We nearly lost our bags in transit, due to Qantas’ poor communication

Close call

Despite being booked through to Brisbane, our suitcases turned up on the luggage carousel.Credit: Getty Images

My wife and I recently flew with Oman Air from Milan, Italy, to Manila, the Philippines, via the Omani capital, Muscat. In Manila, we transferred to Qantas for the final leg to Brisbane. At the Oman Air check-in desk in Milan we were told that our luggage was booked all the way through to Brisbane. As we passed through immigration in Manila, we happened to mention that we were flying on to Brisbane. The immigration official advised us to check the luggage carousel and, sure enough, our suitcases were there, although the luggage tags clearly showed Muscat-Manila-Brisbane. When we checked the luggage in with Qantas in Manila we were told that it was Qantas policy to examine all checked-in and carry-on luggage manually. That’s why our suitcases were off-loaded in Manila. This information obviously has not trickled through to Oman Air in Milan.
Ian Wood, Alexandra Headland, Qld

Hell in KL

I don’t always find the immigration kiosks at Sydney Airport as smooth as they should be, but nothing prepared me or my partner for our experience at Kuala Lumpur’s airport. Although I recently had to obtain an entry visa for the UK and Singapore, I didn’t think to check on Malaysia. At airport immigration there were large groups of confused passengers trying to complete the online forms. The only assistance offered was to be shown the QR code if they thought you possessed a mobile phone, or if not, you were shown to the bank of computers. After trying with much effort for 30 minutes, I thought I had completed the form and was pleased I had global roaming activated to receive the confirmation email. When I tried to access the gate, I was unsuccessful. I had typed in the wrong date of entry as I was not wearing reading glasses. Fortunately. I am of an age where that was understandable and was directed to a counter to be processed by an immigration clerk.
Lynne Head, Budgewoi, NSW

Letter of the week: Sensory overload

Women carrying water from a stepwell near Jaipur, Rajasthan.Credit: iStock

I could not agree more with Trudi Jenkins’ Traveller’s Tale on India (Traveller, June 14). Word for word, it reflected fabulous and recent experience. India was an assault on the senses: the colour, the chaos, the noise, the cows, the famous landmarks and some lesser known sights, like the stepwells (pictured), the exquisite and elegant Oberoi hotels, the food, the beautiful friendly people and, yes, the lowlight of the rubbish. It was a trip to remember.
Angie Miller, Bondi Junction, NSW

Device squad I

I’ve just read the tale of Ken Fraser (Traveller, June 14) who left his iPad on a Virgin Australia flight and was charged $195 to have it returned from Cairns to Melbourne. I had a different experience with Emirates when I (another silly duffer) left my Kindle in the seat pocket on a flight from Venice to Dubai, on my way home to Australia. Once I realised, I completed the online Emirates lost property form and quickly received a reply. The staff had found my Kindle and popped it on a flight to Sydney. All I had to do was collect it in person from the Emirates lost property office in the international terminal at Sydney Airport.
Lucy Costas, Carwoola, NSW

Device squad II

Ken Fraser’s experience with retrieving his iPad left on a Virgin flight contrasted with the time silly and sleepy me left my camera bag on an Aerolineas Argentinas flight some years ago. I reported the loss at the lost property desk in Buenos Aires, and within one minute the bag had been presented by an employee to me at the desk. No outsourced packaging company, no fee, no delay.
Kevin Egan, Ascot Vale, Vic

Only in Japan

The lucky Yellow.Credit: Alamy

I enjoyed Lee Tulloch’s “Doing it right” story (Traveller, June 14) with the accompanying photo of a Japanese bullet train being Doctor Yellow, a yellow shinkansen bullet train for maintenance and for the checking of the shinkansen lines. The photo brought back memories of our recent visit to the Kyoto Railway Museum. While there, a Doctor Yellow on the shinkansen line leaving Kyoto suddenly appeared with excited locals recording the passage of the train. In explanation, we were told that to see, let alone photograph, a Doctor Yellow, particularly in daylight hours, was considered good luck for the viewer. We hope that the photo of Doctor Yellow in Traveller will also bring good luck in the future.
George Baias, Summer Hill, NSW

Spin versus substance

Kudos to Traveller and Lee Tulloch for asking the hard questions about sustainability in travel. Most of us know in our hearts that while travel deepens our humanity, it often comes at a steep environmental cost. Offsets are dubious and many green programs are more spin than substance. With ecological decline accelerating, small sustainable tweaks no longer cut it. As Ecotourism Australia’s Elissa Keenan points out, slow, local travel is the way forward. Fortunately, Australia offers plenty of immersive, low-impact experiences with no passport required.
Amy Hiller, Kew, Vic

No sense

King penguins on the shoreline.Credit: iStock

I found Lee Tulloch’s “Doing it right” story, containing advice from travel experts about reducing our impact on the destinations we visit, to be troubling in parts. For example, the expert who provided advice on visiting Antarctica could only recommend “a less harmful way” to see this fragile ecosystem which encourages “respect and interest in caring for the planet”. If all the ways to visit are harmful, which seems to be conceded by the expert adviser, how on earth does it make any sense to do this harm to care more?
Kerrie Wehbe, Blacktown, NSW

All exchange, please

Nina Karnikowski’s enjoyable Savvy Traveller column on taking an extended holiday (Traveller, June 14) missed two enormously savvy tips. First, sites like homexchange.com allowed us a month’s free accommodation during the European summer: a week each in London, Madrid, Rome and Naples. You are out of town a bit, but we live like a local, and it’s so good; Madrid even had a pool. Secondly, sites like mindahome.com have your house and pets looked after for the cost of amenities. We have used this many times with nothing but praise for our house minders who all come with references.
Ron Thomas, Kalorama, Vic

Tip of the week: Free and easy

Alghero old town, Sardinia.Credit: iStock

I’ve just returned from a fabulous tour of Sardinia, Italy, and Corsica, France, with Secret Italia Tours, a small-group tour company. Guide Paola and driver Sara were excellent and travelling with a small group of 16 was great. The itinerary was well thought-out – a mixture of cultural, historical, and artistic activities, from pasta-making to lunch in the vineyards, walking tours, visiting markets and museums. The meals that were included were of the highest quality. But the best thing was that every afternoon you were free to do whatever you wanted, or even to simply rest. There was no “having to do something every minute of the day.” I would recommend this tour company if you are considering a tour to these two wonderful places. I had the best time.
Susan Scully, Middle Cove, NSW

Ready, settings, go

To make your phone holiday ready, install an eSIM (electronic SIM, AIRALO), setup WhatsApp (to message home photos, videos and your whereabouts), learn to use Google LENS (to translate foreign language menus, signs and more) and Google Maps (to find places to visit/eat and navigate map-free). Install a banking app (to avoid using a hotel PC) for use with your travel money cards. Fully back-up/update your phone and set up the “Find My” App on each iPhone/iPad and learn to use the iCloud.
Tony Danino, Wheelers Hill, Vic

Take a seat

Regarding “No reservations” (Traveller on Sunday, June 15), in addition to Paul Marshall’s advice for snaring a restaurant reservation in Japan, I have another suggestion: the waiting chairs. You arrive about 30 minutes before you plan to eat, and write your name (and how many people) on a list at the front door. You may wish to go away and do something else while waiting if the wait is long, but it can be interesting and fun to sit on the waiting chairs and chat to your neighbour. You never know who you will meet; it’s always an adventure, but be sure to learn some basic Japanese. This is a fair system that ensures you get your booking, and possibly a new local friend at the same time.
Margot Pope, Five Dock, NSW

Casbah none

Algiers, with Notre Dame d’Afrique high on the hill.Credit: iStock

Algeria offers remarkable variety: Mediterranean coastlines, the vast Sahara, green wheat fields with red poppies, ancient Roman ruins, Ottoman landmarks, French colonial architecture, and the winding Algiers Casbah. Everywhere we went, we were warmly welcomed as guests of the country. Roman archaeological sites and mosaics are especially impressive. The food blends French and local influences – baguettes, seafood, and excellent coffee are standouts. Roads, transport, and hotels are good and affordable. A visa is required but easy to obtain. Arabic, Berber, French, and English are widely spoken. I toured with BC Archaeology and the excellent local company Fancyellow Alger.
Michel Hedley, Westgate, NSW

Say cheese (and tomato)

It was interesting to read Julietta Jameson’s Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport Report review (Traveller on Sunday, June 15). I am now longing for a simple toasted cheese and tomato sandwich on brown bread and a milky coffee from the Wimpy.
Rhoda Silber, Manly, NSW

With regrets

It’s 30 years since I visited the UK and my one regret is I didn’t visit Newcastle-Upon-Tyne (Port of call, June 15). My maternal grandparents migrated from County Durham to Newcastle (Upon-Hunter) with Mum born in Adamstown (a suburb). Regrettably, the Novocastrian line was broken upon my birth in Gosford.
Allan Gibson, Cherrybrook, 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