I tried to use a Qantas lounge that didn’t exist

Hard pass

Do not count on using a Qantas lounge pass if you are flying domestic Jetstar out of Perth. I arrived on an international flight and had a few hours to kill before my connecting flight to Melbourne. Since Jetstar is part of the Qantas Group, the system allowed me to digitally link my complimentary Qantas lounge pass to my Jetstar flight number without any issues. However, once you get past security, you quickly find out there is no Qantas lounge in Terminal 2, where Jetstar flights depart from. All the Qantas lounges are located on the opposite side of the airfield at Terminal 4. It requires a 15-minute shuttle bus ride to get between the two terminals, making it completely impractical to use the lounge during a transit. Qantas’ system shouldn’t let passengers link a lounge pass to a flight departing from a terminal where a lounge doesn’t exist. Thanks for nothing, Qantas.
Michael Gruschel, South Yarra, Vic

No selfie portraits

Michael Gebicki recommends a visit to the Prado museum in Madrid, which I heartily endorse. It is best to buy timed entry tickets through the museum site and I suggest adding the excellent guided tour in English provided by museum staff at a very reasonable price. The Prado has banned all photography and it is a delight to view the wonderful collection without waiting for visitors to take selfies. Finally, don’t miss the Spanish Mona Lisa, from Leonardo da Vinci’s workshop, which is virtually the same as the one in Paris – but without the crowds.
Heather Barker, Albert Park, Vic

Talk to the hand

All I can think of while reading Ben Groundwater’s amusing article about talking on planes is the scene from Flying High where Ted Striker talks various unfortunate fellow passengers to death with his mundane, incessant life story. As Ben says, the trouble with the polite short chat is that it often extends into hours and is time you will never get back. There’s a time and place for conversations and it is most definitely not stuck between strangers on a plane. Perhaps we all need an official prop issued when the headphones are given out that says whether we’re up for a chat. A hand coloured green on one side and red on the other. I bet the red hands win.
Margaret Wilson, Brighton, Vic

Ill, at ease

I have just finished an eight-night tour with Egypt Unlimited Tours, a local company that I booked through Tripadvisor, and could not recommend them more highly. It turned out that I was the only person to book for my dates, so I had a personal guided tour. As a solo female traveller, it was perfect being escorted at all times starting with being met at the airport before immigration. Everything was as promised from five-star hotels in Cairo to the three-night Nile cruise. My guides were friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. When I became ill on the cruise, they offered personal support including purchasing medication and refusing to accept payment. When I had to cancel an optional extra trip due to my illness they insisted on refunding the cost. Egyptian tourism has suffered recently, so knowing every dollar went straight to a local operator was important. Some places may resent tourists but the Egyptian people appeared to be totally welcoming.
Siobhan Casey, Cherrybrook, NSW

Rum the gauntlet

Compared with the recent past, arrival at Sydney international is now mostly a breeze. One dark spot, however, is the new arrangement for the gauntlet through duty free. The former corridor that led directly to immigration is now replaced by a chicane through barrels of booze that tests the patience of bleary-eyed travellers. I hate to think of what would happen if a sudden evacuation was required.
David Burke, Bathurst, NSW

Ups and downs

Recently, I returned from travels in the UK where I, unfortunately, had a fall and fractured my hip. The medical care I received was excellent. The fall necessitated rebooking my Qantas flight home. Contact with Qantas was efficient and I advised them I would need medical assistance. This assistance was provided from when I arrived at Heathrow through to my arrival back in Melbourne. The Qantas staff throughout the flight were great in assisting me. Disappointingly, I am still in discussion with Qantas Insurance to cover my additional costs. I have been a Qantas traveller for 52 years and expected better from the insurers.
Ray Cleary, Camberwell, Vic

Laying it on thick

Simon Benedict (Traveller Letters, September 26) questioned the logic of allowing liquids through airport security on Australian domestic flights but restricting them on international flights. On a recent flight from Melbourne to London via Perth, a fellow passenger carried a mega jar of Vegemite – a present for her grandchildren. At Perth Airport, security officers told her she could not take it to London because it exceeded the 100-millilitre limit for liquids. Since when has Vegemite been a liquid?
David Ali, Northcote, Vic

Double Danish

Skagen sits at the northern tip of Denmark. It is the perfect stop for a cruise ship, as the town is tiny and the locals scarce. But its claim to fame is Grenen, which sits nearby and is where the Baltic and North seas meet. It’s a quick cab ride or, if you feel fit, you can walk. A tractor train (€6 or $9.60) will take you to the seas. You then step out onto the sand where you can put one foot in the Baltic and one in the North Sea. A truly Danish experience.
Dr Jan Naughton, Wahroonga, NSW

Found in translation

In Japan, we used the Google Lens app to translate menus, signs, notices or statue plaques into English quickly, accurately and easily. There was no need to find English-language restaurants or menus, so we enjoyed many amazing meals at places where no English was spoken or written. We also used the search function in museums, shops, etc to tell us what we were looking at, with AI explaining all about the object in question. Practise before travelling, otherwise what you are served up may be the ultimate culinary challenge.
Tony Danino, Wheelers Hill, Vic

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