PaulST at the present time QR have a significant lack of suitable aircraft for its longhaul routes. This is almost entirely due to late deliveries from both Boeing and primarily Airbus. Boeing are now almost on schedule with deliveries but Airbus are definitely not. An explanation of the Airbus problems can be found on the http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/qatar...cuss-here.html thread.

Aircraft are expensive and need to be used as profitably as possible to pay for themselves. You may be annoyed but QR does have the right to swap aircraft to the most profitable routes.

Opening new routes when there were insufficient aircraft to service it is is, in my opinion, a rather suspicious practice.

Even last year many postings on this forum warned against selecting a flight for a particular aircraft type.