Mail: This may explain Qantas baggage handling issues
Qantas has come under fire for outsourcing its baggage handling services during the pandemic. Photo: Phil Carrick
JOYCE CHOICE
Traveling recently in the evening on Virgin Australia’s very late and delayed arrival from Melbourne, I ran into several baggage handlers on the shuttle bus to the parking lot which may have explained one reason for the baggage issue. All had worked for Qantas and lost their jobs. All rehired by [the aviation services company] Swissport after a period of no work, although some accepted Jobkeepers. They have nothing good to say about unfaithfulness and lost benefits and more. Has Alan Joyce plucked his golden goose?
Paul Gerrard, Kellyville, NSW
SELLING HARD
If Qantas is to step up its game, it has to stop whipping wine, insurance, health care and who knows what else and focus solely on its air travel business.
John Swanton, Coogee, NSW
THIS WEEK’S LETTER
GO IN 60 SECONDS
Sue Williams article “the art of deceiving a con man” (TravelerJuly 9) is an excellent reminder of the difficulties Australian tourists overseas can face. As my wife and I took a train from Lisbon to Porto, Portugal, I was struggling to lift two heavy suitcases onto the train when a man offered to help me. A minute later, the train moved away and I put the suitcases on the shelf and we found our seats. That’s when I noticed my wallet was missing. I thought I must have fallen on the floor of the train but finally realized I had been robbed. The assistant conductor said he saw two suspicious men flee as the train departed. By the time the train had reached Porto a few hours later, the robbers had used my credit card and cash card with a large amount of cash also missing in my wallet. We went to the tourist police in Porto the next morning but it was a complete waste of time. Robbing tourists at train stations is a common occurrence and our travel insurance company refused to accept my claim on the grounds that I was not vigilant enough. A lesson.
John Aarons, Brighton East, VIC
TOmb WARRIORS
I disagree with the choice in your guide to Buenos Aires from Recoleta as the only graveyard to visit there. To visit Evita’s grave, yes, but if you want to pay homage to Carlos Gardel, “king of the tango”, you must visit La Chacarita cemetery. A train or bus ride from downtown Buenos Aires takes 30 to 40 minutes. Then it takes about 10 minutes to find the tomb and statue of the great man. While we were there, someone had put a carnation on his coat and a lit cigarette in his hand. It’s worth the time to pay tribute.
Robert Pallister, Punchbowl, NSW
HAPPY SUCCESS
Regarding Ray Ward’s comment (Traveler’s Letter, July 9) about his stay at the Hilton Rome Fiumicino Airport, we were faced with the same problem from the early morning flight and we chose to stay in the city of Fiumicino itself. We were collected by the free shuttle from the airport station to go to our accommodation. Fiumicino is a city that seems to have no architectural merit but without a shortage of cafes and restaurants. We spent the afternoon strolling through the town, along the waterfront and the city’s canals where fishermen sell their catch. Then we ate pizza at a small cafe before heading back to our accommodation. The next morning we were taken by shuttle back to the airport on time for check-in. It was an interesting and somewhat different way of spending our last night in Italy and costing less than half an airport hotel.
Dawn Lumley, Fitzroy, VIC
I’m sorry that Ray Ward was disappointed with the airport hotel in Fiumicino. Our experience is not new, quite the opposite. Efficient and comfortable, our stay there was exactly what we needed for departure the next day.
Graham Hannaford, Ainslie, ACT
My wife and I just returned from our third self-guided tour of Italy, this time mostly in the southwest. Like Ray Ward, we also had an early morning flight from Rome airport (Rome-Doha-Melbourne) and as usual we chose to stay at the Best Western, Rome. The hotel is easily accessible from the airport with a shuttle bus service for even the earliest flights. The hotel itself is clean and modern, the staff are friendly and helpful and the restaurant has great food and wine at very reasonable prices.
Brad Downs, Bairnsdale, Vic
I just stayed at the airport hotel it was lovely. Our flight from Johannesburg was delayed overnight, and we were transported at midnight to the Southern Sun Airport Hotel. The dining room remained open to us and the following day, we were treated to an expanse of South African cuisine at breakfast, tea and lunch. The direct train to the Sandton City shopping center is an added bonus for last minute shopping.
Rhoda Silber, Manly, NSW
SINGLE MIND
Well done, Lee Tulloch, for pointing out age and the travel industry’s wrong assumptions about older travelers (TravelerJuly 9). Spare some thoughts for older travelers too. Travel articles and advertising put a lot of emphasis on couples, but among the over 50s there are plenty of high-income singles who will appreciate the recognition that they exist and have certain accommodation needs. Articles, advertisements and photos almost always promote king beds and “romantic getaways.” Older singles usually only need a double bed at most, and singles traveling together appreciate twin rooms where the beds aren’t so close together that they might as well be doubles.
Liz Edwards, Orange, NSW
TIPS OF THE WEEK
CAPTURE MAPPING
We are in the middle of a 10 week trip to Norway and Iceland. An app called Maps.me has changed our travels. This is a free app, where you can download different countries and use them offline. It has detailed information including hotels, ATMs, gas stations, tourist locations and grocery stores. The app provides options for driving, walking, and other transportation routes as well as estimated times. This has helped us climb to the highest mountain in the Lofoten Islands in northern Norway with most hiking routes and parking spots marked and the ability to track your progress. A traveler must.
Jenni Davidson, Balmain, NSW
GOOD GREETINGS
Ute Junker, in his story of free attractions and experiences around the world (TravelerJuly 10), may not have heard of the International Greeter Association (internationalgreeter.org). Visitors to 130 destinations (including Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane here in Australia) can meet up with a local Welcomer for a free walking tour of the greeter’s hometown. They will discover places known only to locals and get an insider’s perspective from someone who lives there. It’s a great introduction to the city you’re visiting at no cost.
Joanne Karcz, Dangar Island, NSW
PLACE “FREE” IN FREEDOM
Another fantastic free experience to add to the list is the Freedom Trail Boston. This self-guided walk takes you through the top 16 historic sites in Boston. There are organized tours for a small fee but easy to walk and there is information on each site to read. There are also wheelchair accessible routes. The website (thefreedomtrail.org) has many resources to help you prepare for your visit. I lived in Boston for eight years and it’s been my go-to to visit friends and family and it’s always been a huge hit.
Kay Hartman, Willoughby, NSW
LOW BALI
I recently flew to Bali for the expected relaxing holiday but Bali airport was full of queues and chaos. First there is a long queue to show your vaccination certificate. Then Australians need to queue again to pay $US35 for a visa – a levy recently re-imposed by Indonesian authorities – with many queues for immigration. My advice is to stay calm because although the process took almost two hours, I also still had to wait for my bag before facing the fourth queue to go through customs. It’s a shame because the Balinese people really need our support at this time and are let down by their airport.
Simon Benedict, Docklands, Vic
RED HOT
I just returned from a trip to Alice Springs where I had booked a car for rent 12 months ago. The day before I was going to pick up the car, I received an email confirming my booking. Upon closer inspection I luckily noticed that the bill had increased by 50 percent. After the phone call, adjustments are made so that the initial charge remains in effect. Even with the change in rental car costs, a visit to the Red Center proves to be an expensive trip, but the beauty and wonder is very appealing. I can’t wait to go back.
Jane Buckingham, Apollo Bay, Vic
TERMS APPLY
We rented a car in Italy recently through the aggregator rentalcars.com. When renting the pick up is obviously Rome and drop off to Naples. Be careful because deep down in all the terms and conditions there is a clause saying the used car company (Locauto) can effectively charge you what they like as a delivery fee, although we think this is covered by nominate a dead pick up and drop. My credit card ended up being charged an additional €100 or so.
Vince Vozzo, Blairgowrie, Vic
gratification advice
One of you recently Traveler the article says Australians don’t understand the US “tip culture”. As an explanation when traveling in America, it is important to know that service staff, such as waiters and baristas, unlike here in Australia, do not receive proper wages. Americans who do the same work receive so little wages that they rely heavily on the generosity of customers.
John B. Quinn, Avoca, Vic
WRITE TO US AND WIN
The author of The Letter of the Week won a Hardie Grant travel book worth over $100. For the month of July, it includes Vantastic by Kate Ulman; Wonders of the Great World by Michael Turtle; and Ultimate Weekends Australia by Emma Shaw.
See hardigrant.com
The author of The Tip of the Week won a set of three great Lonely Planet travel books, including Ultimate Australia Travel List, The Travel Book, and Armchair Explorer.
See shop.lonelyplanet.com
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