Air Travel

After seeing the reader’s letter “CDG Airport Lag” (April ’07, pg. 28), regarding Charles de Gaulle airport and Air France, I had to write. I am a travel junkie who happens to work in retail in an airport. I have been through CDG 26 times in the last five years (most recently in October ’06), using Air France, and I have never missed a connection. I have heard about the signage and every other imaginable complaint about CDG and Air France.

I think people need to take a proactive position in booking connecting flights.

My husband, Buddy, and I, and our two nieces took one of our best tours ever, the 16-night “China, Tibet and the Yangtze River,” with Uniworld (17323 Ventura Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 91316; 800/733-7820), Aug. 19-Sept. 5, 2006.

Including fights New Orleans-Chicago-Beijing, with return from Shanghai, plus all meals, insurance and visa, the price was $5,600 per person. (2007 prices start at $4,888 from Los Angeles.)

The reader’s letter “British Air and Luggage” (June ’07, pg. 75) may confuse some people, I feel. He was discussing checked baggage; however, I found that the rules on carry-on baggage in the U.K. are still strictly limited.

A passenger entering Britain can indeed have two pieces of carry-on luggage, but if he is transiting to another flight then he runs up against the one-bag rule. According to websites I checked as well as airport security personnel, this restriction is U.K.-wide and applies to all passengers.

Concerning airport transfers, I have a few tips that can help.

My husband, daughter and I traveled to northern Spain for 16 days, April 23-May 9, 2007. We’d all been to Spain and Portugal quite a few times and always stayed in paradores or pousadas. I’ve always found, after the fact, that I hadn’t taken advantage of the “deals” offered to seniors or for extended stays, so this time I contacted Gary at Adios Travel (3743 NE Third St., Ocala, FL 34470-1353; 800/313-7030, www.spainparador.com).

by Philip Wagenaar, M.D.

14 tactics to increase your flying comfort

The following essay was inspired by a letter from ITN reader Mrs. Carey Casey in Cathedral City, California.

I booked a flight and hotel package with Expedia for April 19-26, 2007. I did this several months before departure and opted to include the Expedia Package Protection plan, which was good because I had to use it only three hours before my flight for a very unexpected reason.

Is British Airways discouraging business these days? Besides being among airlines offering the least space between seats, they also have implemented a policy forbidding selection of seats until 24 hours before travel. My wife and I tried for an upgrade, but none were available on our particular flight from Amsterdam to London to Miami scheduled for May 11, 2007.

Since we will be on tour the day before leaving Amsterdam, without access to telephones or computers, my six-foot-three frame will probably have to be stuck someplace other than an aisle seat.

My wife and I took a cruise out of San Pedro, California, on the Celebrity Summit, March 31-April 14, 2007, visiting the Mexican Riviera, Costa Rica, Panama and Aruba and disembarking in Ft. Lauderdale. Based on our experience, we suggest that if you are flying to Los Angeles to pick up a cruise, consider using the Long Beach airport (LGB) rather than Los Angeles International (LAX).

I couldn’t believe my eyes. Was the company indeed offering unclaimed luggage for sale? Its website brazenly proclaimed, “Why not stop in at Unclaimed Baggage Center (509 West Willow St., Scottsboro, AL 35768; phone 256-259-1525, www.unclaimedbaggage.com), where you’ll find thousands of lost treasures from around the world. From winter clothes and shoes for the family to electronics, jewelry and luggage, you never know what you’ll discover!”