Last year my partner and I had a nasty shock at Perth airport en route to Mauritius and France when we were told that because our passports had less than six months remaining, we would be unlikely to be admitted to either country. As a consequence, we had an unplanned four-day stay in Perth visiting the passport office and then waiting for the next flight to Mauritius. We had missed two Air Mauritius flights – to Mauritius and thence Paris and needed to re-book two new flights. Rather than charge us fully for the new tickets, Air Mauritius, with some difficulty, got us new flights with a minor penalty attached. The service we received from the Australian Passport Office and Air Mauritius staff restored our faith in bureaucracy and humanity. Be warned – check your passport now.

John Nicol, Surry Hills, NSW

See also: The surprising reason behind the colour of your passport

LETTER OF THE WEEK

WORTH THE PREMIUM?

Is premium economy worth the price? I flew with Cathay Pacific flights from Sydney to Vancouver via Hong Kong and return from Toronto in October. With Cathay, you get about 40 per cent extra space than economy with plenty of leg room, a pleasantly wide seat with a substantial armrest so there are no problems with elbows. The seats recline without affecting the passenger behind you and there's a footrest you can pump as often as you like for blood circulation. The headphones are not true noise-cancelling, but they have great padding to mask most noise.

You board after business, ahead of the 250 lined up in the economy queue and as the plane is loading, you are offered champagne or juice and a hot face towel.

As the cabin only has four rows, most of the overhead locker bin is yours and when the food trolley starts to distribute its goodies, you can be assured all the choices will be available to you. The food is the same as economy with metal cutlery. A downside is having to use the already congested economy toilets.

Is it worth it? I slept fairly well because of the seat recline and leg-room. For a fare almost double economy, it does not give you twice the space, but for us older travellers fed up with cramped seats, it's worth it for longer sectors.

Richard Moore, Coffs Harbour, NSW

BARCELONA SECRET

I cannot thank the writer more for the recommendation (Luxe Nomad, August 20) to visit Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site in Barcelona. We wanted to visit La Sagrada Familia but it was fully booked so we took your advice and strolled up to Sant Pau and enjoyed a peaceful tour of this outstanding World Heritage site without all those cruise-ship tourists. We would most probably never have visited this site without your advice

Leanne Trenwith, Mornington, VIC

GOOD TIMES IN TASMANIA

I have just returned from a memorable holiday in Tasmania and, reading Rants & Raves (November 19), was taken aback by travellers' tales of woe.

My holiday was all good. I met new people on my coach tour, chatted with locals everywhere I went and appreciated the accommodation and excellent food.

Our guide on Sarah Island told grisly tales with such gusto and relish that she had 20 people enthralled, silent and agog. Our guide for the Tahine Air Walk, high above the forest and river, was an enthusiastic university student. There is just so much to see and do on this fascinating and beautiful island.

Evelyn Lawson, Karingal, VIC

SOUR ON APPLE

Smart phones are almost essential for international. If you are staying in one country for a month or more, it is a good idea to install a chip for a local phone company and so not pay roaming rates. But, if you want to access phone information and recharge your account, you may need to download the phone company app.

Here comes the problem. You will need to access the app through the Apple Store, for that country. To do that, you must sign up to the local Apple Store using a local bank's credit card. Tough if you haven't; that means no access to any apps from Apple for that country, even though they are free! No apps for museums or transport systems. Big problem, Apple, for international travellers. A few lines of code in your software could give us access to the free apps.

John Davies, Evans Head, NSW

DISCOVERING PARIS

I loved reading your Paris article, (Traveller, November 19). We have just returned from a wonderful stay with Guest Apartment Services in Capucine. It is a very personal agency, as the article accurately described, with all the benefits of a hotel desk for enquiries, bookings and transfers but lots of lovely privacy, space and charm in a beautifully furnished apartment. You really feel like you are living in, not just visiting Paris.

It's not often that a stopover is a highlight, but thanks to another Traveller article ("Arabian Night on the Town", July 2), we booked Souq Waqif Hotel in Doha on our way home from Paris. What an experience it is staying in the souq, and don't miss the personal walking tour and be amazed at the Falcon Hospital.

Vicki Hutchins, Carlton, VIC

See also: The world's most powerful passports