Open Jaw: Short flight, small plane?

Where readers write back

Tourists face a ban on buying drugs from Amsterdam coffee shops (AP)

May I add to your lexicon of barmy deployment of long-haul aircraft? In 1989, I flew Aer Lingus from Bristol to Shannon via Dublin. The hop from Bristol to Dublin was on a 50-seat turbo-prop. My connecting service was a Boeing 747. It took precisely 26 minutes to get to Shannon, a diversion forced upon all operators of transatlantic flights departing Dublin as economically beneficial to the west of Ireland. But at what financial burden to the national airline?

Adam Sykes, Dorchester

If anything more than a six-hour flight should be considered "long haul", try telling Thomson. It packs 235 travellers into a 757 from Gatwick or Manchester to Cape Verde. But they do consider it "long haul" when they work out the rate for additional-room seats!

Brian Methieson, Plymouth

Singapore foodie trail

My heritage is Peranakan and I've carried on the tradition of preparing Nonya dishes. The writer is spot-on about how tedious it is to prepare this ethnic cuisine, especially the signature dishes. This is why many such restaurants fail; you can't get the food prepared fast enough to be both authentic and profitable.

While Blue Ginger gets close, you can only get the real deal in Peranakan homes. That is the economic reality.

"Chillibaba"

Chwee kueh is not made with glutinous rice but rice and tapioca flour.

Patrick Loh

Libya on the cheap

You write that, at £770 return, London-Tripoli is the most expensive route per mile for British Airways. That is, unless you use Avios. A flight to Tripoli uses 20,000 Avios. At the conversion rate of 600 Avios per £2.50 in Tesco Clubcard Vouchers, £84 of vouchers buys the required number of Avios. Add the fee of £27 and this gives a "fare" of £111 return – but you have to spend a heck of a lot at Tesco first.

Richard Madge

You write about early-booking "cheapskates" seizing the lowest air fares. I'm very disappointed that you use this term, with its derogatory connotations, to describe savvy travellers.

Marion Jones

Dutch ban 'drug tourists'

Finally! I hope Amsterdam won't be as crowded with British people anymore.

Manav Passi

I hope Dutch tourists to the UK will be banned from pubs.

Reiner Torheit

The trade will still go on, under the counter and at inflated prices that attract criminals.

Sean Gibbins