CLUB RULES
We have been life members of the Qantas Club for more than 20 years. We recently booked to fly Qantas between Melbourne to Singapore, with a week in the latter to visit family, then to Frankfurt which was via London, and finally home from Paris to Melbourne.
The first leg of our travel was with Qantas, the second leg British Airways and the third leg Cathay Pacific. We were told Qantas did not fly Singapore to London or Paris to Melbourne. That was fine. However, when we checked in at Singapore we were told because we were on a code share flight, we could not use the Qantas lounge nor the British Airways one and, similarly, when we checked in at Paris. We did not choose to fly those airlines and for that reason, we feel Qantas should make arrangements for Qantas Club members either to access the Qantas lounge or the other airline equivalents.
R. A. Whitehouse
LETTER OF THE WEEK
Lee Tulloch, I passionately agree with you (Luxe Nomad, July 12-13), regarding the respect lacking in many tourists. However, perhaps if you didn't stay at such frighteningly expensive hotels (which you may not be paying for yourself anyhow) and came down to the more realistic world you'd find those respectful people after all. When I can scrape together enough money to travel, I find I'm surrounded by warm and respectful travellers - especially Americans - in our mid-range accommodation. Your "very expensive, chic" hotels usually attract people with money, not manners, who feel they have a right to act as they wish, as they are the "[highly] paying customer".
Robyn Saynor
HISTORY LESSON
Brian Johnston's otherwise interesting One Day Three Ways in Budapest (Traveller, July 5-6) contained an important oversight: the House of Terror at 60 Andrassy Boulevard. Once home to the secret police, the building is now an unmissable museum on the modern history of Hungary.
It dramatically illustrates the travails that have beset people in this part of the world. After a visit you are left marvelling at the manner in which they have emerged into the 21st century full of hope and cheerfulness.
Ken Buckley
CASH CONVERTERS
Why would anyone be using money changers in Kuta (Traveller letters, July 12-13)? There are efficient ATMs in all Bali's major centres. It's probably why the money changers are, understandably if inexcusably, resorting to scams.
Sandra Alexander
TOUR DE FORCE
Many of your readers would have seen television coverage recently of the Tour de France visit to the Yorkshire Dales. On a recent trip we stayed at the Oaklodge B&B at Leyburn, where we were well looked after by owners Lynne and John. We had a great bedroom and a small sunroom with a marvellous view across the Dales to Middleham with its castle and, given the weather on that day, it was something to behold.
Your readers should do themselves a favour and visit the area which embraced the Tour with such enthusiasm.
Sue and Brian Stevens
