EC261 and my experience with Qatar
Just wanted to share my recent experience with Qatar Airways and EC261 compensation, as a reference point for anyone who might find themselves in a similar situation.
Back in November, I flew Business Class from Barcelona to Colombo. Unfortunately, due to a mechanical failure, the flight from BCN to DOH to was delayed by six hours, which caused a misconnection and ultimately triggered EC261 eligibility.
To Qatar's credit, they were very proactive at each stage of the disruption. At Barcelona, despite having lounge access, I was still issued a meal voucher. When I eventually reached Doha, I was given a hotel overnight stay and another meal voucher, again in addition to lounge access. I appreciated the effort to make passengers as comfortable as possible under the circumstances.
I was due compensation under EC261, and on my return journey, while in the First Class Lounge in Doha, I used the lounge printer to print the required form (which is worth noting for those needing one), filled it out, and submitted it along with my travel partner.
Both of us soon received a follow-up email requesting our passport copies and bank details, which we submitted promptly.
Here’s where things diverged:
My travel partner received his €600 compensation within about two weeks.
I, on the other hand, entered a months-long spiral of online chats and phone calls.
Every time I followed up—whether through chat or by phone—the response was consistent: “We will escalate your case.” Unfortunately, the escalation never led to any progress, and there was no clear path to resolution.
Eventually, after around six to seven months, I submitted a letter before action to Qatar Airways' London headquarters, sent by signed recorded delivery. Within three days, I received an email stating that they had received my documents, that my case had been passed to the finance department, and that payment would be processed. Two days later, €600 was in my account.
To be clear, this post isn’t intended as either criticism or praise—it’s simply a factual recounting of what happened. Same booking, same disruption, same claim form submitted at the same time. Yet one case was resolved in two weeks, and the other required legal notice and seven months of follow-up.
Would this put me off flying with Qatar Airways again?
Not at all. The onboard product, proactive disruption handling, and service levels remain excellent in my experience. But if you’re going through a similar EC261 claim, especially one that seems to stall, I hope this provides some useful context—and a reminder that persistence (and formal escalation if needed) can pay off.