APRIL Q&A WITH JULIE HAUPIN, ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
In our April 2018 issue, account executive Julie Haupin talked about her new puppy, Lacie, and the growing number of pet-friendly hotels and airports. Her story inspired the questions: Have you taken a pet on an airplane? If so, do you have any tips on how to make it a smooth ride?
I read with interest and nervous anticipation the Q&A in April’s GT. I just bought a beautiful, small Havanese puppy, and today is his first flight, plus mine with a puppy. We are traveling to LaGuardia Airport from Fort Lauderdale, only a three-hour flight. “What can go wrong?” I ask myself. The answer is, “Lots!”
So far I purchased a puppycarrying backpack, bought a first-class seat (more room), paid $125 each way for the puppy and registered him as an emotional support animal. But reading all of the recent blurbs on the subject, I decided not to take a chance and paid for a ticket for him.
To add to my advanced state of anticipation, LGA just announced weather-related delays, so I packed dog food, a water canister and plenty of pee pads (for the dog, not me!).
I am putting all my faith in Delta and hope I covered all scenarios. Should I be lucky enough to have my letter printed, I will send a follow-up with the day’s events.
ADRIENNE SIMNOCK, Boca Raton, Fla., via email

LETTER TO THE PUBLISHER
An avid reader wrote in with a few words.
We haven’t met, but I wanted to say congratulations on your wonderful December 2017 publication.
I live in Sydney, Australia, and subscribed to your publication for many years. My original subscription resulted from my United Airlines membership promotion, and I have never looked back since that time!
I hope you don’t mind my reaching out to you directly, but I did want to reflect on your One on One articles and travel-related awards in particular. Your narratives are incisive and refresh my mind as to the endless possibilities out there for a better travel experience based on your team’s commentary.
Once again, congratulations on the editorial and fact-based quality of your magazine. I hope one day our paths may cross as we continue our wonderful travels around this amazing globe.
JOHN MCLEOD, via email

OVERTOURISM STRIKES ASIAN GEM
In our April 12 eFlyer USA, we discussed the overtourism of Asia and what could be next for these trending locales. With such hot spots as Koh Phi Phi Leh and its surrounding Maya Bay forced to temporarily close due to mass tourism, it got a few of our readers thinking.
The problem with these incredible islands and far-off destinations is everyone wants to see them and experience the beauty firsthand. This is certainly occurring in Asia and across the rest of the world as well. The quaint town [sic] of Cinque Terre, Italy, was also forced to limit tourist visits. Part of the charm of these small towns and beaches is they are remote and off-the-beaten-path, [which is] also why they can’t accommodate the flood of tourists. Seems like the only solution for now is to limit travel.
SAM WARRINGTON, via email

It seems a bit unfair to keep individuals from traveling somewhere they wish to go, especially within their own country of residence. Maybe the tourism industry could come up with incentives for travelers to vacation in the offseason to help with overtoursim during one time of year.
JENNIFER WELSH, via email

DON’T CALL IT A COMEBACK
In our April 18 eFlyer USA, we wrote about the Caribbean comeback after hurricanes Irma and Maria ravaged many of the islands. We spoke about the strong effort to recover, renovate and expand a wide variety of popular hotel and resort brands, vacation properties and the natural habitats surrounding them. A few readers wrote in to discuss.
Although this hurricane season seems particularly devastating in recent memory, the Caribbean has always been a territory that can bounce back. Most islands find a way to persevere and come back better than before, more prepared and almost as if the devastation never happened.
NANCY WRIGHT, via email

I have already been back through Anguilla on a trip we booked well before any storms came through, and you can see the improvements and the remnants of destruction in some areas. A lot of hotels won’t reopen until the fall, but our resort was gorgeous, and there was still plenty to do and picturesque beaches.
BEN THOMPSON, via email

LETTER TO THE EDITOR
In our August 2017 issue of Global Traveler, our wine director, Eunice Fried, delved into the details and winners of our annual Wines on the Wing survey. Each year, competing airlines submit their North American, International Business Class and International First Class wines to be judged in a blind tasting by 20–25 sommeliers and wine experts. After this article, and many others, a reader wrote to share a few thoughts.
Having traveled through virtually every corner of dozens of countries, I am continually astounded by what our superb planet has to offer. For business, pleasure or anything else, life is ephemeral. Waste none of it. Keep traveling.
P.S. I am still awaiting any class of service on an airline that might offer me something like a 1985 or 1996 Krug Champagne! But I’ve always been a bit of a dreamer.
Excerpts from a letter from reader LEON HOFFMAN, via mail

Q&A WITH KIMBERLY KROL, EDITOR IN CHIEF
This month marks our second annual Wellness Issue. Wellness travel and tourism is becoming increasingly popular — from exceptional spas to walking and cycling tours. Hotels are hopping on the trend; last year, I stayed in a guestroom equipped with a Peloton bike. How do you incorporate wellness into your travels? What wellness initiatives have you encountered while traveling recently?
Email us: letters@globaltravelerusa.com