Can I request not to sit next to a man on my flight?

October 3, 2025 — 5:00am

I’m a solo female traveller and after a few recent experiences, I find it problematic to sit next to male passengers on aircraft. Can I request a seat next to another woman at the check-in desk?
K. Richards, Mount Waverley, Vic

If you want to make a special request about your seating, your best bet is to arrive for check in as early as possible.iStock

While mainstream airlines don’t assign seats by gender, most check-in staff are aware of such concerns and are likely to be sympathetic to your request. Get to the check-in desk early and you’ll have a better chance of success. Some airlines provide a “special assistance” box that you fill out when you make your booking, and you could use this to request a seat next to another woman. However, don’t rely on this strategy, you need a back-up plan and that means selecting a seat when you make your booking. A window seat gives you more control over your personal space, however some women find aisle seats, with easy access to the aisle, a better option.

My wife and I both hold Australian and British passports. In February, we fly to Santiago from Buenos Aires and spend five nights in Chile. Is there anything preventing us from entering Chile on our British passports? My concern is switching passports.
M. Hamilton, Manly, NSW

You’ll be perfectly fine using UK passports to enter Chile. When you check in for your flight from Buenos Aires to Santiago, you can simply produce your UK passports to prove you’re allowed to enter Chile without a visa. When you leave Chile to return to Australia, you’ll produce your Australian passport at the check-in desk. It doesn’t matter whether you book your air tickets using your Australian or UK passports, although in your shoes I’d use an Australian passport. I’ve done exactly what you did, also using UK and Australian passports, and it went without a hitch and as well it saved a bundle in visa fees.

My daughter and I are flying to Cusco, spending a week there and we would also like to join a tour of about six days visiting Machu Picchu, Sacred Valley and Rainbow Mountain. Please recommend some reputable tour operators. My daughter has a food intolerance. Will she have difficulty in finding suitable meals? After prepaying all accommodation, how much cash should we carry to cover for food and entrance fees? Shall we carry US dollars only or both US dollars and local currency, and what about tips?
G. Chung, Beecroft, NSW

The majestic Vinicunca in the Cusco region of Peru, also known as Rainbow Mountain.iStock

Normally, I’d suggest a local South American operator to help with your inquiry but you would be much better off organising your tour through an Australia-based operator. Your daughter’s food intolerance needs careful management and it’s vital that your tour operator suggests hotels and restaurants that understand the risks and prepare food accordingly. This also applies to your questions regarding currency, tipping, transport and hotels. You need to discuss these points with an Australian tour operator with deep expertise.

For all those reasons I strongly recommend Melbourne-based South America Travel Centre. Managing director Alex Burridge suggests that fitting Cusco, Machu Picchu, Sacred Valley and Rainbow Mountain into a six-day trip is very likely to lead to altitude-sickness-related issues.

“Cusco is 3400 metres above sea level, Sacred Valley a little lower at 3000 metres and Rainbow Mountain itself is over 5000 metres. Six days would likely work for Cusco/Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu but to include Rainbow Mountain, more time is needed to acclimatise.” It’s this kind of advice you need in order to make this a safe, satisfying trip of a lifetime. While it might require stretching your budget, South America is not the place to economise.

We are planning a self-drive tour of three to four weeks around Ireland for next year, possibly May. Should we book rooms well in advance or expect to be able to pick up accommodation day by day as we travel around?
P. Sidley, Taylors Lakes, Vic

In May you’re ahead of the peak summer crowds but Ireland still gets a large number of visitors that month, especially Americans and locals on spring holidays. If you’re arriving in Dublin you need to book accommodation well in advance regardless of the season. Rural Ireland doesn’t have a lot of accommodation. You can usually find something in larger towns but in popular scenic areas such as the Ring of Kerry, Dingle Peninsula, Connemara and the Donegal coast you need to book ahead. That also applies to anywhere along the Wild Atlantic Way driving route.

The quaint country inns, farmhouse stays and B&Bs that are a memorable part of an Irish self-drive trip have a limited number of rooms and they fill up fast. Since you have plenty of time to plan for this trip, you might book key stops and leave some space in between. This will give you the freedom to explore and to allow chance to play a part in your journey.

Travel advice is general; readers should consider their personal circumstances

Sign up for the Traveller newsletter

The latest travel news, tips and inspiration delivered to your inbox. Sign up now.