Qatar Airways Privilege Club - The worst experience with Qatar :(

I just had a flight from London heathrow to Osaka and then to Tokyo. I left from London on the 29th of May and arrived to Tokyo on the 31st of May.
I was on QR 12 which arrives to Doha at 23:59 then my connecting flight QR820 to Osaka leaves at 00:45. Knowing that I will only have 45 minute connection I decided not to take any luggage with me, only my lap top. I am staying in Tokyo only for 5 days. What happened is that my flight from London was delayed so we arrived to Doha at 00:14 I run to the boarding gate after going through the security check. When I arrived the gate agents told me: “sorry sir we waited for you and you didn’t come so we can’t make 150 passengers wait for only one passenger” I was so angry and told them my flight was delayed what can I do?? The plane was still there in Doha as I arrived to gate at 00:35 so 10 minutes before departure but I was denied boarding. I insisted to take the flight but in vain. They said please go to transfer desk on 2nd floor in front on gate N10. I went there but was told to wait. I waited for an hour they told to go to the transfer desk downstairs and talk with Mr Ali. I did so and was looking for this mr ali. Then I was sent to customer service upstairs in front of gate 12, no one could decide anything. Finally I was told sorry sir you have to wait till tomorrow and you have to stay at the transit area. Then I was so frustrated and told them I will not stay in transit area and I need to see any responsible person there, then they sent me to another office where they took me to the silver lounge( I am a silver member anyway) and asked me to wait. I waited till 3:30 am when they provided me with hotel. I had to explain that it was not my mistake and my flight was delayed for more than 10 people. Why is all that? Why did I have to go through all this???
The next day when I took the flight to Osaka, the flight was delayed to wait for connecting passengers. In my case they didn’t wait. So when I arrived to Osaka I complained and asked for compensation or my money back. I will have to take the same flights on July 17th from London to Tokyo so it’s so possible to face the same situation. I am now waiting for their answer. I told them they have to answer me before my next flight with them on May 5th back to London. Otherwise I will ask them for a refund and I will book with any other airline. I wonder what will happen now.
This company seems an irresponsible company, I was coming from a flight operated by them and yet they didn’t wait for me. They didn’t know anything about the status of my flight from London as I was told we waited for you sir but you didn’t come. So strange and the way how they treat passengers is so horrible. Ground service is a big 0. I am really thinking seriously of not flying with them anymore. That’s my experience so please take care.

I just had a flight from London heathrow to Osaka and then to Tokyo. I left from London on the 29th of May and arrived to Tokyo on the 31st of May.
I was on QR 12 which arrives to Doha at 23:59 then my connecting flight QR820 to Osaka leaves at 00:45. Knowing that I will only have 45 minute connection I decided not to take any luggage with me, only my lap top. I am staying in Tokyo only for 5 days. What happened is that my flight from London was delayed so we arrived to Doha at 00:14 I run to the boarding gate after going through the security check. When I arrived the gate agents told me: “sorry sir we waited for you and you didn’t come so we can’t make 150 passengers wait for only one passenger” I was so angry and told them my flight was delayed what can I do?? The plane was still there in Doha as I arrived to gate at 00:35 so 10 minutes before departure but I was denied boarding. I insisted to take the flight but in vain. They said please go to transfer desk on 2nd floor in front on gate N10. I went there but was told to wait. I waited for an hour they told to go to the transfer desk downstairs and talk with Mr Ali. I did so and was looking for this mr ali. Then I was sent to customer service upstairs in front of gate 12, no one could decide anything. Finally I was told sorry sir you have to wait till tomorrow and you have to stay at the transit area. Then I was so frustrated and told them I will not stay in transit area and I need to see any responsible person there, then they sent me to another office where they took me to the silver lounge( I am a silver member anyway) and asked me to wait. I waited till 3:30 am when they provided me with hotel. I had to explain that it was not my mistake and my flight was delayed for more than 10 people. Why is all that? Why did I have to go through all this???
The next day when I took the flight to Osaka, the flight was delayed to wait for connecting passengers. In my case they didn’t wait. So when I arrived to Osaka I complained and asked for compensation or my money back. I will have to take the same flights on July 17th from London to Tokyo so it’s so possible to face the same situation. I am now waiting for their answer. I told them they have to answer me before my next flight with them on May 5th back to London. Otherwise I will ask them for a refund and I will book with any other airline. I wonder what will happen now.
This company seems an irresponsible company, I was coming from a flight operated by them and yet they didn’t wait for me. They didn’t know anything about the status of my flight from London as I was told we waited for you sir but you didn’t come. So strange and the way how they treat passengers is so horrible. Ground service is a big 0. I am really thinking seriously of not flying with them anymore. That’s my experience so please take care.

I dont know what the general rule is when this happens? If Qatar should give you a hotel etc but that is wrong. Maybe someone else can shed some light on the rules regarding this??? That said.....it is a joke that they have treated you like that, however, seems to be a general thing :(

I dont know what the general rule is when this happens? If Qatar should give you a hotel etc but that is wrong. Maybe someone else can shed some light on the rules regarding this??? That said.....it is a joke that they have treated you like that, however, seems to be a general thing :(

Hey. Thanks for your comment. The thing is that they denied my boarding and yet no one in Doha knew about my flight being delayed from LHR which is so strange. I had to explain about that to everyone. Plus I didn’t want to stay in Doha anyway. The other thing is that I was told by the gate agents, sorry sir we waited for you but you didn’t come. This is ridiculous.

In 2005 I had a ticket (discounted economy) with Japan airlines to Tunis via Frankfurt for the out bound flight and via Paris for the inbound flight. I bought it from august to travel in December. 2 days before my departure I got a call from Japan airlines saying that the Tokyo- Frankfurt flight was overbooked and they asked if it was ok for me to fly via Paris instead of Frankfurt. It was the same departure day. They told me if it was ok with me they will give me 20 percent off the price I paid plus a business class seat from Tokyo to Paris. They just changed my transit point and look what they did for me.

First, ground service in the main terminal at Doha is abysmal.

I was booted off a flight to LHR and rescheduled for the next day’s Manchester flight while I sat in the lounge. (The only thing I can figure is that I had the lounge agent change my seat and that somehow turned me into a no-show.) I was not told and had to hotfoot it back to the transfer desk. Fortunately, there was no line and I was able to get back onto the flight to connect to my final leg home to Houston.

Having said that 45 minutes should never be a legal connection in Doha and anyone who connects through there should look for a better option. Even if they let you book it, it is a recipe for disaster.

FWIW
DLM

First, ground service in the main terminal at Doha is abysmal.

I was booted off a flight to LHR and rescheduled for the next day’s Manchester flight while I sat in the lounge. (The only thing I can figure is that I had the lounge agent change my seat and that somehow turned me into a no-show.) I was not told and had to hotfoot it back to the transfer desk. Fortunately, there was no line and I was able to get back onto the flight to connect to my final leg home to Houston.

Having said that 45 minutes should never be a legal connection in Doha and anyone who connects through there should look for a better option. Even if they let you book it, it is a recipe for disaster.

FWIW
DLM




The problem is that I will be flying with them from London back to Tokyo on July 17th. With a very possible delay from London this means that I will face the same situation which I won’t accept anymore.
One thing else I wanted to point out to, is their in-flight entertainment. On the way to London from Doha on May 20th the system was not working. We were in an A340-600 which is relatively a new aircraft. The flight purser came to the back side of the plane( my seat was the last one) and was shouting and saying to other cabin crew that the aircraft is awful, no in-flight entertainment and first class seats didn’t work. On the way back from Doha to Osaka we had no in-flight entertainment too due to some problems. The aircraft was so old and ugly with fixed remote controls. We didn’t need them anyway.
I used to fly with them from Osaka to Tunis or Dubai mainly so didn’t really notice the differences in service. The Doha London service is a 5 star service but that’s not true to all their destinations. Why is that? Why they differentiate in service? Really so strange.

Were you parked next to the Terminal or opposite the runway at the 'new' apron ? In that case you even have to take a bus'trip' (busses can only go 40kph according to the traffic signs), so, this alone will take you 15-20 mins, if flight is on time...so, with a 45mins transfer, this will only give you 20 mins to clear the horrendous security check and proceed to your new gate...

I always take at least 1hr30mins minimum transit-time @ DOH to create some buffer; suggest you take an earlier LHR-DOH flight for your DOH-TYO connection (and check also your TYO-DOH-LHR transit time)...;)

Were you parked next to the Terminal or opposite the runway at the 'new' apron ? In that case you even have to take a bus'trip' (busses can only go 40kph according to the traffic signs), so, this alone will take you 15-20 mins, if flight is on time...so, with a 45mins transfer, this will only give you 20 mins to clear the horrendous security check and proceed to your new gate...

I always take at least 1hr30mins minimum transit-time @ DOH to create some buffer; suggest you take an earlier LHR-DOH flight for your DOH-TYO connection (and check also your TYO-DOH-LHR transit time)...;)

This brings up another thought - how are QR's published arrival times set? Is the arrival the time the aircraft is parked, the doors opened, or when they expect the bus to drop off pax at the terminal? I've never given it much thought or checked my watch. I'll try to remember for my arrival this Saturday.

FWIW
DLM

Were you parked next to the Terminal or opposite the runway at the 'new' apron ? In that case you even have to take a bus'trip' (busses can only go 40kph according to the traffic signs), so, this alone will take you 15-20 mins, if flight is on time...so, with a 45mins transfer, this will only give you 20 mins to clear the horrendous security check and proceed to your new gate...

I always take at least 1hr30mins minimum transit-time @ DOH to create some buffer; suggest you take an earlier LHR-DOH flight for your DOH-TYO connection (and check also your TYO-DOH-LHR transit time)...;)

when we landed from London it was close to the Terminal. when I took the flight to Osaka the next day it was so far, i mean the plane so i guess it was the new apron.

This brings up another thought - how are QR's published arrival times set? Is the arrival the time the aircraft is parked, the doors opened, or when they expect the bus to drop off pax at the terminal? I've never given it much thought or checked my watch. I'll try to remember for my arrival this Saturday.

FWIW
DLM

Times in the timetable are always on-blocks for arrival- and off-blocks for departure-times (hence the 45mins prior to departure boarding-time)...so, for DOH, if you arrive at the 'new' apron and depart again from the 'new' apron via the Terminal (= long bus-trips both ways), you definitely will be in trouble with less than 1 hour IMHO...

It's about time, QR updates their booking-tool/(internet)reservation system, as I've seen connections to/from DXB (via DOH) of only 35 mins :eek:
(I know they operate more than once per day there, but still...........)

[QUOTE=MH017;11848003]Were you parked next to the Terminal or opposite the runway at the 'new' apron ? In that case you even have to take a bus'trip' (busses can only go 40kph according to the traffic signs), so, this alone will take you 15-20 mins, if flight is on time...so, with a 45mins transfer, this will only give you 20 mins to clear the horrendous security check and proceed to your new gate...QUOTE]

That bring back my memory to 2006, I was doing HKG-DOH-LGW, when I arrived Doha, my A340-600 is parked quite near to the premium terminal, so it took 5 mins to the PT, however, when going to the DOH-LGW flight, the bus departed from 10 mins before the departure time of the flight from the PT, after 15 mins ride, I can see nothing around us (no other vechicle nor any aircraft, and it was around 1am), I started to worry as where were we going to...... 10 mins later, I can bearly see a A330 in front of us finally and it was my flight to LGW.

So till this moment, my impression of Doha Airport is.....a Dark Desert...:D

It really is very easy. You are in London....book a direct non-stop flight from London to Tokyo and forget trying to save a few bucks with a connecting flight...as you have seen, saving money is not always the best route to go, pardon the pun. Qatars ground service is horrible, always was and probably always will be.

I dont know what the general rule is when this happens? If Qatar should give you a hotel etc but that is wrong. Maybe someone else can shed some light on the rules regarding this??? That said.....it is a joke that they have treated you like that, however, seems to be a general thing :(

It's really only american carriers that pitch a hissy fit about putting people up in hotels when things go wrong. I have never been refused a hotel, meals, etc when things went tits up on a Middle Eastern or Asian carrier, even for weather issues. I've mis-connected on QR before and have always been taken care of expediently. However, QR CS can be inconsistent so I can see how the OP could wind up in QR Hell.

It really is very easy. You are in London....book a direct non-stop flight from London to Tokyo and forget trying to save a few bucks with a connecting flight...as you have seen, saving money is not always the best route to go, pardon the pun. Qatars ground service is horrible, always was and probably always will be.

Hey. Its not question of money. this ticket was more expensive than a direct flight by Japan airlines. Its just that I really like their services, i mean onboard and I have never had any problem with them before. May be because my flights were always on time.

If you've had good experience with JL and less so with QR, stick with JL. QR's service (as you've experienced both on board and off) isn't worth getting so upset about. They really aren't concerned with any sort of passenger complaints. Their attitude basically is, if you don't like it, go somewhere else. Welcome to QR's world. I can't imagine anyone knowingly paying a higher price for longer flight times, connecting service and questionable service, but there you go.

It's sad that the ground staff in DOH suck... i've found in both BKK and CDG, they are really quite excellent. In fact, I was once stuck in Paris during a train strike, thinking I'd not make it to the airport. Called QR at CDG, told them my problem, they checked me in on the phone and when I got to the airport at the last minute, the main check-in guy/supervisor brought me my boarding pass and did all he could to make sure everything was ok.

It's not a QR thing though... it's a Middle East (well, Gulf states) thing, this whole approach to take-it-or-leave-it customer service.

Just wondering what your ethnicity might be? That usually makes a huge difference with respect to the treatment you receive from QR staff at DOH in case of IROPS. Arabs and Caucasians are always provided with hotels and other amenities. South Asians, East Asians and Africans are usually told to sleep in the departure lounge. Sad but true.

Just wondering what your ethnicity might be? That usually makes a huge difference with respect to the treatment you receive from QR staff at DOH in case of IROPS. Arabs and Caucasians are always provided with hotels and other amenities. South Asians, East Asians and Africans are usually told to sleep in the departure lounge. Sad but true.

I am Arab but I didnt get that easily

Qatars ground service is horrible, always was and probably always will be.


Is it ? I've transited 4 to 6 times in DOH in J and found it quite nice, at least after I understood I wasn't supposed to drop of the bus at the first stop but only at the premium terminal

As of beeing denied boarding I had a very good experience with the ground staff in BKK, after I got confused with TG timetable to CDG and noticed very very late what time the flight to DOH was leaving. Arrived to the airport about 30mns before departure time, took me a couple of mns to find out which check in row to head to but once there, no sign of any QR flight, just a flight from another middle eastern airline. I was more than a bit nervous when I noticed the QR business class carpets in front of some check in counters. But check in was obviously closed and the flight no even advertised anymore. Thought I'd missed the flight. Yet a few staff members were leaving the area at that time and I adressed them and they did go the extra mile. Made a phone call or two than let me check in and I did catch the flight. Quite nice.

Besides I would also be wary of 45mns connecting time, but wish OP a much nicer returning flight.

Is it ? I've transited 4 to 6 times in DOH in J and found it quite nice, at least after I understood I wasn't supposed to drop of the bus at the first stop but only at the premium terminal...

Try flying in Y and then come back and tell us the same...

IMO and experience, when flying QR, if anything goes wrong, the service tends to be better if you're in Business or First Class. If you're in economy, the service is non-existent even if you're a Gold Privilege card member.

Do not write to Customer Service - they are useless. Write instead to the CEO of the company and highlight this situation. He still thinks his airline is 5 star or whatever.. but not realising what the ground staff is really like in DOH.

I had a flight FRA-DOH-KUL. FRA-DOH was cancelled so we were rerouted on LH. Flight got delayed in DOH (by 6 hours !) so we waited in the Silver Lounge with my 2 other friends who were in economy whilst I and another friend were in C. We 2 could have gone to the Premium lounge but my other 2 friends couldn't access the Silver lounge without me being there otherwise. When we arrived at gate, staff said that we were all no-show on FRA-DOH flight so they gave our seats away on DOH-KUL (even though they knew we were in the lounge)! What? Didn't they see that their own flight was cancelled ???

Oh you want to get back on? You have to go through security and go to check in area! ... it was only after someone noticed that 2 of us were in Business Class that they suddenly became nicer... and offered to go to do the tickets for us!

I never bothered writing the letter to the CEO.. but now as I write this, horrible memories of their incompetent ground staff are coming back...

I think I will write that letter too, and send it by Registered or Courier mail to the CEO, Akbar Al Baker in Doha.

I think I will write that letter too, and send it by Registered or Courier mail to the CEO, Akbar Al Baker in Doha.

If you do decide to do that, I'd be interested to know if you get a reply. i did that once and also sent by registered post (also submitted same letter via Privilege Club website). I did get a reply from Customer Service but never knew if that was as a result of my comment via the website or the letter to the CEO. Either way, there was absolutely no acknowledgment that it had come from the CEO's office. The man really lives in the clouds.

I think I will write that letter too, and send it by Registered or Courier mail to the CEO, Akbar Al Baker in Doha.

I've heard that Mr Al-Baker is known for popping up at the most inopportune moments (for his staff) and firing them on the spot if he notices that something is not quite right. He calls Flight Attendant's on their cell phones and asks them how things are going and seems to be a no-bull$hi7 kind of a guy. I can quite imagine him kicking some poor Qataria's butt over the customer service issues described here.

sorry but in my (limited) exeprience with them you tend to get somewhat decent service on the ground at outstations but once you hit the place where it all should work like a clock (that is DOH for all doubters ;)) then you are really screwed unless in F or maybe in J as Guy Betsy mentioned. I also heard quite bad J stories and the whole discussion about customer service lapses makes me smile actually.

Honestly in many cases they wouldn't even know what real customer service means and is supposed to look like even if it bit them into the behind :) 5*? Maybe i the air at some point but not even that any longer I would think. On the ground, in general (there always a few that really try but many that don't) forget about it.

At last! It looks like an appropriate level of indignation is being generated on this board regarding the (mostly) horrific ground staff in Doha. Like other people on this board, I have been collecting stories, names, and experiences for almost two years now. And, no I've never actually sent a letter either; at this point, I wouldn't even know where to start.

QR groundstaff tend to be both poorly-trained AND, for lack of a better word, obstructionist. To call the service "Take it or leave it" would be putting things mildly. Stonewalling would be a more accurate term to describe the reaction of most QR ground staff members if they are pressed to resolve a situation. I've been through the Premium Terminal at least 20 times, and while I have had some positive customer service experiences, most of them have been horrific. The few times I have been in the "regular" terminal I've been in the Gold lounge, and even there the staff embodies a uniquely QR quality that I am at a loss of words to describe.

I think the problems with QR groundstaff are occuring because:
(1) Staff are largely unempowered - so they probably can't really solve your problem anyway: Everything needs to go through at least two, sometimes three, levels of management hierarchy before anything can really be done. Most of the time you will FIRST be told there is no manager on duty. All of this just takes too long, and by the time you get to speak to anyone with any real authority you will be exhausted and harried to the point of madness.
(2) Staff have probably have taken huge amounts of abuse both from their employer and patrons, and the psychological scarring is beginning to show. Staff members, from other Middle Eastern countries aren't just rude, from what I have seen, they can be kind of MEAN. (Then again, they are the ones who have to hear how "Un-Five-Star" the airline is ... all day long ... day in and day out ... probably in Arabic.)
(3) Yes, racism IS rife in this part of the world, it goes largely unchallenged, and it seems to be accepted. To be sure -- if you don't look the part, you are up the creek without a paddle. Seriously.

I fly QR because they get me to work without having to change planes in Dubai. Of my last 40 flights, I've probably sat in Economy 4 times. Yes, business is better. Yes, in-flight, QR is much better than it is on the ground. But what goes up must come down, so sooner or later you are going to have to deal with the ground staff. And that's where the horror show usually begins.
My advice?
Be a white man or a white woman over 6 feet tall, or a Gulf Arab -- chances are the treatment will be better .. but it probably won't solve ALL of your problems ...
OR:
--- Just grin and bear it

--- Don't get upset, it's not worth it and it won't do you any good

--- Confirm and reconfirm your reservations. Telephone staff have to be ASKED to email your itineraries. Insist that they do. Check your boarding pass after you check in to be sure that you have been given the seat you asked for (if available). English comprehension levels on the ground are far worse than you think.

--- Find your own solutions to problems, and suggest those solutions quickly and simply

--- Don't make tight connections through Doha. The Premium Terminal isn't THAT comfortable, so don't plan a long layover because you think you might actually be able to sleep there. The regular terminal looks like a crowded bus terminal and has none of the comforts of the world's finer airports -- NONE. Even in the premium terminal the toilets can be filthy. The same scuff and dirt marks have been on the walls of the Biz Class toilets for over a year.

Hope this helps validate the experience that many of us .. even premium flyers ... are continuing to have

Great post jiminspace - you hit the nail on the head I think. I will say, though, ground staff at LHR do not fit into the typical QR mould- they are pretty good there.

First, ground service in the main terminal at Doha is abysmal.



I can only second this. QR ground staff are absolutely clueless and don't give a toss. I have flown then a couple of times but probably won't book them again.

Great post jiminspace ! One QR lady in the Gold Lounge actually got shouted at by her manager because she was traying to help me! ...I was trying to upgrade a Y ticket with CASH to C: I totally failed. They did not want my money and I could not give it to them !

... One QR lady in the Gold Lounge actually got shouted at by her manager because she was traying to help me! ...I was trying to upgrade a Y ticket with CASH to C: I totally failed. They did not want my money and I could not give it to them !

Knowing full well, that that is just not possible, you have caused someone totally helpful to be shouted at! :eek:

Honestly, now why would you be doing this at the lounge knowing that this is a ticketing issue...and that you should be contacting the ticket office at your origin and not at point of transit?

Now i am getting worried; I have a LHR-DOH-KHI flight booked with a 46 minute connection in Doha. DOH-KHI is 1 x daily. I need to be in LHR that morning (flight departs LHR at 1505) and I need to be in KHI the next NIGHT (flight arrives at 0630.) If I miss my connection, will QR put me on another airline such as EK?

I know my schedule is tight and Im not gonna blow up and go all "QR sucks im never gonna fly it again" on the airline, but I want to minimize any unnecessary hassle.

Thanks,
Cheers

Now i am getting worried; I have a LHR-DOH-KHI flight booked with a 46 minute connection in Doha. DOH-KHI is 1 x daily. I need to be in LHR that morning (flight departs LHR at 1505) and I need to be in KHI the next NIGHT (flight arrives at 0630.) If I miss my connection, will QR put me on another airline such as EK?

I know my schedule is tight and Im not gonna blow up and go all "QR sucks im never gonna fly it again" on the airline, but I want to minimize any unnecessary hassle.

Thanks,
Cheers

I've made that connection a few times. They always hold the KHI flight until everyone is aboard.

you get what you pay for?

i am scheduled to fly from dxb to pvg later this year and a biz class seat with EK goes for almost US$3000. i found a much cheaper alternative with Qatar at about US$1600 but obviously there is no direct flight from dxb. i would have to transfer through doha and the connection time is 1.5hrs. i think even with this larger connect window, i'm still apprehensive of taking this option.

what if the dxb to doh flight is delayed?
what if my bags are lost or delayed while at doh?
dxb's T1 terminal is so crappy compared to the new T3 terminal, and it's a b1tch to go through that long corridor in the basement just to get to the gates.

it's a no brainer for me... i'd gladly spend twice as much to avoid the headache.

you get what you pay for?

i am scheduled to fly from dxb to pvg later this year and a biz class seat with EK goes for almost US$3000. i found a much cheaper alternative with Qatar at about US$1600 but obviously there is no direct flight from dxb. i would have to transfer through doha and the connection time is 1.5hrs. i think even with this larger connect window, i'm still apprehensive of taking this option.

what if the dxb to doh flight is delayed?
what if my bags are lost or delayed while at doh?
dxb's T1 terminal is so crappy compared to the new T3 terminal, and it's a b1tch to go through that long corridor in the basement just to get to the gates.

it's a no brainer for me... i'd gladly spend twice as much to avoid the headache.

One hour is more than enough.. but as with any airline - even with EK, delays do happen and that is beyond anyone's control.

If you're flying business class, QR will take care of you. If you're not, then you'll be herded like everyone else .. if the flight is delayed. SAME with EK in my experience.

DOH airport is so small that it is impossible for your bags to get lost in transfer.. it will only get lost if the airline off loads you ...

But like I said, on QR's computer systems it even allows 20 mins transfers, so your 1.5 hours has lots of time !!

WOW! This thread makes EK look like saints when compared to QR.
And I was seriously considering ditching EK for good despite being in their hub. EK has annoyed me plenty in the air, but only once on the ground. This thread makes a DOH transfer sound like torture.

Was thinking of flying DXB>DOH>HKG or BKK this week in J. But the short transfer and the stories here are food for thought. Maybe EK is not as horrible as I belive it is.

WOW! This thread makes EK look like saints when compared to QR.
And I was seriously considering ditching EK for good despite being in their hub. EK has annoyed me plenty in the air, but only once on the ground. This thread makes a DOH transfer sound like torture.

Was thinking of flying DXB>DOH>HKG or BKK this week in J. But the short transfer and the stories here are food for thought. Maybe EK is not as horrible as I belive it is.

I have flown QR twice from JFK-DEL twice in J. I did NOT think the airline was bad at all. Inflight service was superior to EK and I would say even better than SQ and NZ. The ground services leave something to be desired, but are by no stretch horrible. I am sure the folks who have posted their opinions have had adverse experiences, but that is why they posted it ! I just wanted to write in as a counterpoint. I would recommend QR. Go for it!

The aircraft was so old and ugly with fixed remote controls. We didn’t need them anyway.
I used to fly with them from Osaka to Tunis or Dubai mainly so didn’t really notice the differences in service. The Doha London service is a 5 star service but that’s not true to all their destinations. Why is that? Why they differentiate in service? Really so strange.

Did you fly with them between TUN and DOH : I never thought it could be a five star airline, same between DOH and CMB, even in Business Class.
First time between DOH and CMB (in Y) we were three with a BP with the same seat number :rolleyes:

I agree with others : Premium Terminal isn't that comfortable and regular one looks like a crowded bus terminal.

Roadrunner you have nothing to worry about. As a J passenger, a DOH transfer is light years ahead of any EK/DXB experience. The Premium Terminal may not be perfect, but it is one of a kind and again, far superior to the new EK business class lounge in DXB terminal 3 which I find totally dismal in every way.

Onboard, ditto, food and beverage way ahead with QR. It is only an issue for Y travel where a completely different service level applies on the ground at DOH.

I do a lot of flying and the J experience with QR is one of the best available in the sky and on the ground.

It's unfortunately true... if you're flying J, you'll be treated like royalty. Staff will go out of their way to help you and transfer between flights is no problem. If there is, you'll be helped right away.

But if you're in Y its totally different. Doesn't even matter if you're one of their Gold card holders. QR staff will only see "Y" on your BP and will treat you as such.

So if you're in J, you're fine. If you're in Y, know your rights... and just hope that nothing goes wrong.

One more point to add, QR has very very competitive fares in J from Asia to Europe as well as from Europe to Asia, so the J treat is worth looking into seriously and the level of service for the price deserves some praise. I happened to fly CMB-DOH a couple of years ago in J and I must agree though it was a disaster (old aircraft and my seat was changed once on the plane), whereas on BKK_DOH, HKG-DOH and DOH-CDG it's always been good to excellent. Never flew QR Y so can't comment on that.