January Cover Battle
London battled Switzerland for our January 2016 cover position. The question we faced: Do we kick off 2016 with an action shot from Switzerland or keep it classic with an iconic London image? We kept it classic and opted for London. What did you think?
London holds a special place in my heart, as I lived there for 10 years during my late 20s and early 30s. Any image of that special city feels like home to me, so, of course, I loved your January cover and preferred it to the Switzerland choice. While special for me, I know many others who feel similarly about London for their own reasons, so I’m willing to bet it had a similar effect on others. Great choice for the start to 2016.
Lorraine Allabosh, Cleveland, Ohio

The Switzerland cover was a much better choice — I was disappointed when I flipped to Mail Call and saw which photo had been passed over for London. London is a great city, but I can find a similar image anywhere. The Switzerland option conveyed action and cold-weather activities. It also felt interactive, and I would have loved to see it as the chosen cover. More action shots, please!
Raymond Rudolph, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Turkish Airlines One on One
Editor’s Note: In our January interview with Turkish Airlines’ general manager Ersen Engin, we erroneously noted the number of daily flights offered from Los Angeles to İstanbul. Turkish Airlines currently offers a daily flight from Los Angeles to İstanbul, a route in high demand. The number of weekly flights will go up to 11 weekly flights in July 2016, making the experience even better.

A Breed Apart
I recently stayed at the Radisson Blu Centrum Hotel, Warsaw. It was booked through work and was one of few incidents where I didn’t have a say in my accommodations, so I was disappointed when first viewing my reservation. However, my experience changed my opinion of Radisson — it was fantastic. I was pleased to see your January feature on the Carlson Rezidor brand. I don’t think the awareness for the hotel company’s offerings is there, so I’m glad to see my favorite travel magazine spreading the word. Believe me, after my experience, I’m spreading the word, too.
Don Fioriono, Sarasota Springs, Fla.

Hotel and Flight Reviews
As an avid reader of Global Traveler, I enjoy reading the informative GT Tested reports on the various hotels visited by your staff members. However, you used to review business-class flights taken to numerous destinations in this section as well. These I found especially interesting and informative. These reviews seem to have stopped, and I wonder if there is a reason. Is there any chance these reviews are being reinstated? Many thanks.
Peter Millmore, Mission Beach, North Queensland, Australia

Hi Peter, Glad to hear you enjoy the GT Tested section; good news — our first-, business- and premium economy-class reviews haven’t gone anywhere! We have several planned for 2016, and our staff are flying across the globe all the time to bring back reports of the best of the best when it comes to hotels and airlines worldwide. Banu Yilmaz brought us a report on United Airlines in the February 2016 issue, and Rafie Iannello is reporting on China Airlines next month, with more scheduled. Enjoy! — Editor

U.S. Travelers Without Latest Driver’s Licenses Given Reprieve at Airports
In the Jan. 13 issue of eFlyer USA, we reported on an announcement from the Department of Homeland Security offering U.S. passengers who do not have the latest driver’s licenses a two-year reprieve before their IDs are rejected at airport security checkpoints. Five states have not complied with the Real ID Act. We asked, is your state’s ID in danger of getting rejected in the future?
I just read your article that states that in 2005 the law was passed that states would have to comply in changing state identification cards to a more secure type and that there are still several states not in compliance, including my home state of Washington.
The article also said these states were just granted a two-year extension to January 2018. Why was this extension granted? Washington and other states have had since 2005 to get their act together and get into compliance, but they failed to do so. In fact, the state of Washington has become well-known around the country as the place to go to get a state-issued identification card without proper documentation to prove one’s identity. By granting an extension, DHS just allowed two more years for more people to obtain state identification cards.
How long does this state need to get into compliance? It can’t be that difficult a task to accomplish this, and it’s my guess it is in defiance in order to maintain the attitude of Washington being a safe haven. I, too, would be affected by this in having to show a passport, but I am willing to do that if it helps with ensuring our safety.
Granting an extension was a mistake!
Vittorio Mangione, via email