Howard Long

Indeed, the original check in agent had already spoken to me while I was waiting that she was going off to the gate and they'd try to get me on the next flight: I was about to get up and mention to her that I was 5 minutes away from T5 security compliance limit. About fifteen minutes later, her colleague gave me the news I was, by this time, half expecting. So yes, too late for any voucher, but I wouldn't have known that anyway. As mentioned I asked him to make notes on the booking addressing the situation, and I walked over to a BA rep to ask them to do a similar thing. Not that it made any difference.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

nomiiiii

If this was me OP, I would've immediately gotten on my phone and booked a one-way flight DOH-IST or DOH-FRA etc and shown it to the agents to say that see, I'm going to be transiting on a separate ticket.

Howard Long

The yields on those routes even now are pretty impressive presumably as a direct result of Dubai's arrival testing process. I did consider that as an option, but I won't deny I did turn my nose up at BA's current on board offering ;-)

Again, that's largely down to my own misunderstanding about B2B (not) being transit, otherwise that was a reasonable option, and one I took in March this year.

Anonba

Sorry wasnt having a go just someone asked what were the options.

Howard Long

That did cross my mind, although I was thinking more of MCT or KWI, but keep in mind the check in staff were already working hard to facilitate anyway. If you look at the options for short haul they are limited considering both the pandemic and the political situation in the ME with Qatar. Certainly in retrospect it would have led to impossible itinerary. Furthermore, I'd have had to ensure I was technically fit to travel to those destinations too, something that would not have been the case.

Not to mention the obvious and morally questionable issue that I really would be operating in bad faith by doing that, and it would be obvious to the check in staff too. I wouldn't want to deliberately put someone in that situation.

wilko1

This is a forum and that is exactly what you get: opinion. As this pandemic has shown you, governments are prepared to torpedo economies far more than the QALY cost of lives saved are worth. This is not simply an economics equation. This is politics: politicians aren’t prepared to let people literally die on the streets because there aren’t enough hospital beds.

Sadly your hostile response is exactly why there will likely be likely be laws instituted that are incredibly hostile to the frequent flyer community, and restricting flying. This lack of recognition both of environmental as well as
corona impacts is going to have an exceptionally strong counter-response in the post-Covid world where it has become apparent travel for meeting is less essential than first thought.

If you want to keep free travel at your whim you need to recognise and at least appear to respond to such concerns.

wilko1

My bar is wildly different: not to say wrong, just different. Even if someone made a complaint about something totally inappropriate - they were made to sit next to someone of a different gender/race etc - as long as they were polite, made the complaint appropriately etc I would never ban them. Of course I would respond and rebuke reiterating the values of equality espoused by the airline, but I would never ban them for this.

as an aside I have no doubt the airlines get some really rubbish/inappropriate complaints...

Jed

Any airline that bans a customer for putting in a single complaint arising from an issue such as this risks facing a PR disaster.
Plenty of people complain about care in hospitals. Some are legitimate, others ridiculous. However, none are banned.

Howard Long

No worries!

Jed

HowardLong, hope you get the Avios back. I would be writing an e-mail to BA explaining the situation, that you made a misjudgement and whether there was any possibility of some discretion in getting the Avios reinstated.

Good luck!

itsmeitisss

There is a MASSIVE difference between a lifetime ban and deciding that a customer is beyond helping. If a customer gets a complaint wrong, by ranting and by convincing the CSR that they will "never fly with the airline again" then the CSR may see the customer as being beyond the point of placation. So it is important as a customer to not overplay your hand. But that isn't what the OP is doing, nor is it a ban. If you banned every customer who makes a complaint you would end up with very few customers remaining.

nufnuf77

You make a good point but I don't do lip-service to so called climate warming, environment protectors, or corona-disasterists. So whilst I agree with what you are saying I still won't do that on principle

Dave Noble

The destination of the ticket would still be Doha and v likely that the requirements to arrive in Doha would have been enforced. Having a separate ticket does not turn it into a transit

ISTFlyer

There were reports on the QR board that people were able to transit at DOH with two separate tickets post-COVID.

Dave Noble

Though there would be no comeback if it was prohibited.

Having the returned flight booked from DOH-LHR scheduled to depart at a time where it would be impossible to catch , combined with already having indicated an intent to travel on that flight - I would be surprised if the staff allowed something so obvious an attempt to circumvent the country's requirements