Something very strange happened yesterday and I’d like to understand what.

Family of 4 with 2 small children, we had return flights LHR -> KHI. On our return leg we were issued boarding passes for KHI -> DOH -> LHR with bags tagged all the way.

We had a 2 hour connection in Doha, so plenty of time. Upon landing in Doha a QR agent was standing at the airport with a sign looking for passengers travelling onto QR1 to LHR. They had gathered up about 12 pax, including us and I thought they would expedite us to the next gate.

Instead, after wasting 10 mins agent informs us that the next flight is oversold and they will route us through Athens on another flight that day. I asked if they are denying boarding as I have a boarding pass and am on time. Agents response was yes, I asked if they will compensate, she again said yes.

none of it is making sense, I look at my clock and there is still over an hour for the next flight. I said I will take my chances at the gate as I have small kids and can’t sit around any longer. Also told all the other passengers to head to the gate as this doesn’t make sense, how can they deny boarding to 12 people with confirmed connections without the flight even close to closing.

get to the gate, no issues with our flight, we were scanned in no questions asked and all the other passengers made it too, very comfortably. No idea what just happened. Flight is boarded and then we miss our takeoff time, suddenly another mass of people come on board and the flight fills up. We take off 30 mins late “told due to a connecting flight”

i can’t make sense of any of this. Would love to find out what happened here? My best guess is they didn’t want to load the bags.