Before leaving for a 5-week trip to Italy and Spain, Oct. 8-Nov. 10, 2014, I got an international SIM card to use in my unlocked Android smartphone. I ordered it from Telestial (Boston, MA; 800/707-0031, www.telestial.com).

For the “Explorer” SIM card, I paid $29 (plus $2.25 tax and $7.50 shipping), which included $20 in phone credit. Arriving in five or six days, the card came with two phone numbers assigned to it, one for North America and one for the rest of the world. 

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The problem the subscriber described with TSA Pre√TM (Pre-check) in the letter “Issues with Global Entry” (Dec.’14, pg. 51) is not unique. My wife and I have been enrolled in Global Entry for several years, and for the last year or so we experienced the very same issue.

The problem first occurred during August 2013 on a trip to Europe, flying Delta Air Lines, San Diego-Atlanta-London. In San Diego there was no problem, as we were both in the first-class line, but in Atlanta we got...

After visiting Japan 10 times, my husband, Clyde, and I gave up our annual trips in 2009 due to the continuing unfavorable rate of exchange. However, after the dollar gained in value against the yen, for six weeks in March and April of 2014 we visited the Kansai region of Honshu, the island of Miyajima and the less-frequented provinces of Shikoku and Kyushu (including Beppu) to view sakura, or cherry blossoms. 

We followed what is called the cherry blossom front (visit www.jnto.go.jp/...