MESSAGE CENTER

HAVING SEEN my luggage lost for three days by Qantas en route to New Zealand via L.A., leaving me without proper clothes to present to a conference and attend a formal dinner, I would suggest FedExing your luggage or using a similar courier service -- picked up from home, delivered directly to your destination and not overly expensive.

Pat Younge, Silver Spring

General Manager, Travel Channel

Switching E-Z Passes

JUST READ your article about the E-Z Pass [Coming and Going, March 19]. I have friends in New York who have received tickets in the mail for using someone else's E-Z Pass, so it is illegal to do this, according to E-Z Pass.

Nonetheless, here is my solution: I do not own a car but frequently rent one to drive up to New York City and Pennsylvania. Several years ago I registered an E-Z Pass with my girlfriend's car information. Everytime I rented a vehicle, I would log into E-Z Pass from home or work and change the vehicle information on my account to match my rental vehicle.

Steve Colón, Arlington

Editor's note: In fact, at least some states will allow E-Z Pass holders to temporarily add a rental car. Check the rules in the state where your E-Z Pass is issued.

Seat Un-Assignments

I WAS inspired by your item on the meaninglessness of seat assignments to finally sit down to vent [Coming and Going, March 26].

I took my children, ages 8 and 11, to Australia in November. I booked Qantas, paying extra to talk to a human versus booking on-line. The agent booked us on American for the leg from Dulles to L.A . I specifically asked the Qantas rep to be sure the three of us were booked to sit together. But American put us each in center seats of three different rows. No one was willing to take a center seat, so we couldn't trade. They told me to check on the return booking when we checked in at L.A., but seats together were again not available. Qantas said that even though it made the booking it had no control or responsibility for American.

On a high note, the actual Qantas flights were great and we all sat together. However, parents be forewarned: If an airline handles your booking through a partner airline, call the week before to ensure you sit with your children. And I am amazed at the passengers so unwilling to sit in a center seat that they wouldn't trade to help out an 8-year-old child. I hope their next hotel rooms are all overrun with starving bedbugs.

Donna Burge, Warrenton

Canyoneering

THANK YOU for the article on canyoneering ["The Canyoneer, March 19]. My husband and I have visited the Page, Ariz., area three times in five years. We have fallen in love with the place.