My worst flight experience ever: Cathay Pacific A33 business class Doha to Hong Kong
Apr 30, 2015, 9:39 pm
#16
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: OSL/IAH/ZRH (time, not preference)
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Posts: 38,257
OP is not a CX Emerald ... this would result in huge financial loss as no compensation would likely flow toward the OP.
Apr 30, 2015, 9:42 pm
#17
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: AUS
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Sounds like a 24 hour delay was unavoidable under the circumstances but, as is typical in these situations, the airline did a poor job of communicating with the passengers. Good communication costs so little and will determine a passenger's impression of the airline's handling of the situation far more than any hotel or meal vouchers.
That said, I think it's odd that you complain in such graphic terms about the hotel and minibus experience yet don't provide a single picture of either in your trip report. Especially considering you did not leave unphotographed a single detail about the QR lounge or the CX onboard experience.
That said, I think it's odd that you complain in such graphic terms about the hotel and minibus experience yet don't provide a single picture of either in your trip report. Especially considering you did not leave unphotographed a single detail about the QR lounge or the CX onboard experience.
May 1, 2015, 1:06 am
#18
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Location: LAX
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Buying a ticket now and sorting it out later almost never works out in favor of the traveller. Terrible advice.
Last edited by bayhouse; May 1, 2015 at 1:12 am
May 1, 2015, 3:22 am
#19
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 4,026
I couldn't even tell you how many times I've done this (it's a lot) and have never once had a problem sorting it out, be it with the airline or through travel insurance
May 1, 2015, 3:30 am
#20
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1. If a one-day delay that included a hotel and food voucher in a non-third-world country is your "worst travel experience ever," then I've gotta say you've either had pretty sheltered travel experiences or are easily ruffled or both.
2. This is confirmed by the fact that (1) you chose to stand in a long line for a hotel at what sounds like 3 a.m. (!) instead of just going to a normal food-bearing hotel; (2) you apparently sought out a special business class line at the airport when one didn't exist (who does that? if there isn't one there isn't one, just do something else instead of waiting in line); and (3) you stood in a line waiting for a van in a dust storm instead of getting your own ride.
I read your complaint because I thought there would be some really gnarly story (flight attendant punched you in the jaw, plane diverted to remote island with only rancid coconut juice to consume, etc.). How disappointed I am.
Edited to add: "The taxi fare from the airport to any destination in Doha should not exceed QR25 (US$7)." (http://www.qatartourism.gov.qa/en-us...ound/taxi.aspx) You gotta make your own way, bro.
2. This is confirmed by the fact that (1) you chose to stand in a long line for a hotel at what sounds like 3 a.m. (!) instead of just going to a normal food-bearing hotel; (2) you apparently sought out a special business class line at the airport when one didn't exist (who does that? if there isn't one there isn't one, just do something else instead of waiting in line); and (3) you stood in a line waiting for a van in a dust storm instead of getting your own ride.
I read your complaint because I thought there would be some really gnarly story (flight attendant punched you in the jaw, plane diverted to remote island with only rancid coconut juice to consume, etc.). How disappointed I am.
Edited to add: "The taxi fare from the airport to any destination in Doha should not exceed QR25 (US$7)." (http://www.qatartourism.gov.qa/en-us...ound/taxi.aspx) You gotta make your own way, bro.
May 1, 2015, 3:31 am
#21
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I think in hindsight, since you were booked on Qatar, I would have gone straight to a Qatar desk to find out if they could change you to a different/earlier flight since you were inconvenienced, etc and you were unsure of your actual departure time.
Last edited by wolf72; May 1, 2015 at 4:29 am
May 1, 2015, 4:20 am
#22
Join Date: May 2014
Location: London
Posts: 198
May 1, 2015, 4:31 am
#23
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 215
My 2 cents.
Most of you gave a fantastic solution to remedy the ordeal: be 'proactive' - take a taxi, book a hotel, phone CX somewhere where their offices work, go to QR desk etc.
Well, let's treat this report as a report of a mistery customer. An average passenger - not accustomed to any 'proactivity', just expecting a proper handling of things for which the arline took their money in advance. No grace.
Had he and some few others been proactive, they would hv probably escaped the whole havoc and negligence of CX and we would have had no report of the situation at all or a happy report, like 'How smart I am when Cathay Pacific dumps 200 passengers'.
:-)
Most of you gave a fantastic solution to remedy the ordeal: be 'proactive' - take a taxi, book a hotel, phone CX somewhere where their offices work, go to QR desk etc.
Well, let's treat this report as a report of a mistery customer. An average passenger - not accustomed to any 'proactivity', just expecting a proper handling of things for which the arline took their money in advance. No grace.
Had he and some few others been proactive, they would hv probably escaped the whole havoc and negligence of CX and we would have had no report of the situation at all or a happy report, like 'How smart I am when Cathay Pacific dumps 200 passengers'.
:-)
May 1, 2015, 5:33 am
#24
Join Date: Jun 2012
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Globalist, *A Silver
Posts: 4,896
Isn't status for getting better amenities - both in terms of the hard products such as lounges as well as the soft products such as good customer service? Do you expect to be treated the same at the Four Seasons as you would at a Motel 6? If no, isn't that also DYKWIA?
May 1, 2015, 5:58 am
#25
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: MIA
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Posts: 1,798
http://www.qatarairways.com/global/en/contact-us.page
The Oryx Rotana is a decent place to over-night and Doha isn't that big, so you have a wide selection of hotels to pick from to meet one's 'luxury' standards.
If you're told to get in a line hundreds deep, pick-up the phone immediately and leave. At least, that's what I did at the time as a lowly oneWorld Sapphire.
May 1, 2015, 6:50 am
#26
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: New York City
Programs: AA,BNV,HIL
Posts: 879
The blog you reference as yours is the "Luxury Travel Expert". I can see where your rant comes from. From a non-expert, you almost never get great irrop recovery from a foreign airport where your airline doesn't have extensive ops. I can't imagine how you're an expert if you waited in every line, in a sandstorm. Why didn't you go to QR which has its home base in Qatar if you had a QR flight #?
May 1, 2015, 7:04 am
#27
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May 1, 2015, 7:14 am
#28
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 397
Buying a ticket now and sorting it out later almost never works out in favor of the traveller. Terrible advice.
http://milecards.com/15923/flight-de...your-expenses/
May 1, 2015, 8:23 am
#29
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: OSL/IAH/ZRH (time, not preference)
Programs: UA1K, LH GM, AA EXP->GM
Posts: 38,257
I couldn't even tell you how many times I've done this (it's a lot) and have never once had a problem sorting it out, be it with the airline or through travel insurance
And never was I able to recoup a single cent from either the airline or my travel insurance.
May 1, 2015, 9:31 am
#30
Join Date: Jan 2005
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