ITN asked readers to name benefits of staying in an Airbnb as opposed to a hotel and to point out any “red flags” to watch out for when reading a description of an Airbnb rental property. The following are some travelers’ firsthand experiences using Airbnb, and more will be printed.
Nancy Tan of Fresno, California, wrote, “I would be very interested in reading comparisons of airlines’ frequent-flyer-mileage programs from travelers who are members of more than one airline’s loyalty program.”
Karen Wells of Traverse City, Michigan, wrote about an apartment that she and her husband rented in Sydney, Australia, through Airbnb.com, saying, “What a nice experience! We shared a young professional’s apartment but had our own bedroom and bath…. And we paid only a little over $100 per night! So it turned out great for us, but we have talked to others who used Airbnb in various countries and encountered funky bathrooms, cleanliness issues, unexpected steps, etc.
Mileage program comparisons
Nancy Tan of Fresno, California, wrote, “I would be very interested in reading comparisons of airlines’ frequent-flyer-mileage programs from travelers who are members of more than one airline’s loyalty program.”
Narrow-gauge and offbeat railways
Jack and Elizabeth Kaufman of Lake
Quivira, Kansas, wrote, “We would be interested in travelers’ suggestions for scenic or unusual railroad trips.
“We have ridden the well-known Darjeeling Himalayan Railway ‘toy train’ in India, a short but enjoyable trip. Another short trip is Norway’s Flåm Railway, pegged to tourists, with spectacular views of fjords. We also have taken the Cuzco-Puno railroad in Peru, passing over some of the highest railroad passes in the world.
Mark Varnau of Indianapolis, Indiana, wrote (April ’16, pg. 47), “What do others do with their old trip negatives and unused pictures? Are any groups interested in having them? Or should my wife and I just grit our teeth and toss them?”
Several subscribers wrote to Mark and gave permission for ITN to share their advice. In addition to one letter sent in response to another subscriber’s related advice, the following are excerpts of what they wrote.
We asked subscribers to each tell us about a time when they submitted a claim — medical or nonmedical — to a travel insurance company and expected reimbursement but had their claim denied. Our aim was to make travelers aware of what they might be surprised to find they are NOT covered for, in certain situations, under travel insurance policies.
An ITN subscriber was on a hiking tour in New Zealand in April 2014 when she came down with a respiratory illness. Feeling she couldn’t complete the week’s second hike, on the Routeburn Track, she took a bus back to Queenstown, a couple of hours away, but did not seek out a physician for an office visit because it was Saturday afternoon. She recuperated in a hotel for several days before taking her scheduled flight home.
We asked subscribers to each tell us about a time when they submitted a claim — medical or nonmedical — to a travel insurance company and expected reimbursement but had their claim denied. Our aim was to make travelers aware of what they might be surprised to find they are NOT covered for, in certain situations, under travel insurance policies.
