Beware this check-in flight scam in Europe

Tripped up

Beware this flight scam in Europe. I recently tried to check in for a Vueling flight and selected the first Google link which turned out to be mytrip.com online. I was initially charged €1 ($1.80) for the privilege but three days later a €79 charge appeared on my credit card for a three-month subscription, with no authorisation on my part. I contacted the company and was offered a 20 per cent refund.
Garry Warren, Parkdale, Vic

Lots of Luxor

Preferring independent slow travel, my partner and I chose to travel around Egypt by ourselves using local tour operators to visit sites, as well as arranging transportation through our hotels. This way we were able to visit so many wonderful sites, especially in Luxor, that we had taught students about in our careers as ancient history teachers with the added bonus of spending far less than if we had booked an organised tour. The most enjoyable experience was organising, through our Aswan hotel, a driver and the necessary paperwork to take us in the afternoon to the Abu Simbel historic site, where we stayed overnight. We were able to attend the magnificent Sound and Light show in the evening and the temples first thing in the morning and had the temples to ourselves without the bus loads of weary tourists arriving later in the morning from Aswan. Furthermore, we always felt safe and the locals who depend so much on tourism for their livelihood, were friendly and welcoming.
Jennifer McKay, Ashbury, NSW

No kidding

Perhaps, instead of trying to ring Qantas (Traveller, August 9) Mark Wheeler could have emailed Qantas Frequent Flyer (assuming he is one) to sort out his issue a bit faster. On a recent flight to Western Australia I had two separate causes for complaint, and in each case QFF got back to me within the hour (I kid you not). They couldn’t do anything about my complaints except apologise for the inconvenience caused, but they “awarded” me a few thousand frequent flyer points in compensation. I was more pleased with the fast response than the points, and I’d like to think QFF could have saved Mark Wheeler time, money and worry.
Kirsten Walla, Vaucluse, NSW

No vacancies

As an ex-Qantas employee who uses staff travel stand-by tickets, I can reassure Carey Nolan (Traveller, August 9) that the reason for the full flight after her cancellation was due to stand-by staff filling up the vacant seats once all passengers had checked-in.
Lizzy McLean, Bilgola, NSW

Be fair

I think it is unfair to criticise Qantas for not providing a travel credit for part of a booking cancelled within 24 hours before departure, as expressed by Carey Nolan (Traveller, August 9). Terms and conditions are a routine nature of booking all sorts of things such as flights, hotels, tours etc. Without knowing the cancellation rules of this particular fare, less than 24 hours notice is extremely rare. Some bookings can also be split to separate passengers which in turn enables cancellation of part of the original travelling group.
Ron Loncar, Macleod, Vic

Letter of the week: Dearth on the Nile

How sad if “long felucca journeys on the Nile have been almost consigned to history” (Traveller, August 9), as my memories from sailing on a small felucca from Luxor to Edfu in 2001 remain vivid and fond. For the princely sum of about $15 a night (including food) I joined four erstwhile strangers reading books, chatting, marvelling at the sights and sleeping on an open deck under the stars. Like your writer, Andrew Bain, I was also fortunate to spend memorable times chatting to my felucca skipper about our homes and families, an experience I doubt you could have on the giant river vessels that have now seemingly replaced these amazing little boats.
Chris Roylance, Paddington, Qld

Check-up to check out

I’d like to share a discovery that fellow Australian travellers to the UK might find useful when dealing with unexpected health issues. During a recent UK trip, I needed antibiotic treatment for a common ailment and had no time for bed rest. After researching online GP services, I tried DrOnline (dronline.uk) and was genuinely impressed. For roughly the same cost as an Australian GP visit, I had a same-day teleconsultation with a friendly UK doctor, received an email prescription within hours, and easily filled it at a pharmacy. The process was seamless and far more convenient than navigating walk-in clinics and losing a travel day. For Australian travellers who fall ill in the UK, online GP services are worth considering for routine conditions that need prompt treatment.
Cathy Hoyle, Bondi, NSW

Taken for a ride

Take care in Istanbul. “Internet not working”, says the taxi driver, after I enter my PIN. So we try it again, and he repeats, “internet not working”. Finally, I pay the pre-agreed price of €30 ($54) in cash. Cunningly, he has his hand over the screen in the taxi displaying the amount. Furthermore, he deliberately stopped 250 metres short of our hotel to avoid identification by hotel security cameras. I was scammed. On later checking my card statement, two amounts were deducted, totalling $380.
Ian Stuart, Lindfield, NSW

Beg to differ

Your reader questions my claim that a fly-drive holiday in New Zealand costs a lot less than a cruise of the same length (Traveller, August 9), citing the added costs of “meals, accommodation and petrol”. Granted, petrol isn’t cheap there, but hiring a hybrid car can help offset some of the cost. We’ve just booked a string of New Zealand motels for an upcoming trip, and the cost is surprisingly small – as little as $100 a night for places with parking, close to town or city centres. Obviously, there are even cheaper accommodation options. As for meals, I’d love to know what he’s eating. Driving allows us to transport a little pantry so, for example, breakfast for two for 15 days, ends up costing less than $40.
Kerrie Wehbe, Blacktown NSW

Viet fret

Beware of the self-transfer visa requirement. I was denied boarding a Qatar Airways Edinburgh to Hanoi flight because I did not have a Vietnam visa to self-transfer within three hours and 50 minutes in the international terminal to another airline, Vietjet, to continue on to Sydney. Vietjet is on Qatar’s list of airlines that require a Vietnamese visa to self-transfer between international flights. Visa on arrival and E-visa were not acceptable, and my tickets couldn’t be changed to avoid the self-transfer. I lost my original payment of $2221 and had to purchase new tickets, with Emirates, costing $5976.
Valerie Kirk, O’Connor, ACT

Tip of the week: Hit the wall

The advice of the Tripologist (Traveller, August 10) regarding the German town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber brought back wonderful memories of our time in the delightfully located Burg Hotel. From the warm greeting Otto and his daughter gave us, to the excellent breakfast in a room situated on the town walls looking out over the valley, it was a wonderful place to stay. We have been there twice and would not hesitate to return.
Peter Shepherd, Balwyn, Vic

Rank insider

Need a taxi to take you to your hotel or to the airport from New York’s Manhattan Cruise Terminal (Piers 88 and 90)? Don’t try at the adjacent taxi stop at 12th Avenue and 50th Street where touts and overpriced cab drivers lurk. Instead, walk just one block to 11th Avenue and hail a cab there. We were quoted $40 at 12th Avenue to take us to our hotel, but by catching a cab on 11th Avenue we found a more courteous driver and paid only $12.65 plus tip.
Michael Freeland, Little Bay, NSW

Read all about it

We recently returned from five weeks in Spain, a holiday sparked by a byline in Traveller, recommending a Seville-based travel company that focused on Andalusia. After months of planning with James Monro of Tailormade Spain and Portugal Uncovered, we arrived there in May. Five weeks was too short a time to experience Andalusia. Tailormade organised transport, hotels, guides and restaurant bookings. Everything was seamless, the hotels were in perfect positions for exploring, drivers were proficient and guides were exceptional. Good weather, incredible history, stunning buildings and long lingering summer nights ensured this was a holiday to treasure and remember. All the result of me cutting out one paragraph of text from Traveller.
Suzie Shaw, Bondi Junction, NSW

Spreading the word

After reading the letter “Image conscious” by Denise Jensen (Traveller, August 10), I booked a walking tour with Napoli That’s Amore. Wanting to know how I heard about their walking tours, I stated that I had heard about it in our newspaper. The same evening I received an email asking for a copy of the article that mentioned That’s Amore because they had had bookings from people stating that they had heard about the tours from the paper. One good word regarding a tour seems to spread in much the same way a bad one does.
Debra Young, Lysterfield, Vic

Cubist movement

Ben Groundwater has travelled so much further and more often than I have (Traveller, August 17), but we do have a few things in common. My first time overseas, I packed way too much. Today’s crease-free and quick-dry fabrics were not available then and being well-turned out to meet new people was “respectable”. Realising quickly, that jeans and shirts were the norm (the shirt hid my money belt), I managed to drastically cut down my luggage. I do disagree with Ben on two points. For me, travel cubes save the frenzied rummage to find a certain item, and footwear needs to be separate from clothing. It goes without saying that toiletries are packed separately. Otherwise, good on you Ben, for helping us not to be overloaded when travelling.
Marjie Williamson, Blaxland, NSW

The Letter of the Week writer wins three Hardie Grant travel books. See hardiegrant.com

The Tip of the Week writer wins a set of three Lonely Planet travel books. See shop.lonelyplanet.com