Q: What do other business travellers leave as tips in hotel rooms? As an instructional designer I spend long periods of time in other locations creating training programmes for my clients. Instead of leaving cash, I leave a bag of cookies or some other treat for the cleaning staff. The longer I stay at one hotel, the more I'm inclined to leave better treats.
Louis Jezsik, Montreal

A: The idea of leaving something other than money is interesting, though for travellers following your course I suggest attaching a note to indicate that the gift wasn't just something they forgot to pack. While there are fairly clear guidelines on tipping in restaurants (15 per cent and maybe 20 per cent in the US) they are ill-defined when it comes to rewarding room service. First check whether the hotel includes a service charge in the bill. I have heard it suggested that $2 a day per person is acceptable in the US. One friend who travels frequently says he leaves $5 under the pillow after a one or two day stay there, more proportionately if he stays longer. His view is that, more than anywhere else, tipping in the US allows employers to get away with paying low wages. He tips about the same in other countries. But he leaves nothing at European hotels. Whatever you tip, one sensible tactic is to leave a little each day, so that the maid who actually cleans your room gets it – and put in in an envelope marked “maid” so it does not look like loose change left lying around.

Q: Sometimes as the plane is landing, I get a very sharp pain above my right eye (under my eyebrow) like someone is stabbing me with a knife. The pain lasts until we hit ground and doesn't go away for several hours after that. As far as I can tell, this isn't linked to any specific plane type, airline, or nasal congestion. The pain seems to appear sporadically, and I'm at a loss how to predict or prevent it. Taking a decongestant 1-2 hours before landing seems to work. Any other ideas?
JP, London