While accepting fully, that the conflict and its impact is not the fault of Qatar Airways, it does not take away from them the responsibility to actually deal with the issues it created. The stark truth is that they did not have any sort of emergency plan at any level and simply abandoned most customers. Phones go unanswered, there are numerous reports of staff simply walking away and airport managers instructed to refuse all re routes, especially in the early days.

Their handling has been woeful and I am afraid that receiving that email while simultaneously trying to contact a local office in Asia just made my blood boil.

I don’t want a status extensions, I simply want them
to answer a phone or provide a means by which their customers “to whom their commitment has not wavered” can arrange travel.

The email does at least tell me that they know they have dropped the ball and this is as close as they are going to get to apologising!

I was a vocal exponent and when flying with them it has been superb but this chaos has caused them genuine reputational damage and it will be some time before I feel confident to fly with them again.