March Cover Battle St. Petersburg or the Greek Islands? Which to choose for our March cover image? We opted for opulence, choosing the striking gold St. Petersburg cover over the serenity of the Greek Islands. What did you think? The Greek Islands image was certainly more appealing on the surface. Did I wish to be there at that moment? Absolutely. Was it recognizable? For sure. However, as much as it may have been the prettier picture, I think the St. Petersburg option was a far better choice for the magazine. I can recall a recent Greece cover, but not a recent Russia cover, so kudos for picking somewhere different to showcase. Mike Miller, Dallas, Texas Turn Up the Beat I’m planning a three-week trip through Europe, largely in the United Kingdom. Glasgow wasn’t on our original itinerary, but after reading Debra Bokur’s article in the March issue highlighting the destination as a hub for music, we’re now visiting. The city hadn’t crossed my mind, as admittedly I didn’t know much about it, but now I’m glad I do because it sounds like somewhere I’d love to visit and experience. Julie Roberts, Pittsburgh, Pa. Opposite Experience I read with interest your article on United Airlines (GT Tested, February 2016) just before boarding the airline’s Dreamliner service to Melbourne. I must confess, I had an opposite reaction from your writer. I used 340,000 miles for a first-class seat and was told my only option was BusinessFirst. As I boarded, I was surprised to find smaller seats than expected, but a benefit was that it reclined to a flat surface. An added disappointment was when landing at LAX I had to walk outside with all my bags from the international terminal to Terminal 7, four terminals away. Then there was a huge line for the elevator and the lounge, which was packed, noisy and did not have any showers. R. Purnell, via email London Calling As Americans living in Europe, we’ve found almost all people friendly and helpful throughout 15 years of traveling. That is, until we visited London. Non-E.U. citizens are required to fill out “landing cards” — even when just making a connection. During our last stay, airport officials detained me and accused me of attempting to deceive them for apparently not filling out the paperwork correctly. The Tourist Information desk staff could not care less about helping visitors find rooms. We ended up making our own hotel arrangements and beating their price by £46 per night. Thus I must disagree with your statement that the U.K. capital retains its crown (“London Calling,” January 2016). Although a quick and easy flight, we do not plan on returning. Rob Skully, Wiesbaden, Germany An Unfair Situation Effective March 30, Alaska Airlines’ usually fair Mileage Plan rewards program significantly raised the amount of miles required for first- and business-class reward travel on its partner Emirates without any notice whatsoever. For example, a one-way first-class award on Emirates using Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles went from 100,000 miles to 150,000 miles. Round-trip, that’s an increase of 100,000 miles. We were in the process of researching a trip on Emirates using Alaska Airlines miles, and now we find we are suddenly short the miles required. The explanation Alaska Airlines offered was rather lame. As bad as it is that the airline chose to raise the required mileage amounts so drastically, it is absolutely unreasonable and abhorrent to do so without any notice whatsoever. I respectfully ask Alaska Airlines to rethink this unreasonable move that is extremely unfair. Joe Cestaro, via email Hyatt Launches New Experience In the March 7 issue of eFlyer USA, we reported on The Unbound Collection by Hyatt. All members of the new collection will be existing, upscale, luxury properties to suit a variety of tastes. We asked: Do you enjoy staying at independent properties that still offer the benefits of a large hospitality brand? We love boutique and small hotels and actually prefer them if they have luxurious rooms. We don’t need dining rooms or spas or lively bars. We prefer to explore the area we are visiting for those things rather than stay in the hotel. Maureen O’Malley, via email Non-Profit Urges Boycott In the March 22 issue of eFlyer USA, we reported on the Alliance for Workers Against Repression Everywhere calling for a boycott against state-owned Qatar Airways as an act of disapproval toward the actions of the country. We asked: Would you consider joining the boycott? In 2014, we flew Qatar Airways to Indonesia. We planned another trip, possibly at the end of this year, but will now reconsider flying Qatar after reading about the human rights violations. John Natalie, via email