheap wallet with some scraps of papers in the pocket of a man's slacks (Traveller, July 23). So I bought such a wallet and filled it with papers for my late husband Brian to use when we were on a train in Paris. Leaving the train, somebody did indeed steal the wallet from his back pocket with the real wallet located in another secure place.

Grazyna Speer, Kiama, NSW

FAITH HEALING

My cousin left his wallet containing cash, credit cards and his passport on the seat of a bus in Lisbon, Portugal (Traveller, July 23). We identified the bus and contacted the company and we were told the wallet had been handed in to the driver with the contents intact . This was a great relief and shows that there are many honest people in the world. Don't lose faith.

Nick Kaiser, Kialla, Vic

OUT OF POCKET

If travel agents prioritise foreign airlines it is the traveller who will pay the price. We are still waiting for a refund or credit from our cancelled Thai Airways flights to Europe in July 2020 booked through Flight Centre. Despite paying Flight Centre's fees and our money to them for the tickets, they have washed their hands of any responsibility for seeking or paying back what we are owed as the airline is not registered in Australia. This leaves us out of pocket and our money with the airline and the fees with Flight Centre.

Christine McMenamin, Broadbeach, Qld

TIP OF THE WEEK

SHARING AND CARING

When we wanted to travel from Malaga to Ronda in Spain, there was no direct train and other options were very time consuming. We had heard of a company called Blablacar (blablacar.co.uk) and decided to give it a go. Blablacar is an online ride-sharing company throughout Europe and Britain. We logged into the site, put in the trip we wished to take and three people were willing to share their car. Each person had a photo and they also had a rating on the safety of their driving, their car and other issues. Diego was a teacher who travelled that road daily and he was happy to talk about living in Spain, the local area and providing other background we loved hearing. We are both in our 70s and would not hesitate to travel this way again.

Faye Congdon, Randwick, NSW

MATTER OF TRUST

We are enjoying an English summer holiday and before leaving Victoria we joined the National Trust (nationaltrust.org.au) for $130 as a couple for a year. Now we have access to many gorgeous properties and outdoor spaces throughout the UK (nationaltrust.org.uk). They always have great tearooms and lovely shops to browse and the cost of the UK membership is considerably higher than in Australia.

Rosie and Gareth Lloyd, Mount Eliza, Vic

ICE IS NICE

I write regarding a letter "ICE not so hot" (Traveller, July 31). My wife and I have recently travelled through Bavaria, and our experiences of the German rail system couldn't be more different to that experienced by your correspondent. Deutsche Bahn (bahn.com) had a €9 unlimited travel pass for all but ICE trains during the month of June throughout Germany. We utilised this exceptionally priced option to travel hundreds of kilometres through Bavaria and even into Salzburg, Austria, on this one pass. It was comfortable, punctual, clean and reasonably quick. Perhaps the reason for the disparity in our experiences was that we used the regional trains, not the ICE trains, but we can only report that our experience was extremely positive and great value for money.

Ken Scriven, Macmasters Beach, NSW

Two cancelled trains does not make Deutsche Bahn a "shambolic heap of disrepair". DB reimburses passengers up to 50 per cent of the fare if they fill in the "Passenger Rights Claim Form" for lateness and cancellations. I got to spend a pleasant two hours in a town in Germany that I wouldn't have visited due to a late train causing a missed connection. A few weeks later they'd deposited half the fare in my bank account and sent a letter of apology to my home.

Suzanne Wicks, Potts Point, NSW

CUTTING REMARKS

I've tried the cable tie and nail clipper solution for suitcase security (Traveller, July 31) with no success. The first attempt used mini wire-cutters which were duly confiscated. The next attempt used nail clippers which were also confiscated because the nail file was deemed to be a knife. Both incidents were at Sydney Airport. In contrast, at Heathrow a Swiss Army Knife was inadvertently left in a carry-on bag. As the blade was less than 65 mm it was allowed on the flight. Changi wasn't as accommodating. These incidents were 10 years ago and maybe nail clippers are now allowed but I recommend using small keyed-alike padlocks. They're smaller than any combination lock and more convenient than the cable ties (provided that you don't lose the keys).

Dan Dempsey, Oatley, NSW

WRITE TO US AND WIN

The Letter of the Week writer wins Hardie Grant travel books worth more than $100. For August, that includes Explore Australia 2022; Ultimate Road Trips USA & Canada; and World Cocktail Adventures. See hardiegrant.com

The Tip of the Week writer wins Lonely Planet books more than $100. Get under the skin of some of the world's favourite cities with Lonely Planet's ground-breaking new Experience Guides. Each guide lets the reader discover the unique personality of each city, with first-hand experiences from locals, off-beat day trips and a fresh outlook on well-known sites. RRP$34.99 each. See shop.lonelyplanet.com

THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL: YOUR VERDICT

Dear readers, we're planning a special 15-year anniversary edition of Traveller and we'd like to hear your thoughts about the future of travel. What are your hopes, dreams and, yes, fears and concerns? How can the world travel better and how will we be travelling in 15 years time (that is, 2037)? Where do you still want to go and what do you want to see and experience? We'll publish the best letters with the writers each receiving the prize of a Lonely Planet travel book. Write to us by no later than Friday, August 12 (see the details below).

HOW TO WRITE TO US

We give preference to letters of 100 words or fewer and they may be edited for space, legal or other reasons. Please use full sentences, don't use textspeak and don't include attachments. Email us at travellerletters@traveller.com.au and, importantly, include your name, address and phone number.

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