Traveller letters: Tigerair's flight cancellations leave passengers stranded for two days

FOOT SOLDIER

For all the chaos and confusion that is Rome, I concur with Nicholas Whitlam (Traveller, August 25) about the delights and beauty of its historic centre – even after many years of visiting.

The Pantheon, too, is my favourite, but even after many trips there, I was delighted during my last visit to stumble across the beautiful Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola.

It's located in a small, tucked-away street that is the Piazza of St. Ignatius, not too far from the Pantheon. The church's beautiful, trompe-l'oeil showing the works of St. Ignatius is a marvel.

Rome really is best discovered on foot.

Alida Galati, Regent, VIC

ROOM WORTH A FEW

I'm holidaying in warm Kuala Lumpur as I write and was pondering the question of tipping room tidying/cleaning staff. In seven days I have seen at least three different staff members attending to my room.

So, if one waits until the last day and leaves a tip for the efforts over one's stay, it is possible that the money could be collected by someone who has only cleaned the room on one day or has not previously cleaned the room at all.

I sometimes give money to individuals when I am in the room at the time they attend but I'm not always here. Have other readers thought about this quandary?

Robin Humphrey, Springwood, NSW

IT'S A LONG WAY THERE

At a large airport like the one in Doha, always check first where your gate is when connecting to another flight (Traveller letters, August 25).

On a business class flight with impressive Qatar Airways, we should have had a two-hour stopover in Doha.

I wanted to go to the lounge but my husband insisted on finding our gate first: we walked a long way, past lots of gold shops and did not stop.

When we finally found the gate we realised we only had half an hour remaining before the flight was due to leave.

Robyn Cohen, Port Macquarie, NSW

LEST WE FORGET

In her "Underbelly, Saigon style" feature (Traveller, August 25), Elspeth Callender mentioned that some foreign soldiers, including Americans, were contaminated by the Agent Orange defoliant.

Bearing in mind she is writing for an Australian audience, Callender should have mentioned that many Australian soldiers (myself included) were also contaminated by Agent Orange.

It's also highly likely that some New Zealand soldiers were contaminated.

Alan Whitcombe, Stony Creek, VIC

OARSOME TREATMENT

I recently enjoyed an expedition to Tasmania's Port Davey and Bathurst Harbour with Roaring Forties Kayaking but was worried that, being deaf, I might jeopardise the safety of others.

I enrolled in an expedition to Flinders Island with the same company. They accepted my age, 78, and my deafness, but I worried.

When we had all arrived on Flinders Island our first stop was a secluded beach for a picnic lunch. I asked the two guides for permission to speak to everyone. They looked surprised but agreed.

"I am deaf," I said. "I have hearing aids but, like false teeth, they are not as good as the originals. If I do not respond when you speak to me, I have probably not heard you.

"I enjoy conversation so please touch me on the arm or, better still, face me so that I can hear and lip-read. When there is a lot of noise I may not hear too well, and unfortunately, I miss the jokes."

There was silence and I wondered if this had been a good idea.

But it was. For the remainder of the trip, whoever I was near made sure I heard instructions or information. "Did you hear that Liz?" became a familiar call – and, even better, a joke.

As we travelled back to the airport for our departure, the person next to me said how much easier it had been for them to know I was deaf and how to help me. I had the best time ever and a lot of fun, all free from worry.

Liz Darvell, Saltwater River, TAS

FULL DISCLOSURE

Relying on credit card travel insurance (Traveller letters, August 25) or any other forms of travel insurance requires the most boring of activities – reading the product disclosure statement (PDS) attached to the policy.

This is particularly true if you are looking for cover for yourself or family members who are over 80 years old. Almost all policies exclude this age group. You need to check two different places in the PDS – travellers covered and definition of family members.

Until recently, for example, the Bankwest Platinum credit card had no age limit but it has now changed insurers.

Additionally, seniors insurance policies may cover the travellers but not their family members so if you need to return home due to the ill health of an ageing parent, you won't be covered.

Check carefully.

Patricia Hall, New Farm, QLD

HOW SWEDE IT'S NOT

In December, we're travelling to visit our daughter, who lives in Sweden. Last time we went we found we could not load our CBA Travel Card with either Swedish or Swiss money.

Euros were as close as we could get and, although they are accepted in both countries, the machines asked if we wanted to pay in Euros or Aussie dollars.

We had no idea which would have been better. Is there a better way than travel cards?

James Cook, Kalaru, NSW

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