To catch an earlier flight, I asked for a downgrade. Qantas refused

Not the flex you think it is

My wife and I (both Platinum Qantas Frequent Flyers) were flying from Brisbane to London via Sydney, first class, but noticed we’d only been given 90 minutes by Qantas to transit to our international flight. Not wanting to risk the relatively tight connection and the related knock-on effects to our plans in Europe, we requested an earlier flight to Sydney. There weren’t business class flights available, so I asked to be downgraded to economy for the domestic flight. Downgrading our fare was not possible, we were told. We ended up flying the evening before, costing us an extra $900 (plus overnight accommodation costs), despite having “fully flexible” tickets. Credit where it’s due, the actual performance of staff on the ground and in the air was outstanding, as you’d expect for a first-class fare.
Greg Chalmers, Paddington, Qld

The real big apple

In September we spent a wonderful week in Almaty. Surrounded by a stunning natural environment and snow-capped mountains, it is Kazakhstan’s main cultural and commercial centre. Almaty’s name is commonly interpreted as meaning “the place of apples” and it claims to be the origin of the world’s apples. Almaty apples are huge, up to 12 centimetres in diameter and weighing up to 500 grams. The modern inner-city has spectacular shopping (for example, in the buzzing Green Bazaar) and great restaurants along its tree-lined boulevards. Prices are at least 50 per cent less than in Australia. We noticed many tourists from India, China and Russia. Personal safety was not an issue for us, the locals are friendly and curious, and we did not notice a single police officer during our entire stay. Go now because in two years prices and tourists will no doubt increase five fold.
Georg Robers, Sandringham, Vic

Dream come true

As a doctor, when the first officer approached me during a recent international flight, my heart sank. I imagined there was a medical emergency on board and I’d been pinged on some database. But no, the pilot recognised me as his childhood GP. I well remembered the little boy, who was wildly excited when the Airbus A380 first launched. Now here he was at the pointy end of one. If one of the joys of travel is unexpected encounters, one of the joys of life is seeing someone living their dream.
Steve Trumble, Aireys Inlet, Vic

Shoo the messenger

Beware, scams using Booking.com. I booked a hotel for Singapore and recently received a message through WhatsApp requesting more information. When I clicked through, it looked like the Booking.com website and, of course, requested my credit card details. They had my name, phone number, dates of stay and how much I had paid. However, being suspicious, I reported this to the hotel and, several days later, received a generic message warning guests to be aware of “suspicious messages”. No mention at all of a data breach. To date, any response from the hotel, including requesting what information has been leaked, has been completely inadequate. Note that Booking.com states never use WhatsApp regarding bookings, although I had been lulled into a false sense of security recently as I have found many legitimate tourist organisations in Vietnam utilise WhatsApp.
David Long, Olinda, Vic

Smooth sailing

We were delighted to read Catherine Marshall’s article on the sub-tropical islands of Japan. We were on the same trip and her article is wonderfully descriptive and accurate. We can vouch for the calmness of the captain and crew at all times during what were, by Japanese standards, minor weather events (we wished some of our fellow passengers showed the same calmness). The Okinawan islands are beautiful and unique with friendly people, well worth a visit – we will return.
Mark Hubert, Enmore, NSW

Manly memories

Brian Johnston reminisced about Manly in his “My Happy Place” piece, the first place he ever lived in Australia. I can say that Manly is also a special place for those born in Australia. When I was about 10 years old and on our annual holiday from Melbourne, my aunt would take my brother, cousin and I to Manly Beach, where we would lie in the sand and eat fruit pies from a local bakery. My aunt would knit while we would build sandcastles, swim and argue, as cousins do. Not to disparage Melbourne or its beaches, but is there anything to compare to Sydney suburban beaches for their accessibility, wonderful food and great surf?
Jennifer Feeney, Castlemaine, Vic

Squeezed out

David Ali’s letter about a jar of Vegemite not being allowed on an international flight from Perth Airport reminded me of my confiscation story. Several years ago, I had a toothpaste tube with only one squeeze left in it, so I could brush my teeth on the plane. The security officer at Melbourne Airport unwound the tube, saw that it was 110 grams and refused to let me carry it on board. Another example of security checking gone mad.
Barbara Gale, Thornbury, Vic

On your bike

Cycling in South Korea is an absolute pleasure and a wonderful way to explore the country. Having just returned from our first three-day ride as part of our overall trip, we cannot praise it more highly. The infrastructure is outstanding, with extensive, well-maintained bike paths, excellent amenities and plentiful cafes along the way. Accommodation near the trails is excellent, with most places welcoming cyclists and readily accepting bikes and equipment. A special shout out to Korea Bicycle Tour, who provided our wonderful guide Jun, e-bikes, routes, maps, bookings, luggage transfer and support. South Korea should be a destination on every cyclist’s list.
Sue Collins, Willoughby, NSW

Your say: Duty free

Is duty free still relevant to travellers? What do you buy, if anything? Share your thoughts via the box below or email us at travellerletters@traveller.com.au and we’ll publish a selection of the responses in an upcoming edition.