Qantas told us our flight home from the US was cancelled. It wasn’t

Hanging offence

My partner and I were travelling on Qantas QF12 recently from Los Angeles to Sydney. We received an email from Qantas advising us that our Thursday night flight was delayed to the Friday at 9.40pm. The thing was, we weren’t booked on the Thursday flight – we were booked on the Friday flight at 11.10pm. I tried to ring Qantas in Australia twice but the call centre just disconnected my call. I then called the call centre in the US; I was on hold for 45 minutes and then was disconnected. Meanwhile, we called our travel agent in Sydney, and she was on hold with Qantas for 143 minutes before they answered. She was told the email we were sent was a mistake and we were still booked on the Friday flight. It took Qantas over three-and-a-half hours to get back to us.
Mark Wheeler, Putney, NSW

Credit due

In May this year, I booked flights for my son and myself for Sydney–Melbourne return. I was ultimately unable to travel but was loath to cancel my part of the booking in case the entire booking was cancelled (there was just the one booking reference). As soon as check-in opened, my son checked in and I phoned Qantas to say I wasn’t travelling and could I have a credit for the flight. As I had phoned just less than 24 hours before travelling, this was denied. My son, who lives in Spain and is here visiting for a few weeks, informed me that the flight was full, including the seat where I was supposed to be travelling. The phrase “daylight robbery” comes to mind.
Carey Nolan, Cremorne, NSW

Letter of the week: Cliff hanger

It was so good to see our favourite Tropean restaurant, Il Convivio, pictured in Traveller (July 20). We ate there a few times recently on a return trip to Tropea after a break of 10 years (love their spaghetti alle vongole). Tourism has certainly grown since our previous visit. It was difficult to find a spare spot on any of the free or private beaches this time around, and the streets were jampacked each evening with stylish families, who I’m guessing from their chatter and dressy outfits, were mostly Italian tourists. Tropea is a stunning clifftop town, and with the wonderful Aeolian islands a ferry trip away, it’s one for the bucket list.

We also stayed for a couple of nights in the Piccolo Grand Hotel in nearby Pizzo, mentioned in last week’s cover story. The hotel was wonderful, with well-appointed rooms, delicious breakfasts, an amazing view of the Tyrrhenian Sea and there’s a beach club nearby with a restaurant attached – the friendly staff will drive you there in a golf cart. Pizzo is renowned for its delectable ice-cream.
Diane Maddison, Parkdale, Vic

Crew cut

I have just read an article stating that a US-owned cruise company has deported more than 50 Filipino crew members under the latest Trump presidential immigration orders, even though they each had visas to work aboard US ships. It will make a big difference for US-owned cruise ships if Filipino crew are no longer allowed to work onboard as they are amazingly hard-working and good-natured people.
Eira Battaglia, Seaforth, NSW

Scuff justice

We hired a car from Cardiff Airport, Wales, and, already having travel insurance, we declined additional cover. After returning the vehicle, Europcar reported damage to the front wheels, namely light scuffing. We did not photograph the wheels on pick-up, so we could not prove that the damage was accumulated wear and tear. As we mainly parked in driveways and hotel car parks, we were very unlikely to be responsible for the damage, which Europcar acknowledged. However, as we had signed the agreement, we had to pay. Lesson learned: photograph the wheels and ask for a ruler to measure all scuffs, and have this included in the agreement.
Janice Davies, North Warrandyte, Vic

SIXT sense

I recently hired a car in Spain. After I returned it and subsequently received the invoice by email, I saw that I had been billed for driving over 6000 kilometres in five days. (The hire had a maximum kilometre limit of 2100.) I suspected it was merely a clerical error. However, since this brought the cost of my five-day hire of a medium-size SUV to $3200, I called the hire company, SIXT, and asked them to review my bill. They asked if I had any evidence of the actual kilometres I had covered, which I estimated to be about 300; I could not prove this since I had failed to photograph the odometer (I’ll always do so in future on any car hire that does not include unlimited kilometres). I was impressed with SIXT’s response in that they answered my call on their helpline with a real person and acknowledged that there probably was a problem. They did not try to shift blame by demanding that I produce proof of my actual kilometres covered (knowing that I had none) and they refunded me the excess kilometres charge two days later. I so rarely receive what I consider to be outstanding customer service that I am moved to share my experience.
David Lowes, Lovedale, NSW

Fine times

Lee Tulloch’s article on Singapore maze-like malls (Traveller, July 8), mirrors my own experience in Singapore underground. On my first morning there, I jaywalked across an empty Raffles Boulevard in search of Starbucks at 6am. A friendly passerby told me Singapore is a “fine city”, in that you can be fined for myriad reasons. He advised me to use the underground. Just like Lee, I seemed to be walking into a labyrinth of never-ending passages. Eventually, I figured out that there are few shops open at 6am. I decided I should go back to the hotel for the coffee. Alas, Google Maps doesn’t work underground. After walking an inordinate amount of time, I ended up on the opposite side of the hotel. By then, Raffles Boulevard was teeming with cars and buses. I walked about 250 metres to the nearest traffic junction to wait for the pedestrian “walk” sign.
Sue Ng, North Rocks, NSW

Not so different

Your correspondent claims that a 15-day fly-drive package to New Zealand for two people would cost half that of a 15-day cruise. I’ve done both, and when meals, accommodation and petrol are included, the cost differential is not that great. But more importantly, the holiday experiences are totally different, and equally wonderful.
Vince Taranto, Roselands, NSW

Tip of the week: Image conscious

I’d like to recommend Napoli That’s Amore, a free walking tour in the Italian city of Naples. It is run by a cultural association on a mission to improve the global image of the city. We took the Old Town Walk with a licenced professional guide which was full of information for further exploration of this intriguing city.
Denise Jensen, Mitcham, Vic

High life

Thank you, Traveller team, for the magnificent European special (Traveller, July 27). In reply to Ben Groundwater, yes, we were truly moved and inspired by the Eiffel Tower during our visit. The reason was that we had our Christmas Eve lunch in the Jules Verne restaurant on the second floor of the tower. We were served like royalty by smart waiters, and enjoyed peach bellini cocktails, salmon gold leaf caviar, duckling fillets, petit fours, chocolate and fruit desserts and rosé champagne. Magical memories to be treasured forever.
Rhoda Silber, Manly, NSW

Beyond compare

A fabulous story by Ute Junker (Traveller, July 27), comparing and contrasting European countries. In each pair of countries there are differences that show the individual wonders of that country, and she indicates so much to enjoy and marvel at. Use this article as a guide for experiencing as many enjoyable days in each country as you can.
Marjie Williamson, Blaxland, NSW

It’s a wrap

My best, most useful, foolproof, practical almost magical travel tip? Take a sarong! (If possible take two; wear one, pack the other). When trying to travel light, the sarong has a thousand uses. Here are the ways l have used one: I’ve worn one as a dress, skirt, pants, dressing gown, scarf, wrap and shawl. I’ve used one as a beach mat, towel, wrap, shelter, baby carrier, baby hammock, emergency nappy; bedsheet, pillow case, light blanket; carry bag, grocery bag, laundry bag... And I’m sure l have forgotten a few other uses. Please take a sarong with you when you next travel. Light, compact and easy to wash and dry, you will not regret it.
Cecile Rosewarne, Glenroy, NSW

Nice and not easy

We were booked to fly on March 8, Brisbane-Singapore-Copenhagen-Nice. Because of Cyclone Alfred, there were no flights out of Brisbane on March 8. We were subsequently rebooked when the airport reopened five days later, but ended up in Paris, not Copenhagen. After losing our flight from Copenhagen to Nice, to get to Nice, we had to make and pay for a new booking from Paris to Nice (our intended destination). The new booking, Paris to Nice, cost $1486.28 for myself and my wife. Once in Nice, the rest of the trip and connections were fine, however, if we had not paid for the additional flight from Paris to Nice, we would have lost the whole of the rest of the ticket, which was non-refundable and unused, which would have been far more costly that paying for the additional flight from Paris to Nice. American Express Platinum Card travel insurance, underwritten by Chubb, would not refund the unavoidable additional rebooking cost.
Max Fulton, Southport Qld

Lighten up

We are avid light packers and my husband and I each take three sets of soft nylon underwear. Two would do but three gives wriggle room. Each day we each wash a set, the essential trick being to then roll the items in a towel to remove most of the moisture. Hung over the towel rail, they are always dry by the next morning at the latest. T-shirts can be treated the same way with wrinkles smoothed before hanging. My heart sings when a hotel or apartment has a heated towel rail.
Heather Barker, Albert Park, Vic

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