Qantas and Jetstar’s alcohol policies are utterly silly

Goodness saké

The “responsible service of alcohol” policy by Jetstar and Qantas is utterly silly. Effectively, you are only allowed one drink on your tray at one time. I recently flew international business class with both, and it means you can’t order, say, a G&T as your pre-dinner cocktail and a glass of wine with your meal, or, a glass of white to go with your entree and a glass of red with your steak.

On offering to finish my G&T to secure a glass of vino, I was brusquely told “don’t scull it”. And after one drink was served with dinner, the cabin crew didn’t return. Contrast this with Japan’s JAL who gladly brought me three 300-millilitre bottles of saké so I could taste the difference.
Stephen Yolland, Doncaster, Vic

Letter of the week: Gratitude for gratitude

I read your story on the gifts of travel (Traveller, December 21) with fond memories and delight, as the topics all resonated with me on a personal level. Having hitchhiked around the world for a year in 1991 (thankfully pre-internet and mobile phones), Ben Groundwater covered so many travel traits and skills learned through the joys of unplanned journeys and exploration that I strongly agree with and am so grateful for. Being fortunate enough to still travel far and wide, I concur that travel is great for the soul and mind. The travel bug is a real and beautiful thing and thankfully, my two grown-up children have been well and truly bitten as well. Thanks, Ben, for a great story about the essence of travel.
Mark Spronken, Waurn Ponds, Vic

Name game

I write to warn others of a sleeper problem in the account of many Qantas FF members. I purchased tickets for a round-trip Melbourne to Rome for my wife and me for this year, using a combination of points and cash for both tickets after typing both our passport names into the Qantas system. Furthermore, I noticed that my ticket only had my middle initial, not my full name, that I used at point of purchase. After making enquiries I was told that would be a problem and the ticket would need correction as the Qantas system picks up what is in the frequent flyer system not what you type in. This has caused an immense waste of time and additional cost to resolve a problem created by Qantas.
Steve Griffin, West Coburg, Vic

Going public

Jacky Ternisien, your letter (Traveller Letters, December 20) reminded me of the time when on a cruise, we spent a day in Oslo and went to a sculpture park. We stopped at a cafe and my husband needed to use the toilet. There was a nearby public toilet, but we had not exchanged any cash for the day. I suggested he ask if he could use his credit card. Well, on his return he told me that in fact they only took credit cards. So no need to worry about cash. Personally, I am happy to pay. The facilities are usually spotlessly clean, unlike some of the public toilets here.
Pam Fichtner, Dunbogan, NSW

ICE still nice

To your reader Alan Hill who wrote that it is no longer possible to reserve a seat in second-class on German trains (Traveller Letters, December 20), I live in Germany and travel often on Deutsche Bahn. I agree that punctuality and reliability have sadly deteriorated. But I can definitely confirm that seat reservations are still possible, at least on ICE and IC services. You can even book a seat without buying a ticket, including if you have a rail pass. Their website bahn.de shows you the floor plan of each carriage, and you can choose a specific seat for about five euros.
Andrew Jenkinson, Stuttgart, Germany

Refund no fun

I booked and paid for a first-class train including seat reservation Berlin to Copenhagen, with a change in Hamburg. When the train arrived in Hamburg my booked seat was not available due to some previous damage. Without any explanation, I was left to sit on the floor outside the toilet in second class – the only space available – for the four-hour journey. Every time someone wanted to use the toilet I had to move. That same day I put in a claim to German railways, and they took four weeks just to respond to my initial request for refund. After backwards and forwards communications, I received reimbursement of €5.90 ($A10.30) on a ticket price of more than €65 euros. Deutsche Bahn states, “customer satisfaction is something we take very seriously and anything less than ensuring you are completely happy is unacceptable”. It’s disappointing Deutsche Bahn doesn’t take its own words seriously.
James Hodges, Gooseberry Hill, WA

Go local

I enjoy your columnist Lee Tulloch’s writing but must point out that it isn’t actually necessary to see the way Greenlanders live close to their families and nature to be uplifted by the human capacity to be happy with less “stuff” (Traveller, January 6). Maybe, in light of the warming that threatens our precious planet, and as Lee points out, the very existence of the Greenlanders, our hope for 2026 might not be more international travel, but a wiser, more thoughtful, approach to how we live our best lives, including exploring different holiday options available locally.
Lesley Walker, Northcote, NSW

Tip of the week: Paradise found

Samoa rewards those who come not just to see, but to connect. This Pacific paradise offers breathtaking scenery, rich traditions, and warm hospitality. On Upolu, stay in five-star resorts or venture further afield into villages’ open fales located on pristine beaches, swim in waterfalls, explore coastal walks, and vibrant “Fia Fia” fire dancing nights. Take a local boat to the uninhabited island of Namu’a for turtles or the ferry to Savai’i for volcanic landscapes and coral reefs. Share an umu feast with a local family, greet with “talofa” and respect Sundays as they are sacred. Transport is slow, (40km/h limit in villages) but patience reveals the magic of “island time”. Resilient and beautiful, Samoa is the Pacific’s heart – an unforgettable gift to all who take the time to discover it. However, perhaps a picture paints a thousand words.
Jeanetta Munro, Black Rock, Vic

Loyalty test

One of the world’s largest hotel chains has recently adjusted their loyalty program. Accor hotels’ loyalty program, which costs $399 a year to join, previously provided as part of the membership one free night a year and 50 per cent off any food purchased at their hotels. They have now adjusted this program to buy one night and get the second night free on consecutive nights. This is available twice a year. They have also adjusted the food discount from 50 per cent to 30 per cent. It seems to me that the adjustments are an indication of shrinkflation.
Michael McKenna, Warragul, Vic

Base behaviour

Readers often complain about airlines trying to extract more money from them (hint: they are businesses after all), but I noticed on my most recent overseas booking that I was charged the airline base fee and then a further 10, yes 10, charges relating to all manner of things from various parties. The total price itself was fine, so no complaints there, but it is the first time I have ever seen it itemised so clearly. I wouldn’t be surprised if next time I’m charged a fee calculation fee or a fee-fi-fo-fum fee.
Neale Meagher, Malvern, Vic

Advice squad

I’m an avid reader of Traveller and would like to share some of the travel tips I’ve formulated over the years. Travel light, since dragging suitcases up cobblestone streets or flights of stairs can ruin the best holiday. Pack only black, white and one other colour, such as blue denim and you’ll find everything co-ordinates. Ditch all the skin care as your face will manage with moisturiser sunscreen while you’re away. I take a flat bag in the bottom of my suitcase for things I buy and visit a post office, whenever needed and send shopping home. Daily, usually in bed, email yourself with what you did that day. When you get home you can collate emails into a record of your holiday, interspersed with photos and revisit your holiday anytime you want.
Victoria Mahoney, West Melbourne, VIC

Fire and ice

My wife and I have recently enjoyed a leisurely two-week drive in Canada from Vancouver to Calgary via Jasper and Banff. The scenery was gob smacking and the drive was easy, with plenty of delightful spots, such as Lake Louise, along the way at which to linger for a few days. We also saw first-hand the devastation of the recent forest fires along the route. The hills around the town of Jasper, especially, were burnt out. We don’t know how the town survived.
Jeff McDermid, Broadbeach, Qld

Opportunity knocks

Sydney taxis don’t often rate a favourable mention, and I’ve had my fair share of aggravating and overpriced rides, although once in a while, an experience goes off script. My wife and I returned exhausted after a 24-hour flight. It was a dark, cold and rainy night and I paid the fare only to discover the next day, checking my bank statements, that I had paid $600 for what, I thought, was a $60 fare. That night there was a knock on the door and there was the driver desperate to pay us back the overcharge. There are some honest and hardworking drivers out there.
Stephen Garton, Sydney, 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

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