corporate-wage-slave

Yes, it's been a painful lesson. I would advocate people use this forum to check things like this out before booking, there was an obvious problem with this booking. We occasionally hear of similar stories for those trying a day trip to Moscow, different circumstances, but similar difficulties - and those suggesting it also seem unaware what transit means. I think your best line of argument now, incidentally, is that given the ticking clock, the Qatar agent should have denied you long, long before check-in was closed, then BA could have sucked back the Avios. So you could ask BA to show mercy by asking whether anything could be done about this, since QR clearly took way longer that necessary to reach that view. If I had been working the check-in desk you'd have been bounced off in 90 seconds, it's an obvious non starter and the QR staff would know that only residents are being allowed into Qatar unless transiting. So you could perhaps ask that QR / BA look at that aspect and perhaps see if anything can be done about it. But yeah, it's a tough crowd.

Elsewhere you have indicated how you are itching to get travelling again, I am sure you are aware that from 15 December you can go to a wide range of other places and find the self isolation period cut to 5 or 6 days. Right now Dubai would be a better bet, albeit on a BA aircraft.

nufnuf77

there is currently no security check in Doha in my past couple of flights since pandemic started. Just a pass through temperature screen

nufnuf77

I am sorry but no one is asking for your judgemental view of what people ought and ought not do. Human life does have monetary value as many assurance professionals would tell you and NO, life and travel will not just stop to save one person

Newbtravelle

FT should be a place of help. The tone of some in this thread (forum at times) is too judgemental, haughty and frankly these people sound very insecure. Were these people bullied at school/neglected as children? We are all human and have made mistakes and this is/should be a place to share knowledge and help others when things go wrong - not judge.

QR in my experience are more "hot" on checking/observing entry requirements than other airlines. It would be good if BA is able to offer you something. Did you purchase the ticket before the Qatar travel ban? That may help your case.

LondonElite

No airline plays loosy-goosy with entry requirements, and certainly not now. As always, it is the traveller's responsibility to check whether they are able to travel and be admitted on the day of travel with correct paperwork, etc. This is independent of when the ticket was bought. It is not BA's fault that entry rules are what they are.

I understand the OP's motivation, and I sympathise and appreciate that to most rational people, staying airside is, for the practical purpose of the entry regulation, the same as being in transit. But the fact is that it is not, and that's not BA's fault.

megaloman

it depends which airport you're arriving from - UK/EU transit pax are often directed back into departures lounge.

cauchy

So actually if you go to https://www.qatarairways.com/en/visa...uirements.html and fill it in with destination & nationality "United Kingdom" and transit point "Qatar" it comes back with:So unfortunately for the OP, even if he was in transit, he wasn't in transit to a third country so he doesn't qualify for TWOV. But there's still a Visa Exemption paragraph on this TIMATIC response which doesn't seem to make much sense (in that you definitely can't stay in Qatar for 30 days to await your next flight). If the airline's own website can't get it right I think it's a bit harsh to expect the OP to do so.

corporate-wage-slave

The visa exemption applies to both entry and transit for Qatar. If you enter Qatar as the destination, then this becomes more apparent, since though a visa exemption applies, you still cannot enter Qatar. Previously some people needed a visa even to transit in Qatar.

LondonElite

I think the algorithm isn't set up to consider a situation where someone would return to country 1 without entering the country.

Newbtravelle

Agree totally, but many airlines are being lenient with change fees etc. given entry rules can change after you buy a ticket. e.g. QR give a free change if your destination changes its entry rules. I have no clue for BA since I don't think they stipulate anything, but who knows they may show mercy, if OP falls under this.

Anonba

The option would have been take a voucher before check in closed, unfortunately op missed that deadline.

LondonElite

Agree, and this probably would have been easier if it had been only one airline involved (ie not involving BA as TA or QR as operating carrier).

garykung

I did not. My question was partially rhetorical. Another part was I really wanted to see how exactly this was a EC261 in case I was wrong.

I standby with my comments.

While it seems it is moot for now, OP made a mistake. No big deal. The problem is OP claimed a complaint would be filed (which I doubt it is the case now).

CS is about serving customers better. There is always a bottom line for CS, as you can't simply accommodate everyone.

While I agree that many people are usually banned for life due to major incidents, it does not preclude an airline to "give up" a passenger on CS issue. In fact, this had happened before.

Howard Long

IME it depended which gate you arrive at from the UK and other select outstations, that is definitely a crap shoot, and my assumption, albeit moot now, was that I'd need to go through a security screen. If you correctly orientate yourself and know which way you're going before & after security you can avoid long aimless walks around the duty free trying to find the lounge escalators.

Howard Long

As I've mentioned several times, it wasn't even on my radar as a risk TBH bearing in mind my previous experiences and (incorrect) assumption that B2B=transit.