I took a Continental Airlines flight from Seattle to Cancun and return, Feb. 27-March 8, ’05. I know ITN does not normally include anything on North America, but Houston is an international gateway plus I was assured by the ticket clerk that the same policy holds true everywhere: that is, even if you have made a reservation for a wheelchair, it will not arrive if you have not filled out and submitted the proper paperwork.
I made my second visit to Ethiopia, Jan. 10-24, ’05. My first was in 1995, a 6-day stopover to the historic north on my way to Yemen. This time I went on a 3-week “Explore Ethiopia In Depth” trip with the first-rate Spiekermann Travel Service (St. Clair Shores, MI; 800/645-3233 or www.mideasttrvl.com). My third trip with them to Africa within 12 months, it cost $4,985 including all airfare and most meals.
A reader mailed ITN a copy of a letter sent to Capital One Services on Nov. 18, ’04, as follows.
My husband and I had a week’s vacation in Paris in March ’05. For the second time in five years, we used Go-today.com for our travel arrangements. They offer a package with flight and six nights in a hotel plus breakfast for very reasonable rates.
My husband and I had made two trips to the China mainland and, since our first trip about six years ago, wished to visit the Silk Road cities. We had not found a company responsive to our request for this specialized itinerary until we saw several letters in ITN about ChinaPlus, Inc. (320 Decker Dr., Ste. 100, Las Colinas/Irving, TX 75062; phone 972/887-9088 or visit www.chinaplustour.com). They responded to our e-mail within a couple of hours and had what we thought was the perfect trip.
On my most recent trip to Bangkok, Jan. 8-14, ’05, I encountered a curious and frustrating situation when checking in for my return flight.
We took a most memorable 8-day tour of Bhutan in September ’04, thanks to the efforts of Lingkor Tours & Treks (P.O. Box 202, Thimphu, Bhutan; phone 975-2-323417, fax 975-2-323402, e-mail trepatsang@aol.com or visit www.lingkor.com). A Buddhist monk referred us to Lingkor and through e-mail we set up a customized itinerary with Tenga at Lingkor before leaving the U.S.
What do you do to pass the time in an airport waiting for a flight? Have any insider tips to make the interval more pleasant? ITN asked readers those questions. Responses appear below. If you have further ideas to contribute, write to Whittle While You Wait, c/o ITN, 2116 28th St., Sacramento, CA 95818, or e-mail editor@intltravelnews.com (please include the address where you receive ITN).
I was one of a group of five relatives who took a tour of Ireland and then drove around Italy in July ’04. Our flights were on Aer Lingus as well as British Air, but to get from Dublin to Venice we had to go through London, with the leg from London’s Heathrow airport to Venice on British Midland Airways.
When we arrived at Heathrow on July 21, an attendant with a wheelchair was waiting for my mother to race her through the line for boarding passes. This was the last we saw of her until the flight was boarding.
For our 50th wedding anniversary in June ’04, my wife and I were each given a $400 gift certificate for Icelandair travel. The gift certificate says that tickets are “to be issued in exchange for any international round trip ticket on Icelandair.” The gift certificate receipts state, “$400 good for air travel on Icelandair to any destination from any of our gateways.”