Qatar air?

[TropicalGuy]

11 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

We have to be careful where this discussion goes... Weapons of Mass Destruction, anyone ?

 

 

Qatar a major supporter of terrorism & massive human rights abuser. Estimated 4,500 dead migrant sub-continent workers to build those World Cup Stadiums. Sickening. Would probably arrest anyone a Muslim complained about like they do in UAE.

[jcmj]

I just flew in from America on Qatar. I upgraded to a Qsuite from DFW to DOH and it was excellent. Great staff and food. I certainly took advantage of the dine on demand. It was well worth the $1,000 upgrade fee, especially because I found the original economy round class ticket for $1,100. Extremely cheap from Tennessee. American Airlines did the first leg which was delayed twice and almost made me miss my long haul flight. Jet lag hit me a lot harder going this route, but for me it was a flight I won’t forget any time soon. Oh. Bags weren’t there when I landed, a bit stressful, but were at my house before I left the hotel 10 hours later. 

[Darkside Gray]

Bad Luck

[The Hammer2021]

15 hours ago, TropicalGuy said:

Personally never fly any such state airlines for last eight years.

pilot suicide/murder risk. Human rights abuses. terrorist funding.. 

I Fly only first rate European / East Asian Airlines like Lufthansa Sing Eva.

Also don’t touch any North American / Latin American / African / Other Asian / Russian flights. Various Reasons. Though even Lufthansa ( two cancelled flights in six weeks ) Eva ( staff strike flight cancellation) & Norwegian( mech. failure) can be unreliable …..No Guarantees. 
 

BUT all pre- Covid as haven’t flown now for 24 months …..

Luthansa are unreliable with impolite inefficient staff . BA are even worse!

 

"pilot suicide/murder risk.  terrorist funding.."

LOL Illogical nonsense

[Bruno123]

Would not ever fly with them again. They ripped me off more than once. 

 

I made a booking at the airport for travel immediately as I had just missed a flight and didn't notice that their booking website moved the flight 24 hours, as the two hour cut-off kicked in whilst I was making the booking. The flight prices were exactly the same. 

Walked over to their desk and explained the issue to them. They refused to amend the booking, stating that I did it deliberately! That of course made no sense at all, since I was at the airport waiting for the flight and if that was the case, I would have booked the first flight out, which was perhaps 7 to 8 hours later, rather than exactly 24 hours from the intended flight.

This within five minutes of making the booking. They absolutely refused. This after already losing money on the business class flight that I missed prior to booking this new flight. Disgusting.

 

Then on another Qatar booking, they were late, but refused to pay the mandated EU compensation, claiming a medical emergency. CAA investigated and found no such report and suggested that I sue Qatar Airways.

 

I will happily avoid them.

 

[Bruno123]

19 minutes ago, The Hammer2021 said:

Luthansa are unreliable with impolite inefficient staff . BA are even worse!

 

"pilot suicide/murder risk.  terrorist funding.."

LOL Illogical nonsense

Lufthansa staff were very pleasant with me on the A380 FRA-BKK-FRA. Would certainly fly with them again.

[orchidfan]

16 hours ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

Qatar have quite a reasonable cancellation policy , they make allowances if you test positive just before your flight and allow to to rebook at a later date , I think that Emirates cancel your ticket if you cannot make the flight , or make a large charges 

Wrong. Emirates allow unlimited date changes, options for other flights, full fare refunds etc...at least if THEY cancel your flight. 

Just been through it as wife's Emirates flight to Hkg canceled (or delayed 7 days) due to ban imposed on them for bringing in 3 or more passengers who tested positive on arrival. 

Wife rebooked for next Tuesday without any charge. 

[The Hammer2021]

1 hour ago, Bruno123 said:

Lufthansa staff were very pleasant with me on the A380 FRA-BKK-FRA. Would certainly fly with them again.

Well that's good  to hear. So they behaved as expected.  But that's  not how we judge services. They are assessed on the mistakes  they make. When I flew them to Germany  the flight was two hours delayed, sitting in plane, no help or advice was given  regarding not missing connection. It was also expensive.

[Bruno123]

1 hour ago, The Hammer2021 said:

Well that's good  to hear. So they behaved as expected.  But that's  not how we judge services. They are assessed on the mistakes  they make. When I flew them to Germany  the flight was two hours delayed, sitting in plane, no help or advice was given  regarding not missing connection. It was also expensive.

 

Actually they were better than expected. Friendly and engaging in the seat and throughout the journey.

Your experience with Lufthansa has echoes of my experience with Qatar. They didn't say anything about a medical emergency until I claimed compensation and they didn't say anything about a medical emergency even then...until they ran out of excuses. 

Worse still, I could have caught the connection, but they deliberately did not let us on...even though they were responsible for the delay.

So Qatar ????

[Mac Mickmanus]

2 hours ago, orchidfan said:

Wrong. Emirates allow unlimited date changes, options for other flights, full fare refunds etc...at least if THEY cancel your flight. 

Just been through it as wife's Emirates flight to Hkg canceled (or delayed 7 days) due to ban imposed on them for bringing in 3 or more passengers who tested positive on arrival. 

Wife rebooked for next Tuesday without any charge. 

Yes, I may have thinking of Etihad 

[The Hammer2021]

22 minutes ago, Bruno123 said:

 

Actually they were better than expected. Friendly and engaging in the seat and throughout the journey.

Your experience with Lufthansa has echoes of my experience with Qatar. They didn't say anything about a medical emergency until I claimed compensation and they didn't say anything about a medical emergency even then...until they ran out of excuses. 

Worse still, I could have caught the connection, but they deliberately did not let us on...even though they were responsible for the delay.

So Qatar ????

Sounds a lot like BA. However, I felt a short  journey  from England  yo Germany should have been trouble free travelling on the national  carrier! The inefficiency, delays and lack of courtesy was notably  bad and the enormous, alienatung Airport  had the worst  signage I've experienced compounded by lack of staff made for a very disappointing experience. But I've had worse.

[treetops]

Qatar no doubt provide one of the best experiences in the air, however they are also well known for being poor at almost all the other functions needed to be a good airline.  A lot of this is fear of doing anything out of the ordinary or against the rulebook as it could result in them losing their job.

 

For anyone that gets moved out of a Q suite equipped flight there is a little known policy that they will make a change for free to another Q suite equipped one.

 

For checking I use QR Cargo site as they seem to be better at updating planned planes than the passenger site.

 

https://www.qrcargo.com/

 

Edited April 9, 2022 by treetops

[richard_smith237]

15 hours ago, treetops said:

Qatar no doubt provide one of the best experiences in the air, however they are also well known for being poor at almost all the other functions needed to be a good airline.  A lot of this is fear of doing anything out of the ordinary or against the rulebook as it could result in them losing their job.

 

For anyone that gets moved out of a Q suite equipped flight there is a little known policy that they will make a change for free to another Q suite equipped one.

 

For checking I use QR Cargo site as they seem to be better at updating planned planes than the passenger site.

 

https://www.qrcargo.com/

 

So how do I know whether QR 0836  (A380) DOH - BKK / 02:20 - 13:10 on xx date has Q-suites or not based on that site ?

 

[Mike Teavee]

4 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

So how do I know whether QR 0836  (A380) DOH - BKK / 02:20 - 13:10 on xx date has Q-suites or not based on that site ?

 

I don't believe the A380s have QSuites & this seems to be confirmed by Seatguru for that flight

 https://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Qatar_Airways/Qatar_Airways_Airbus_A380.php

 

And SeatMaestro for the Qatar A380s 

https://www.seatmaestro.com/airplanes-seat-maps/qatar-airways-airbus-a380-800/

 

 

But I flew that on that flight 1 month ago to the day (time flies ???? ) & it wasn't an A380, nor did it have QSuites... In fact me & my mate both commented how it was an old dingy plane, not up to the usual Qatar standards at all.

 

 

Edited April 9, 2022 by Mike Teavee

[richard_smith237]

15 hours ago, Mike Teavee said:

19 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

So how do I know whether QR 0836  (A380) DOH - BKK / 02:20 - 13:10 on xx date has Q-suites or not based on that site ?

 

I don't believe the A380s have QSuites & this seems to be confirmed by Seatguru for that flight

 https://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Qatar_Airways/Qatar_Airways_Airbus_A380.php

 

And SeatMaestro for the Qatar A380s 

https://www.seatmaestro.com/airplanes-seat-maps/qatar-airways-airbus-a380-800/

 

 

But I flew that on that flight 1 month ago to the day (time flies ???? ) & it wasn't an A380, nor did it have QSuites... In fact me & my mate both commented how it was an old dingy plane, not up to the usual Qatar standards at all.

 

My question was how does one find out if the flight has a Q-Suite on the website you recommended. 

[https://www.qrcargo.com/] - which you mentioned was better than the QR main passenger website. 

 

 

The QR main passenger website displays if the flight is Q-Suite or conventional business class. 

But, when booking months in advance that is no guarantee they will not ‘change the metal’ and switch to an aircraft with a different passenger configuration (even with the same type of plane). 

 

I don’t know how ‘late’ QR make the switch or even if there is any regulation which prevents them from doing so within a certain time frame. 

I know the flight I usually take (QR836) last month was a Q-suite and this month it isn’t.

 

 

 

Edited April 10, 2022 by richard_smith237

[Mike Teavee]

34 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

My question was how does one find out if the flight has a Q-Suite on the website you recommended. 

[https://www.qrcargo.com/] - which you mentioned was better than the QR main passenger website. 

 

 

The QR main passenger website displays if the flight is Q-Suite or conventional business class. 

But, when booking months in advance that is no guarantee they will not ‘change the metal’ and switch to an aircraft with a different passenger configuration (even with the same type of plane). 

 

I don’t know how ‘late’ QR make the switch or even if there is any regulation which prevents them from doing so within a certain time frame. 

I know the flight I usually take (QR836) last month was a Q-suite and this month it isn’t.

Edit: I didn't recommend the website, in fact that post was the 1st time I even knew it existed... 

 

 

As I posted previously, I took QR836 exactly 1 month ago & I'm sure when I booked it, it was QSuites (I have flown that flight before) or I would have gone for the longer layover time & taken QR833 which is also (supposed to have) QSuites but the plane we ended up on was neither an A380 or had QSuites or worthy of Qatar's "Standing" as the "Best Airline In The World"...  

 

 

Oh & the "Miracle" lounge is a pretty miserable lounge to be stuck in whilst waiting for an early morning flight so I would recommend taking QR833 and spending the extra time in the lounge in Doha which (IMHO) is a great lounge.

 

Edited April 10, 2022 by Mike Teavee

[treetops]

20 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

So how do I know whether QR 0836  (A380) DOH - BKK / 02:20 - 13:10 on xx date has Q-suites or not based on that site ?

It's not 100% going to tell you but is a good first port  of call and is updated quicker than the passenger site when changes are made.  If you look at the weekly schedule information and it shows A330 or A380 or B787 then no Qsuites.

 

If something else then go to the passenger site and do a dummy booking for specific dates and sectors you want to know about.  A350-1000 is 100% Qsuites and all other widebodies a mixture.

[MarkyM3]

I'm having minor issues with QR at the moment.

 

I'm due to return to London on 30th June in QR business class. The aircraft at time of booking for BKK-DOH was designated as a B777 with Q-Suites and I paid them £75 for a preferred seat. They have now changed the aircraft to an A380 and moved the flight back 1/2 hour (without telling me, only found that out when I logged on to their site to pay for a window seat for the DOH-LHR leg).

 

Surprisingly, they have not returned the extra money I paid to them to use as credit to pick a new preferred seat. Raised a complaint 10 days ago to that effect to which I've not had any response, despite chasing on Facebook Messenger and getting a promise it was being escalated (their website is total carp - has no live chat and they only have a phone number in Qatar, despite promising 24 hour help for Privilege Club members).

 

Looking at Trustpilot, seems QR have serious issues with customer service - despite calling themselves the world's best airline - and I'll probably use others for that reason in future. EVA Air also have a carp website but they are easy to contact by phone and helpful in the London office.

 

Regards QR service in business. I found A380 was "OK" but the cabin is nothing special, no privacy at all. The bar on board was the best feature. The best business I've had to BKK was Gulf Air in the 787 - miles better than the QR cabin, near total privacy though the food was average. EVA Air very nice as well with excellent food. QR B777 Q-Suites DOH-BKK was alright but nothing stunning imo.

 

Looking to go back to EVA Air and fly direct in future when they resume flights but they've hitched their charges a lot. Gulf Air will be alternative. 

Edited April 10, 2022 by MarkyM3

[treetops]

1 hour ago, MarkyM3 said:

. . . . . and they only have a phone number in Qatar . . . .

This any good?

 

 

[MarkyM3]

1 minute ago, treetops said:

This any good?

 

 

Cheers....I'll try them if I don't get anywhere with the people in Qatar. Not a biggie but indicative of lacklustre service....was surprised to see so many complaints about Qatar on Trustpilot. 

[clivebaxter]

12 hours ago, treetops said:

This any good?

 

 

Office closed for 2 years, good luck with the phone queue, been waiting for a 24 hour response email since Thursday!

[clivebaxter]

Tried calling, now just cuts off after press one for reservations and ticketing! They cancelled my paid for seats selections now so will be asking for a refund

[tjintx]

On 4/7/2022 at 9:01 PM, Whale said:

And one the worst business class lounges in my memory is used at Manchester. 

Manchester has lounges that are superior to a "worst" classification!?

[tjintx]

On 4/9/2022 at 4:19 PM, Mike Teavee said:

I don't believe the A380s have QSuites & this seems to be confirmed by Seatguru for that flight

 https://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Qatar_Airways/Qatar_Airways_Airbus_A380.php

 

And SeatMaestro for the Qatar A380s 

https://www.seatmaestro.com/airplanes-seat-maps/qatar-airways-airbus-a380-800/

 

 

But I flew that on that flight 1 month ago to the day (time flies ???? ) & it wasn't an A380, nor did it have QSuites... In fact me & my mate both commented how it was an old dingy plane, not up to the usual Qatar standards at all.

 

 

Qatar has a problem with their fleet as they are in a dispute with Airbus regarding what Qatar characterizes as poor quality fuselage painting.  In response to Airbus telling them it's not an issue, Qatar has removed about two dozen jets from active status and, I believe, is pursuing legal options with Airbus.  There is no way of telling on BKK to DOH in advance, you can login and check the seat configuration but, to do so, you have to get deep into creating a ticket before you can view seats (just before purchasing).  Even then, there is no guarantee that it won't be changed before your flight.  We flew QR 837 from BKK to DOH @ 2:30am two weeks ago, we were informed a week or so before that the jet configuration had changed and went from QSuites to the 777-300 2-2-2 configuration.  Not the worst in the world but a huge disappointment if you've experienced QSuites.  BTW - the major competitive routes (DOH-DFW for me) with QSuites seem to consistently have them.   BKK-DOH, I guess, is not one of those.

 

Having said that, I still prefer going Qatar as:  1)  their service is quite good, 2)  their pricing and change/cancel policy (especially when your return from BKK has to reflect your permission of stay upon arrival and you intend to extend it), 3) connection times are good through Doha , 4)  and the Doha airport and lounges are good.  Also, the 777-300 seats are still comfortable even if the foot rests make them seem awfully old and outdated.

Edited April 17, 2022 by tjintx

[Mike Teavee]

Quick update on the baggage claim with Qatar.

 

Have to say that having finally managed to connect with their Baggage team (took 4 weeks & a threat to take it to CAA), the service has been excellent & they've processed my claim / started the refund process within 3 days.

 

I was very reasonable with my claim, for an 8 day delay to the luggage being delivered I only claimed £29.99 for a charger for my MacBook, (had all the clothes/underwear/toiletries I needed already at my parents house) then when I found out the case had been damaged at inspection I only claimed £89.99 for a new one - Total of £119.98 but for some reason they're paying me $225 (approx £172).... 

 

Oh well, new charger, new case & an extra £50 goes some way to restoring my opinion of them (I'm easily bought ????) 

 

[mtls2005]

On 4/11/2022 at 1:40 PM, clivebaxter said:

Tried calling, now just cuts off after press one for reservations and ticketing! They cancelled my paid for seats selections now so will be asking for a refund

 

They are responsive via Twitter DM in my experience.

 

https://twitter.com/qatarsupport