Premium economy was a colossal waste of money

Each week Traveller publishes a selection of rants, raves and travel tips from our readers. See below on how you can contribute.August 22, 2026 — 5:00amPoor form, SingaporeA reader describes Singapore Airlines’ problem-plagued premium economy seats “a colossal waste of money”.Earlier this year, my family of three adults flew Singapore Airlines’ premium economy from Melbourne to Europe return (with one-night Singapore stopovers) costing just under $5000 per seat. What a colossal waste of money. On all four flights, we experienced the same flight conditions as those endured by your reader Bryan Yianakis. He fared better than us, as my complaint to SIA wasn’t acknowledged and didn’t result in the minimalist offer of $150 vouchers. We are all Krisflyer members. Previously I’ve flown economy class to Europe with SIA as my preferred airline. No more. As a result of the awful premium economy experience, we will not fly with SIA in future. Our brand loyalty certainly didn’t reap any “premium” comfort and instead we were subjected to substandard, faulty seating, broken amenities and poor service.Carol Jasen, Monbulk, VicSeat of the problemLike Bryan Yianakis (Traveller Letters, August 8), I recently had a seat problem on a Singapore Airlines A380. My premium-economy-seat leg rest did not work, and three staff members could not fix it. It would not take long to check each seat before the flight departed. The seat should be either fixed or not sold at a premium.Lindsay Somerville, Lindfield, NSWLetter of the week: Above allSign up for the Traveller newsletterThe latest travel news, tips and inspiration delivered to your inbox. Sign up now.Musicians perform during the traditional Timkat celebrations held in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.iStockMany thanks for the comprehensive edition on Africa. I have visited Africa a few times, but I feel the only country to which I would return is Ethiopia which, unfortunately, was not mentioned in the edition. Addis Ababa, the capital, is a large and interesting city and despite its latitude, its climate is mild because it is 2500 metres above sea level. It’s particularly worthwhile to visit during the festivals of Timkat or Meskel. The Northern Historical route is the best-known tourism circuit and includes the medieval city of Gonder and the amazing Simien Mountains which rise to more than 4000 metres. Here one can encounter ibex, baboons and Ethiopian distance runners in training.Next, the ancient capital of Axum with its famous stele, or obelisk, and reportedly the chapel where the ancient Hebrew Ark of the Covenant is housed. The most amazing sites, however, are probably the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela. From here you would visit Bahir Dar, on the shores of Lake Tana, the source of the Blue Nile. About 30 kilometres downstream are the renowned Blue Nile Falls. If travelling to Ethiopia, you will need a guide for your whole journey as well as local guides. We were very happy with the arrangements made by Addis Ababa-based Jacaranda Tours.Drew Hewson, Newtown, VicBush whackedA UK rental car operator refused to go out on a limb for a reader after a tree branch fell on his hire vehicle.I recently rented a car with Greenmotion at London Heathrow. On day one of our four-week holiday, a large tree branch fell on the parked vehicle, rendering it undrivable. I made 30 phone calls to Greenmotion that day to try to get the vehicle recovered and to secure a replacement. I managed to speak to one person regarding the recovery, and my emails to “customer service” were, for the most part unanswered, leaving me to find and pay for a second rental vehicle. My excess was immediately deducted, and I finally received an email from Greenmotion customer service eight days after the incident advising that it was not responsible for providing a replacement vehicle and that the unused rental days were non-refundable. Be careful in your choice of rental company.Michael Harvey, Mount Eliza, VicHeavied about metalLike your reader, Jan Hart (Traveller Letters, July 25) I am a woman in my 70s. I had not experienced any airport security issues until transiting through Dubai Airport with Emirates on a recent trip from Sydney to Europe. In Dubai I was ordered to a cubicle and aggressively patted down. My protestations that I had knee and hip replacements were to no avail, until I adjusted my clothing to show the surgery scars. Similarly, on the return trip from London to Dubai, I was accused of lying and that I must be hiding metal on my body. There were no issues with metal detectors at other airports or several other tourist venues, or with the security screening while boarding the Eurostar in Paris – only at Dubai. Unfortunately, this does not give me much confidence in transiting through Dubai Airport in future.Pam Smith, Winston Hills, NSW Sad stateAfrica’s Lake Nakuru, once renowned for its flamingos, is a state of environmental distress, a reader reports.iStockI recently returned from a trip of a lifetime to Tanzania, Kenya and Zimbabwe with the African Safari Company. It was truly spectacular to see the animals in their habitat, showing no concern for the safari vehicles and so allowing us to experience Africa full on. What was disappointing was the state of Lake Nakuru which is flooding as it has no outlet, and is also becoming a salt lake. The often mentioned pink flamingos were long gone, as well as other animals, due to the state of the lake. We drove past raw sewerage pits, and saw three very ill young lions which had hardly any source of food. Our guide emotionally told us that they would not last long. It certainly brought home what climate change can do to our world.Trish Keane, Geelong, VicTruffle kerfuffleThank you, Brian Johnston, for pointing out very sound reasons to skip winery cellar door visits. Even more awful and tedious is, what appears to be, the obligatory visit to a truffle farm when on a short cruise or tour in France. We had to sit outside on the ground (no chairs) in baking 30 degree heat (this was eight years ago, before global warming increased European temperatures) to listen to a truffle farmer’s profoundly tedious dissertation on truffle growing and harvesting. This was followed by a fruitless tramp around oak trees to watch a hapless truffle dog attempt to sniff out a truffle, which was not going to happen as it was well outside the truffle season. Then, overheated, exhausted and bored, we were herded into a small, stiflingly hot room reeking of truffles to sample, with an expectation to buy, truffle-infused products.Carol Martin, Clifton Hill VicThat’s not the KingswoodHolden did not build a Kingswood Premier (Traveller Letters, August 8). In this series, they built a Holden Belmont (base model), a Holden Kingswood (mid-range), and a Holden Premier (luxury). Kingswood and Premier are two separate vehicles and cannot co-exist in a single car. The car featured in Objet d’travel (Traveller, July 25) was in fact a Holden Premier, and not a Holden “Kingswood Premier”.Bradley Watson, Balmain, NSW Tip of the week: Vine timesMildura, on the Murray River, is the destination for revived Vinelander train journey from Melbourne.iStockMy friend and I have recently been on a train journey from Melbourne to Mildura, in the north-west of Victoria, on Slow Rail Journeys’ The Vinelander. The train, the original Vinelander [which ran between Melbourne and Mildura from 1972 to 1993], is operated entirely by volunteers, apart from the train driver. We were on the first train to arrive in Mildura since 1993 when the government of the time decided to stop the service, despite it being of enormous importance to businesses, producers and the local community. Since then, the only way to reach Melbourne has been by road. Our journey took six days and five nights there and back. We stopped at various stations en route and at one place there was even a welcome committee. It was a wonderful journey and exceeded our expectations. All food, accommodation and enlightening excursions were included in the fare and the train’s crew were professional, friendly and thoughtful.Clare Purbrick, Nagambie, Vic Standover tacticsIn response to the letter “Viet scam” (Traveller Letters, August 2), we were recently in Vietnam and also noticed the review scam. We did two tours in Hanoi, one a street food tour, where at the end our tour the guide asked us to give her a review, took my phone out of my hand and set it to her Wi-Fi, then waited for me while I wrote the review. Who would give a bad review with the person standing over you? We were also given gifts, food and drinks in a massage place and then asked to give them a review. We loved Vietnam, but will no longer trust any Google reviews.Kirsti Brady, Glenbrook, NSWDough, CanadaDon’t go to Canada and assume it’s easy to exchange cash to Canadian dollars, a reader advises.iStockI always travel with a stash of cash for emergencies, often US dollars. But here in Canada, I have discovered that in this almost cashless society, converting currencies is a real hassle. Banks won’t change money unless you have an account with them. The currency converter booths we know in Australia, the UK and Europe just don’t exist. If there’s one at the airport you’d be lucky to spot it. Here in Halifax, I was finally directed to the casino, the only place in town where I could change US dollars. Yes, I’m a bit old-fashioned but after 20 years working in Africa, where cash is king, I feel happier with a wad of cash in reserve. Just don’t come to Canada expecting to swap your cash over to Canadian dollars without a major headache.Margie Cook, Paddington, NSW Heaven and KLRegarding Nick Inatey’s letter “Falsely Malaysia” (Traveller Letters, August 1), I have to entirely disagree. If your idea of travel is to sip cocktails beside a pool at a resort then, yes, you are going to pay for it. But if you want to experience Malaysia and its culture, it is delightfully easy. Transport is modern, cheap and swift and takes you almost anywhere in the country and there is much to see. Highlights include Langkawi, Cameron Highlands, Ipoh, Penang and the capital Kuala Lumpur. KL offers a myriad of inexpensive, clean and comfortable hotels in lively Chinatown, with others located near bustling night markets and interesting side streets. Good beer is cheap and obtainable in any Chinese-run establishment and meals at local cafes and markets are safe, tasty and economical. As well as the shopping centres, KL has beautifully restored buildings from its colonial past, interesting modern architecture, lovely mosques and an eclectic mix of cultures woven together by incredibly tolerant, friendly and helpful people.Hayley Anderson, Balmain, NSWAll the rajahA baby orangutan with its mother in Borneo, Malaysia.iStockPlease be aware that there is more to Malaysia than the western state of Peninsular Malaysia. The eastern Malaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah, on the island of Borneo, are quite different and have a vastly different history and topography. The different religions and ethnic groups in Sarawak have a long history of harmony, from the 1840s when James Brooke, the first of the “white rajahs” landed there, through the post-war colonial period, and subsequent inclusion as part of Malaysia.Geraldine Bull, Wahroonga, NSWKeep it realNamed after Ketchikan Creek, Ketchikan was the first place in Alaska to be declared a city.GettyI could relate to Paul Marshall’s story when we caught the Alaskan Marine Highway ferry to Ketchikan from Prince Rupert, Canada. One of the three days we were staying here, there were three cruise ships in port. While browsing in a shop, an assistant asked, “what time do you have to be back onboard?” When we told her we were not on a ship, her reply was, “Oh, you are real tourists.”Peter Mortensen, Mortdale, NSWThe Letter of the Week writer wins three Hardie Grant travel books. See hardiegrant.comThe Tip of the Week writer wins a set of three Lonely Planet travel books. 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