Letters to the Travel editor

South Carolina love letter

I cannot begin to thank Jessica Garrision for her wonderful article in the Sept. 12 Travel section about my hometown, Charleston, S.C. [“A Knife, a Fork and Charleston”]. It made me totally homesick for the wonderful food, history and culture that is uniquely Charleston.

Even though I lived in Washington, D.C., for 22 years and Palm Springs for the last nine, I’ll always be a Southern boy at heart (and stomach). Thank you again for reminding me of the richness and timelessness of my Southern heritage and of Charleston.

Duane L. Beach, Palm Springs

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I just finished reading Madeline King Porter’s article on Edisto Island [“Mind Your Manors, Please,” Sept. 12], and I find myself eager to go to this charming place. It was refreshing to read good writing in the Travel section. I’d like to see more of it.

Nancy S. Grant, Laguna Beach

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What set apart the Edisto Island article from ordinary travel articles was the feeling that the writer knew the place. The piece should have been longer and belonged on the front page of the section.

Jenny Rankin, Wrightwood

Allergies in the air

Lori Grossman left out an important piece in her story about traveling with allergies [“Your Allergies Are Itching to Act Up,” Sept. 5]: that is, small animals allowed to fly in the plane. I am often sickened by dander on the plane. People who are allergic to cats and dogs also have rights.

Joan Golden, Calabasas

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I think people should stop wearing fragrances, especially in airplanes. I have limited my life because of the chemicals people insist on spraying on themselves. That also includes many laundry detergents and those awful dryer sheets. Help those around you: Please don’t use these products.

Ganka Brown, Laguna Beach

Cut-rate rooms, fewer points

Regarding “Points Taken” by Catharine Hamm [On the Spot, Sept. 12]: Brian Ek of Priceline said customers are already getting a substantial reward in the form of a discount off retail. That’s true; however, let’s say that you are getting a $250 room for $90. That means the hotel will be giving fewer points so, to me, that reasoning doesn’t add up. I tend to think that hotels don’t want customers to know just how little they are paying for rooms.

We have never purchased hotel rooms through third parties, only airline tickets that we did get miles for. When we have been to Europe, the tours never stayed at Marriotts (our reward partner), so we don’t know if we would have gotten hotel points or not — probably not. Travelers just need to be happy with their cut-rate hotel rooms.

William Besse, Indio