Letters

Vacationing withthe upper crust

$64,950 per person [“A Gift of the World,” Dec. 18]? Is that all? Well, I always wondered how the 1% vacationed. Now I know.

Kathrin King Segal

Chatsworth

I just finished reading the article, and it brought back wonderful memories of the same itinerary that my husband and I did in ’07. Everything David Lamb recounted about the trip I share. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Expensive, yes, but as his article said, if you broke down the different adventures it would cost much more — without all the TLC and wonderful accommodations that Starquest provides. This itinerary is not for the faint of heart — cost not withstanding. It was truly a buffet at its best. If the opportunity is there, do not hesitate.

Cynthia Carli

Glendale

The joy of being bumped

Tip No. 4 — show up early [“Things to Know Before Your Holiday Flights,” On the Spot, Dec. 18]. As unorthodox as it may sound during the holiday season, I discreetly inquire at the gate upon arrival whether or not the flight is oversold. Frequently, I am told “yes!” I advise the gate agent I’d like to be put on the “bump” list. Airlines often have only one or two seats in this category, so timing is essential. After all, who truly is in that big a hurry to get home to eat Grandma’s fruitcake?

The airlines in the past have put me up in surprisingly nice and complimentary hotel rooms quite near the airport, minimizing my inconvenience. They also will, upon request, provide at no charge meal and phone vouchers. They strive to place you on the next flight out anyway the following morning as well, occasionally in first class. Not a bad deal! The compensation — a free domestic flight anywhere the airline flies — makes the whole process almost fun! Travelers often complain about the new rules for travel. I say, beat them at their own game — take advantage of capacity cuts and “load factors.” A free ticket from the airlines is the best gift of all.

Kyle Kimbrell

Playa del Rey

Hurray for East London

I wrote to Christopher Reynolds some months ago after he had written an article about London and asked why he had not mentioned East London, as my daughter was living there while going to university and we had become quite familiar with the area and its exciting transformation. Reynolds said he would cover East London in a later article. He nailed it, from Columbia Road flower market to Spitalfield market, Brick lane even the Albion [“All Fun and Games,” Dec. 4]. Great article as it truly captured the essence and excitement of this emerging area.

R. Leffler

Balboa

Flying blue indeed

After a dispute over allegedly expired Flying Blue miles, Air France allowed my wife and me to each use 50,000 miles to book an award ticket. We decided to book round-trip flights in April from LAX to Frankfurt, Germany. When we booked the flight, we learned that we had to pay $622.14 each for taxes. When I asked for an itemization, the agent on the phone couldn’t provide a breakdown. We booked the tickets anyway, figuring the amount would be cheaper than purchasing a round-trip flight. I have used American Airlines Advantage miles to go to Europe and never paid anything close to this in taxes. You might want to alert your readers that they will pay dearly for award tickets with the Flying Blue program.

Philip L. Merkel

Huntington Beach

Help for European driving

For information about driving in Europe, the two main British motoring organizations (the AA and the RAC) have information online available in English about road tolls and other driving laws.

I’m sure visitors to the USA have been caught by surprise by some of the American toll requirements.

Mark Westerdale, Los Angeles

https://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/overseas/index.html

https://www.rac.co.uk/driving-abroad