Traveller Letters: This is the least comfortable business seat ever

Finn review

Finnair business seats – not happy.

The new Finnair business class seats are the least comfortable of any modern airline I have flown with. Instead of a well-designed adjustable, reclining and flatbed seat, Finnair gives you a rigid cocoon and a couple of pillows. No armrests. It was impossible to get comfy. In plan, the seats are angled (to fit more in), resulting in a narrowing tube to fit your legs when sleeping, with only one leg able to be stretched out straight. The cocoon shape ensures you hear everything from the row behind. Storage space is adequate, but most is hidden when lying flat. Every space or flatbed control requires a different action. Tray adjustments are woefully inadequate.

My experience was on a recent flight from Bangkok to Sydney. It was a Finnair plane, with a local Thai (Finnair) crew, on a Qantas branded flight (not codeshare) with Qantas food. The staff were pleasant, though detached rather than welcoming, and they seemed to struggle with dinner still being served two and a half hours after departure.
Rob Morgan, Bulleen, Vic

Letter of the week: Right on track

Gornergrat railway in the Swiss canton of Valais. It links the resort village of Zermat to the summit of the Gornergrat. Credit: Getty Images

Following Jane Richards’ article about the joys of travelling on a Eurail Pass (Traveller, November 26), I pass on some tips to help other travellers based on our recent experience. Book your journeys through the user-friendly app and pay extra to reserve a seat. Even first-class carriages can be oversold. Watch the indicator board on the platform as this will tell you where to stand for your carriage. It is worthwhile to board early as luggage space can be limited. Better still, travel light. Also trains do not always run to schedule so allow time to make your connection. Once onboard, sit back and enjoy the experience.
David Parmeter, Breakfast Point, NSW

The write stuff

Charmian Clift and George Johnston during their time on Hydra.Credit: James Burke/The LIFE Picture Collection

Reading Lee Tulloch’s column (Traveller, December 3) I was surprised when, in her description of the writing in-residence course on Hydra, Greece, she failed to make mention of two of Australia’s great writers, Charmian Clift and George Johnston who lived and worked on the island in the 1950s. Whilst living on Hydra in 1955, Charmian transformed her travel notes into a memoir, Mermaid Singing, followed in 1958 by Peel me a Lotus. George Johnston is probably best known for his novel, My Brother Jack. Hydra in the 50s was a mecca for artists and writers, such as the American poet, Charles Heckstall and singer, Leonard Cohen. Charmian and George were prominent members of this artistic colony and their parties were legendary.
Susan Lenne, Randwick, NSW

Blame the weather

Ingrid Thompson reports a positive experience following a Jetstar flight cancellation (Traveller Letters, December 7). My experience on a cancelled Jetstar flight from Adelaide to Sydney was quite different. We had checked in to the 5.15pm flight when it was cancelled. We were advised we could not get a flight until 8.30am the next day. We had to stay overnight in Adelaide. Jetstar advised they would not reimburse any expenses as the cancellation was due to weather. JQ767 was the only flight on the departures board to be cancelled. Other flights were leaving on time for Sydney. Weather can be used as an excuse for cancelling any flight without providing evidence, thus absolving the airline from compensation. No more Jetstar for us.
Colin Wilson-Brown, Mosman, NSW

Best of British

During a recent holiday to Europe with my family, my father-in-law sadly passed away in the UK, forcing us to delay flights home to Australia. My wife contacted British Airways, explained the situation, and was rewarded with rescheduled flights and an upgrade at no additional cost in acknowledgement of her distressing circumstance. In contrast, my daughter who flew with Etihad struggled to make phone contact with anybody who could assist, was quoted five different prices for return flights within the space of 24 hours, and ended up paying an additional $2000 to arrive home in time for uni.
Simon Wright, Orange, NSW

Food for thought

I must concur with your correspondent (Traveller Letters, December 7) detailing issues with meals and allergies on Emirates flights. My coeliac daughter also found issue with the gluten-free meals on offer, specifically being offered only seafood on several legs of our Emirates journey, even though they were also advised of a seafood allergy. There was not a choice of meals for gluten-free in economy, so with no alternative, she chose to deal with the consequences of the non-gluten free options. This, combined with the lack of even drink service for long periods, resulted in my decision to now avoid Emirates. I am disappointed to learn that British Airways were no different as far as the coeliac options are concerned. It is not hard to provide, say, a vegetarian coeliac option or, god forbid, two gluten-free meal choices. I would be most interested to hear if anyone has any positive experiences in this area with other airlines.
Leeann Abbott, Warrnambool, Vic

Poor reflection

Lee Tulloch is right that beach holidays are a great form of education (Traveller, December 10). However, her lesson of how not to get sunburnt was disappointingly accompanied by the editors’ choice of a photo of two girls in direct sunlight. No hats, no long sleeves, no shade. The media must play its part in skin-cancer awareness with sun smart behaviour shown as the norm. An opportunity missed.
Margy Syrett, Darlinghurst, NSW

Pause for thought

As we gear up for the holiday season and make travel plans for 2025, it’s a good moment to acknowledge how fortunate many of us are. More than 80 per cent of the world’s population has never been on a plane, and one in 11 people experience hunger every day – an issue that’s growing as conflicts and climate change impact communities. While we enjoy our well-deserved breaks and festive gatherings, let’s take a moment to appreciate the opportunities we have, and consider how we can make a positive difference to our beautiful world in 2025.
Amy Hiller, Kew, Vic

Tip of the week: Sat naff

Beware of Google Maps for route guidance when travelling in Le Marche, Italy, especially in mountainous areas. Always check that the road is at least a Strada Provinciale: these are numbered SP, though even these can be very narrow. I had to use a combination of Google, the car’s less-than-perfect sat nav and in the end my own local knowledge to avoid routes (including goat tracks) that were at times even perilous. If you are staying in a remote location get Google to direct you to the nearest substantial town from which you know the way home, but even this does not always work.
Glen Cassidy, Petersham, NSW

Growing places

Don’t miss the Flower Dome.

Much has been written about the fantastic Gardens By The Bay in Singapore but despite having read up about them, nothing prepared me for the visual display I was to encounter. As well as the well-known Supertree Grove with its light and sound show each night, don’t miss seeing the two areas that require a special ticketed admission: the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest. When we were there a fortnight ago, there was a special Australian exhibit in the Flower Dome curated in conjunction with the city of Toowoomba. It was spectacular. The amount of work, expertise and manpower required to maintain these gardens is mind-blowing.
Kasia Quail, Grovedale, Vic

Magic moments

In October we had a couple of weeks in Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools and Matusadona National Parks where we stayed at Kanga and Rhino safari camps respectively. What a magical experience. Our guides were well experienced and were able to inform us of what wildlife we would find around the next corner. We were also able to fish on the lake and experienced amazing sunsets over Zambia. A once in a lifetime journey to a magical destination. Nothing quite beats seeing an elephant at close quarters and experiencing just how gentle they can be.
James Millar, Gladesville, NSW

Tour de force

My husband and I have just returned from a fabulous Japan Discovery tour with Bunnik. At 53 and 55, we were the youngest in the group but we travelled with interesting, fun people and the pace was busy. If we had travelled independently we wouldn’t have been able to see half of the fascinating things we did. We’re now looking at other Bunnik tours as it’s nice to have something to look forward to.
Julie Lynch, Oyster Bay, NSW

Open your eyes

After having just returned from a six-week, five-state journey in India, I am staggered to encounter the number of people who cannot comprehend someone taking a trip such as this one. The most common question, “why would you want to go there?” India is indeed a contrast to our way of living here but I implore people to enquire what it is really like. Yes, some things can be confronting, crowded in parts, and life is lived with a noise level that is foreign to us in Australia. All I would ask is that you open your eyes to what you can see and open your mind and allow the real India in and dispel all you have heard. The pros always outweigh the cons.
Anthony Lovelock, Pakenham Upper, Vic

Editor’s note: We agree that India is an incredible destination and recently published this list of tips for first-timers to the country.

Guiding light

I used the Frommer Europe on $5 a Day guide (Traveller, November 27) in 1972, tearing out pages as I went to lighten the load. Travel then was mostly unplanned and with no internet or pre-booking it was first-in, first-served at recommended accommodation or eateries which were often full. The challenge was to find something else and one of my best was a bed in the 1972 Olympic Village in Munich (before the athletes arrived). As advised, I totalled up expenses daily during my extended travel and kept to an average $5 per day using hints like travelling by train overnight, which was lots of fun meeting the other travellers, and eating at restaurants with a prix fixe menu.
Heather Barker, Albert Park, Vic

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