Can I get up? Airline left seatbelt sign on for whole 10-hour flight

Fastened and furious

When the seatbelt sign is never switched off, it’s impossible to know when it’s safe to get up.Credit: iStock

We had four flights with China Eastern Airlines over the past month and the seat-belt sign stayed on for the whole flight (over 10 hours for each flight). I understand there has been an increase in frequency and severity of turbulence, but keeping the sign on the whole time then leaves it up to the individual to decide when it’s safe to get up. I miss the seat-belt sign providing me an indication of when it’s safer to use the restroom.
Kirsten Flynn, Raby, NSW

Letter of the week: Bloom service

Further to Ute Junker’s suggestions of how to improve hotel rooms (Traveller, April 9), I recommend adding flowers. Years ago I found a cleverly designed fold-up plastic vase at a market, which lives in the bottom of my backpack and weighs no more than any other plastic bag. With the base spread out and stabilised securely with water, it holds a bunch of flowers purchased at a local market and helps to brighten any inexpensive room.

Blooms in the room.Credit: Alamy

If the flowers are still looking good when I need to move on, I just empty the water, hold the flowers firmly in their container with an elastic band, and put the bunch at the top of my pack. I’ve often wished that I’d bought half a dozen of these to give to travelling friends.
Marie Goldsworthy, Geelong, Vic

States of confusion

I have similar concerns to Margaret Skeen (Traveller Letters, April 19) about travel to the US. My wife and I will be travelling there to visit family and are, like her, in some degree of trepidation considering the recent tales of woe that have been published here and elsewhere of people being denied entry for no apparent reason. The real problem for travellers is that we have no idea how widespread this issue is. Obviously, those who have suffered as a result of new immigration proceedings will, thankfully, let us know of their misadventure. But we are in the dark as to the real extent of the problem as we don’t know the number of Australians denied entry to the US. Even for experienced travellers, fronting up to those stony-faced US immigration officers can be a daunting ordeal.
Ross MacPherson, Seaforth, NSW

EDITOR’S NOTE: While most visitors no doubt do pass through US immigration without incident, following cases of foreign visitors to the US being detained, deported, or both, the governments of several countries, including Australia, have all issued travel warnings reminding their citizens of the broad powers of US border officials.

California screaming

You should not be advocating any travel to the US. I have been stopped and questioned for living overseas and for having a vaguely Hispanic name and that was in California.
Penny Zantos, Artarmon, NSW

Cancel your Uber

I noted the letter from Brian Ireland saying he was only going to use British and European cruise companies (Traveller Letters, April 19). In the same edition of Traveller, Grahame Gough spoke of his trip to Saudi Arabia where he extolled the benefits, monetary, of Uber and Airbnb. They are both American companies with profits of $10 billion and $3.5 billion respectively. If we want to follow Brian’s advice, people should avoid using these companies in making their travel plans and when travelling. We managed to travel easily and well before they entered the market.
Claire Rodier, Glen Waverley, NSW

Floored by Virgin

No takeoff – Queenstown, Lake Wakatipu and the airport.Credit: Alamy

I thought “not again” when reading the recent news report regarding Virgin Australia’s stranding of 100 passengers at New Zealand’s Queenstown Airport, many of whom had to sleep on the floor overnight. Unfortunately, despite new ownership and management of the airline, nothing appears to have changed. Pre-pandemic, another 100 passengers, including myself and some from overseas with connecting flights booked for onward travel in Australia, were similarly abandoned by Virgin Australia in Queenstown.

Despite all around us booked on other airlines operating to Australia checking in to flights with empty seats available, aloof and disinterested ground staff wearing Virgin Australia uniforms simply informed all of us to “come back tomorrow”. After some prompting, it was revealed that there was a technical issue with the aircraft. As an apparent “one-off”, the airport remained open for passengers to sleep on the floor. Virgin Australia clearly doesn’t have the correct procedures or interest in looking after its passengers.
Orlando Grieco, Brighton, Vic

Dead right

Regarding an image in your story (Traveller, April 20), surely the Bent Pyramid at the royal necropolis of Dahshur, Egypt, is the one in the background with its bent sides rather than the one in the foreground that you are naming as such.
Gary Conlan, Bellingen, NSW

The Red Pyramid and the Bent Pyramid at the rear, right.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The caption for the photograph, as identified by our reader, has been corrected in the online version of the cover story.

Straight to the top

My wife and I were also delayed in Dubai Airport, Jen and Dan Pollard (Traveller Letters, April 19), following the unexpected flooding of the city on April 16, 2024. Instead of a two-hour stopover, we endured 27 hours in the debacle that ensued at the airport. I submitted a claim for compensation with Emirates, both for essentials purchased (as our luggage was misplaced) and one night’s accommodation that we missed in Singapore. I found Emirates’ procedure for resolving complaints and seeking compensation to be long and arduous. My claim was finally resolved – after six months – following a polite email to Sir Tim Clark, the president of Emirates Airlines. Within 48 hours I received a compensation offer, along with a request for my banking details.
Greg Frohlich, Narara, NSW

Cruise control

Kristie Kellahan’s article on cruise shore excursions (Traveller, April 23) brought back memories of our shore excursion to St Petersburg, Russia some years ago. It was our first ocean cruise, and we had read somewhere (probably in Traveller) that cruise line shore excursions are not only expensive but also suffered from long delays at each stop waiting for everyone to get back on the bus. We found a tour guide online and we were picked up at the dock by the guide and driver, taken to each destination, with the driver waiting for us as soon as we were ready to proceed to the next highlight. Barely a minute was wasted.
Michael Dunne, Lake Gardens, Vic

Tip of the week: London trawling

Keep your phone close.Credit: Alamy

London Police say phone theft is now more violent than ever, so don’t advertise your new smartphone, or tablet, to criminals in a public place. We must protect our devices (and our valuable personal information inside), from being stolen for identity theft, scams and fraud. So, follow these simple tips or your dream holiday may instantly become a nightmare, especially when a long way from home in a foreign country.

1. Put your iPhone inside an old phone case to disguise it.
2. Keep it hidden, on your person, at all times.
3. Use your devices well away from crowds and paths with e-scooters and bikes.
4. Back up your phone regularly during your trip, using your eSIM mobile data.
5. Don’t keep credit cards and the like inside the phone cover.
6. Don’t ask someone to take a photo of you.
7. Use a camera instead of your phone (most cameras can connect to your devices).

Tony Danino, Wheelers Hill, Vic

EDITOR’S NOTE: Traveller contributor Belinda Jackson was one of London’s many victims of phone theft. You can read about her experience – and how she coped without a phone – here.

Track star

Travelling in Europe? France’s high-speed train service (TGV) is a must. I recently travelled from Geneva to Paris to fly home to Australia. Flights were more than €200 ($355) and that included “budget” airlines. But the TGV? It was only €57 ($100). Three hours door-to-door with a top speed of over 300km/h. An assigned seat. A quiet carriage. Luggage included (unlike aforementioned “budget” airlines). And an arrival in the heart of Paris with time for a brief visit to the Musee d’Orsay to see the impressionists before heading to the airport. There are more than 50 TGV routes to over 200 cities in Europe. Thoroughly recommended.
Helen White, Maroubra, NSW

Vanilla slice of life

We were looking forward to sailing into Kotor, as described in your Port of call guide (Traveller, April 22). Instead, we docked at Bar, a town about 60 kilometres to the south, and took a ship’s tour bus to Kotor. Although the mainly coastal scenery was interesting and the guide informative, it was a long hot journey only compensated by a walking tour of the Old Town and surroundings, the vanilla pastry krempita at a cafe and the pool back at the ship.
Denise Jensen Mitcham, Vic

Animal crackers

Cool for cats.Credit: Alamy

Beware Tokyo’s themed animal cafes. I went to one, where you could see a capybara and some cats. It was my first “animal cafe” experience and I was unaware of how it worked. After we walked in, I was asked to pay about $70 for 50 minutes in the room with the critters. We were then approached about buying a dessertspoonful of cat food to feed to the cats for an extra $5 (we declined). The price also included a tiny carton of juice. It was not my best Tokyo experience.
Margot Pope, Kiryu, Japan

Flinders keepers

“Landmarks that shouldn’t exist, but do” by David Whitley, made me think of Melbourne’s iconic Flinders Street Station. Rumour has it that while many of us “meet under the clocks”, this building was actually intended for Mumbai’s Victoria Station, when architectural drawings were sent to the wrong locations. Those who believe say Flinders Street enjoys Indian architectural styles similar to the Taj Mahal, whilst its Indian counterpart has striking Gothic architecture. True or not, most Melburnians have run up those corner steps to catch their next train.
Roxanne Le Blanc, Croydon, Vic

My beautiful laundrette

Your story on Italy’s best cities (Traveller, April 4) lists Trieste as an Italian city worth visiting. It is. We stayed at the recommended boutique hotel L’Albero Nascosto (“hidden tree” in English) last June, and it is indeed a hidden gem. Centrally located, it has charmingly appointed rooms, obliging staff and fantastic breakfasts. Better still, there’s a laundromat right across the street but be prepared – it accepts only cash and ATMs are scarce in downtown Trieste (ask the hotel for directions). Then, armed with your euros, visit the laundromat-e miracolo. You can wash and dry your clothes ready for tomorrow’s exploring, all within cooee of your lovely room.
Lee Hedberg, Orange, 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