Originally Posted by NicholasMAN

I only came across this issue on Boxing Day at T5 when I checked in for LHR>DOH>AUH on 2 PNRs - due to one being an Avios booking and the other a cash booking (the sole reason being due to the vagaries of the Avios site... but that's another story!).

Very poor service from check in agent in First Class check in area. I handed him by BA boarding passes and QR connection information, and without any explanation or apology he just ignored the QR paperwork and tagged my bag to DOH.

I only noticed by chance when I saw that the receipt had DOH on it, and raised my concerns as I had a tight (but 'approved') connection.

I was given short shrift and told they couldn't tag it through because it was a different airline. I was not happy as this had never happened before, and asked if I could escalate it. He said I could speak to his colleagues at "J1-2-3"(?) but when I turned to take my case off the belt, it had already been despatched into the baggage system!

Not content with the situation, I raised the issue in the First Class lounge: cue profuse apologies and a promise to pass the issue on to the crew in an attempt to arrange fast track at DOH. Similarly when the CSD sought me out there were more profuse apologies and I was told that the captain had radioed ahead and that there would be ground staff there to assist on arrival.

Unfortunately due to fog at DOH the flight was diverted to BAH and eventually arrived 4 hrs late by which time no ground staff were there to assist.

So, connection missed, I then had to pay £20 for a Qatar visa just to collect and re-check my bag ..... oh and rebook a new ticket for a PM flight at my own expense.

All very poor indeed ..... especially when this morning I arrived at the QR desk in AUH for the return leg and asked it they could check my bags through to LHR ...... and they happily did, after the supervisor showed the check in clerk how to do it!

I can understand why they want to do this, but to me they are throwing the baby out with the bath water.

Rather than seriously impacting their customer service and annoying customers, why don't they just levy a charge for combining separate PNRs and checking bags through?

The customer would then continue to get good service whilst the airlines makes some more money. Win-win surely .... cos this is lose-lose, what with many front line staff being dragged into embarrassing situations and having to do additional work to try and overcome the problems caused by a crass policy change.