I made a terrible mistake booking Qatar J longhaul.
Oct 29, 2023, 3:46 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 90
I made a terrible mistake booking Qatar J longhaul.
Just coming back from a week away in MLE. Booked in J with Qatar Airways for the first time, as a BA Exec Silver - so I get the tier points.
Utterly gobsmacked by the facilities in Doha. I know the T5 Heathrow lounges felt crowded, cramped and dingy before - but now it’s going to be even worse.
Every time I go through LHR I’m going to be thinking of that Qatar flight, the clean aircraft, great service and excellent airport.
Totally ruined the BA experience for me now.
Please don’t make the same mistake!
Utterly gobsmacked by the facilities in Doha. I know the T5 Heathrow lounges felt crowded, cramped and dingy before - but now it’s going to be even worse.
Every time I go through LHR I’m going to be thinking of that Qatar flight, the clean aircraft, great service and excellent airport.
Totally ruined the BA experience for me now.
Please don’t make the same mistake!
Oct 29, 2023, 3:54 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,146
Yes, scary isn't it! We flew QR to CPT once, and found the entire experience quite amazing.
So this is Qatar Airways? UK-South Africa with QR (and a bit of BA).
So this is Qatar Airways? UK-South Africa with QR (and a bit of BA).
Oct 29, 2023, 4:08 am
#3
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: UK
Programs: BD Gold, BAEC Gold, Hilton HHonors
Posts: 870
Absolutely hear this - having been lucky enough to do quite a few runs to Australia / NZ in BA First and Club World, we were absolutely amazed when we did a trip with Emirates out Qantas back in First - absolutely massive step up. If only they did the domestics, Europe and North American runs!!!
Oct 29, 2023, 4:13 am
#4
Ambassador: Emirates Airlines
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 18,619
Oh dear, this won't end well. The BA cheerleaders will be along soon to tell you how wrong you are. Here's a few to start :-
- Subsidised airline, BA can't compete
- Poorly trained pilots - their safety record is terrible
- Robotic staff
- Terrible human rights
- You're funding terrorism
- Subsidised airline, BA can't compete
- Poorly trained pilots - their safety record is terrible
- Robotic staff
- Terrible human rights
- You're funding terrorism
Oct 29, 2023, 4:19 am
#5
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Jersey
Programs: BAEC gold
Posts: 522
Yes, it’s astonishing what you can achieve as an airline when you don’t have to turn a profit, isn’t it? Maybe IAG’s biggest shareholder could open its chequebook wider to improve things at BA. Oh hang on a minute, it’s QR…
I’m all for knocking BA when they get stuff wrong, but comparing LHR with DOH or indeed BA with QR is just childish. They may as well operate on different planets economically. And yet BA survives, because QR don’t fly from the UK to the US…
sigh…
I’m all for knocking BA when they get stuff wrong, but comparing LHR with DOH or indeed BA with QR is just childish. They may as well operate on different planets economically. And yet BA survives, because QR don’t fly from the UK to the US…
sigh…
Oct 29, 2023, 4:20 am
#6
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: London
Programs: Sir Ratechaser Seigneur de la Patience d'un Saint (Mucci), BA Silver, Starbucks Gold
Posts: 2,570
Oh dear, this won't end well. The BA cheerleaders will be along soon to tell you how wrong you are. Here's a few to start :-
- Subsidised airline, BA can't compete
- Poorly trained pilots - their safety record is terrible
- Robotic staff
- Terrible human rights
- You're funding terrorism
- Subsidised airline, BA can't compete
- Poorly trained pilots - their safety record is terrible
- Robotic staff
- Terrible human rights
- You're funding terrorism
There was another good one yesterday, by a poster pleading for a detractor to fly BA more to prop up their own IAG shareholding, although I suspect that might have been a bit tongue in cheek.
Either way, it's always 5pm somewhere in the world, so I am going to fetch the 🍿
Oct 29, 2023, 4:24 am
#7
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,757
Yep, I managed a few J trips to Oz with QR and it ranks for me as the very best in that class. Food was plentiful, enjoyable and I love being able to order what I want, when I want. And the crew, although a little robotic are extremely efficient and very pleasant.
Clean aircraft, massive lounge with terrific showers (although you need to get there fast to book one) and I love the Q-suites. Although the bar on the 380 is also a great touch.
I honestly could not fault them, although there will be those who have had sub-par experiences for whatever reason. I just wish their prices ex-EU were back to pre-covid levels as they are now among the most expensive options.
Clean aircraft, massive lounge with terrific showers (although you need to get there fast to book one) and I love the Q-suites. Although the bar on the 380 is also a great touch.
I honestly could not fault them, although there will be those who have had sub-par experiences for whatever reason. I just wish their prices ex-EU were back to pre-covid levels as they are now among the most expensive options.
Oct 29, 2023, 4:29 am
#9
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Devon, UK
Programs: VS Silver; Matmid Silver, BA Bronze; Accor Plat.
Posts: 961
That last one is a bit of a sticky wicket given QR owns 25% of IAG. So 4 sectors on BA and you're also sponsoring the same terrorism...
There was another good one yesterday, by a poster pleading for a detractor to fly BA more to prop up their own IAG shareholding, although I suspect that might have been a bit tongue in cheek.
Either way, it's always 5pm somewhere in the world, so I am going to fetch the 🍿
There was another good one yesterday, by a poster pleading for a detractor to fly BA more to prop up their own IAG shareholding, although I suspect that might have been a bit tongue in cheek.
Either way, it's always 5pm somewhere in the world, so I am going to fetch the 🍿
Oct 29, 2023, 4:31 am
#10
Ambassador: Emirates Airlines
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 18,619
Oct 29, 2023, 4:32 am
#11
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,757
The crew's humour and human touch are the only areas for me where BA have it over much of the opposition. It's a pity they are hampered by the management and BA's customer service in not being able to offer the best in a premium product, because Club Suites are now a very good alternative.
Oct 29, 2023, 4:50 am
#12
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Jersey
Programs: BAEC gold
Posts: 522
Why? Both are advertising a premium experience in their higher class of travel. LHR promotes itself as a world class, world leading airport. Yes, both airlines are funded in a different way however that shouldn't stifle the opportunity to compare. Facts of the matter are clear with the hard product, the food and the way it is presented to the end user - me.
The crew's humour and human touch are the only areas for me where BA have it over much of the opposition. It's a pity they are hampered by the management and BA's customer service in not being able to offer the best in a premium product, because Club Suites are now a very good alternative.
The crew's humour and human touch are the only areas for me where BA have it over much of the opposition. It's a pity they are hampered by the management and BA's customer service in not being able to offer the best in a premium product, because Club Suites are now a very good alternative.
Let me be clear - I’m not saying that you can’t compare BA and QR’s service or product objectively. My point is that doing so without acknowledging why the differences exist seems to me to be a childish exercise.
The fact is QR could change BA’s management if they wanted to. I wonder why they don’t?
Last edited by jmd; Oct 29, 2023 at 4:58 am Reason: Typos
Oct 29, 2023, 5:19 am
#14
Community Director
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Norwich, UK
Programs: A3*G, BA Gold, BD Gold (in memoriam), IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 8,480
Folks, talk of links to terrorism are wholly inappropriate for any airline forum, and it's extremely disappointing that anyone should even open the discussion on that here. Take it to OMNI/PR, please.
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