If Jetstar’s going to weigh cabin bags, they should weigh passengers too

Scales of injustice

As I sit in the Jetstar gate area awaiting my flight to Ballina, NSW, I feel nervous. My agitated state is a result of the Jetstar luggage police, who patrol the area with their weighing machine. Brisk and efficient, they eye every corner that a wayward bag is stuffed under and pay particular attention to a few people dressed as if they are flying to Antarctica. I find it a trifle overdone, as during a previous flight to this destination I was seated next to an obese passenger. Consequently, when the arm rest was raised, I occupied half a seat, and a smiling flight attendant managing to avoid eye contact at my obvious distress. The airline strictly enforces baggage weight limits, while an overweight person is allowed to enjoy the luxury of purchasing one seat when they should be paying for two.
Rod Grierson, Warradale, SA

Pour response

I enjoy Jetstar’s new planes, but a recent blip has dampened my enthusiasm. Leaving Brisbane, we passengers in row 19 and beyond were rained on as we clambered up the back stairs of our Jetstar flight. My jeans (including underwear) were wet, as was a cashmere jumper and, horror, my hair frizzed in the dry air. When I complained to the flight attendants as I exited, one chirpily said, “oh, it’s sunny in Melbourne, you can dry out.” I may choose cattle class, but in doing so, I don’t want to resemble a flustered sheep.
Mary G. Clarke, Mount Gravatt, Qld

Letter of the week: Sweet sixteenth

Your writer, Natasha Bazika, recently highlighted a number of spots to visit in Paris’ 16th arrondissement including the magnificent La Grande Epicerie de Paris and a small deli called Maison Caviar Latian. This unassuming little gem and its lovely host Anne, provided one of our most memorable experiences on our recent stay in Paris. She taught us so much about the rituals and styles associated with caviar, and we would highly recommend a visit to her shop. We certainly will be back.
David Reid, Artarmon, NSW

Paradise lost

During our visit to Vanuatu in March, we heard a number of people speak critically of Air Vanuatu’s reputation for poor reliability and customer service. This was also our experience at Port Vila Airport where we were denied ticketing for our booked flight to Luganville. Despite showing our e-ticket and an emailed flight schedule change notification, check in staff were unable to locate our booking, and we were forced to buy replacement tickets at exorbitant cost. An emailed promise to refund that amount within 30 days was not honoured, and follow-up emails requesting a refund have been ignored. Vanuatu is a wonderful destination, but Air Vanuatu appears to be a troubled organisation.
Phil Johnston, Bayswater, Vic

Road block

I booked two business-class flights with Qantas from Sydney last year for a Silk Road tour starting in Istanbul. Three weeks before I was to board the plane, I called to check on the flight via Dubai. Qantas said, “oh no, that flight has been cancelled”. I was surprised, having received no notification, call or email. I then asked what alternative flight they could offer as I had booked a tour and would lose about $9000 due to the late cancellation. Qantas said the best they could offer was a 30-hour flight in economy via South America for an extra fee of around $2000 each on top of our business class fares. My wife has previously had deep-vein thrombosis following an economy flight, so I had to decline and cancel the tour. After writing twice about any recompense I finally heard they wouldn’t offer one cent or a single frequent flyer point to soften the blow for the lost money and inconvenience.
Matt McGrath, Palm Beach, NSW

Main event

I enjoyed reading Lee Tulloch’s story about Greece’s Peloponnese. We travelled there in 2010, venturing out from the capital of Athens to places mentioned in Lee’s story including the ancient theatre at Epidaurus, which was a highlight, Olympia, Mycenae and then across to Delphi, a beautiful place. We also went to Meteora to see its complex of monasteries built on sheer rock. None of the Greek Islands were on our itinerary, but we weren’t disappointed in the wonderful places we experienced on the mainland. Lee’s story brought back all those great memories.
Beth Reid, Wollongong, NSW

Pack it in

Regarding the continuing subject of carry on luggage, I wish airline staff would insist backpacks be held by hand when boarding planes. The number of times other passengers have been almost permanently disfigured by the carrier of a backpack who, albeit unknowingly, reverses or swings into the person behind, are innumerable. These are not child-size backpacks but ones that appear to hold the passenger’s total possessions, judging by the size and volume. In the case of an injury caused by an assault from a backpack, who takes the blame? It would be interesting to find out.
Clare Purbrick, Nagambie, Vic

Full credit

In January, I booked a multi-city premium economy flight with Emirates from Perth, WA, to Newcastle upon Tyne, England, returning to Sydney in June. On a recent Monday, I bit the bullet and rebooked with British Airways (an extra eight hours and $500) and then requested a refund from Emirates that afternoon. An email was in my inbox on Tuesday, confirming that I would get a full refund. Not expecting the refund to arrive for a couple of weeks, I was amazed to see it deposited on the Tuesday. Well done, Emirates. I much prefer their shorter flights, so I’ll be happy to book with them next time.
Caroline Gibson, Figtree, NSW

Tip of the week: Fruitful exercise

A recent European trip required a last-minute additional week (thank you, Mr Trump). So, where to go? Already in Verona, we trained further west to Turin which is surprisingly different to other parts of Italy, close to both Switzerland and France and an hour to the mountains and the sea. Narrow streets flow into elegant, long boulevards, buildings lined with arched walkways and there are enough museums to entertain anyone. These include the National Museum of Cinema in the Mole Antonelliana building and the smaller Museum of Fruit. Then, to fly home from Schiphol Airport, we bypassed Amsterdam for Haarlem, a historic Dutch city centred around a huge cathedral. It’s small enough to walk around, has a lively restaurant culture, lots of shopping and canal trips – everything one wants in the Netherlands. So, two spontaneous risks paid off.
Margaret O’Connor, Balwyn, Vic

Cold comforts

In Edinburgh, we saved a lot of money and suitcase space/weight by buying second-hand cold weather gear at the many op shops around the city. We donated the items before we flew home. Also, in Dublin, we kept our suitcases light by paying a souvenir shop about €15 ($24) to courier home our big box of gifts, which included an Irish jumper made with Australian wool. These actions meant lighter cases and no scary excess-luggage charges at check-in. This was a weight off our mind, while at the same time supporting the local Salvos.
Tony Danino, Wheelers Hill, Vic

Shuttle hint

After reading several accounts of airport taxi and Uber scams, I now try to book hotels that offer a shuttle service. It can often cost more, but it’s safer, plus there is no queue.
Andy Horne, Elsternwick, Vic

Chilled in Chile

We sit watching the sun bleed out over a serene ocean. A plate of local grilled perch awaits us. Nearby, men sip tea and gorge on cakes; a tradition dating back to English settlement. We’re in La Serena, Chile, enjoying wine sourced from the pisco region of the Elqui Valley, one of the driest vineyards on earth. We celebrate the end of our personalised tour, devised by the Melbourne-based Tailor-Made Journeys, recalling the wineries of the Colchagua region, the buzz of Valparaiso, our charming hotels, the gracious people, the traditional food, bohemian Santiago, the massive Andes looming over all, and our luck in finding the bounty that is Chile.
Denise Hunter, North Sydney, NSW

Block, stock and barrel

Thank you, Michael Gebicki for your reference to “carousel grinding” in your story on aspects of travel that need fixing. Recently, I arrived at Sydney International Airport with two lady friends and my husband. At the end of the carousel four big men blocked access to the bags. None of us is a snowflake, and we always take care of our own bags. One of ours skimmed by, unreachable, prompting me to declare, “if you men moved away, the ladies can get their bags”. Just then, lady number two was reaching for hers beyond them, in time for one to say in male solidarity, “See, he’s helping her”. Me: “That’s because he’s my husband, and he knows better.”
Leonie Royle, Worrowing Heights, NSW

Out of controls

To add to Michael Gebicki’s list of annoying travel problems, are the confusing controls that accompany onboard entertainment systems on most airlines. Sometimes there’s just a touch screen, but often there’s some form of hand-held remote, which may or may not retract, and which will offer a confusing array of functions and options. The weirdest handsets will have a keypad on the back, which has almost zero capabilities in 2026.
Michael Nicholls, Travancore, Vic

Withdrawal symptoms

Travelling through Nepal, I was surprised by the persistence of cash in a country heavily dependent on tourism and trekking. Credit cards are patchily accepted, even in Kathmandu, forcing visitors to make repeated ATM withdrawals. Yet local banks commonly charge between 700 and 900 Nepali rupees ($6 to $8) per withdrawal, a significant sum in a relatively poor country. During my Nepal trip, I needed large amounts of cash to pay for transport and accommodation. Comparable trekking destinations such as Vietnam and Thailand now widely accept digital payments. One wonders whether these excessive fees genuinely benefit local communities or mainly enrich local heavyweight banks capitalising on tourists with few alternatives.
Joseph Ting, Carina, Qld

Happy places

Editor’s note: In our series, My Happy Place, where Traveller’s writers reflect on the holiday destinations in Australia and around the world that they cherish the most. We also invite you to submit your happy places. Here’s a selection of your contributions.

Every morning I check for the low tide times for Coogee, NSW. If you are lucky, there will also be a magical sunrise. My happy place is here at Coogee at the ocean pool at the Surf Life Saving Club, the Ross Jones Memorial Pool. The water can be glassy or like liquid silk, or wild like a washing machine with big frothy white waves crashing over the rock wall. I have Parkinson’s and my mantra for coping is to find a little bit of joy in every day. My Coogee ocean pool is that little bit of joy.
Deborah Corbett, Coogee, NSW

My happy place is a small slice of paradise on the Great Ocean Road. Where the towering beech forest gives way to a horseshoe bay that is never crowded, not even at the height of summer. Where you watch fur seals frolic for the day’s catch. Where small business is the norm, and cafes greet neighbours by name. When I entered the travel industry, a part of the interview was a round table rapid fire of “your favorite destination...and why”. It quickly became a game of one-upmanship. Paris and Shanghai. New York and Kathmandu. But around we went, and as it reached me, I simply said “Apollo Bay”. I’ve been lucky to visit over 30 countries, and every time my answer will be Apollo Bay.
Rebecca Tully, Ballarat, Vic

My happy place is Burrill Lake, NSW, specifically the Discovery Park, formerly known as Bungalow Park. Our family has been holidaying there since 1982. I learned to walk in one of the original cabins right by the highway. After annual Christmas or Easter visits into our teens, encompassing the excitement of the mini golf course being built, the outdoor cinema, kid-only trips to the Lions van to buy cinnamon donuts, we had a break until 2021, when we returned with our parents and our kiddos. They love it. We love it. Magical!
Holly Pritchard, Curtin, ACT

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