IFE fail - not quite 5*
Nov 7, 2015, 7:55 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold (OW Emerald) & Jet Airways - Thank goodness i never got started.......most awful FF program
Posts: 2,385
IFE fail - not quite 5*
Qatar Airways really confuse me. They have fantastic seats on the A380/350 and 787 but the IFE is extremely unreliable.
Whereas the 777 seats are not quite up there anymore for a J class seat but have an IFE system that works.
I just completed my 12th Qatar long haul this morning and had an epic IFE failure. Was flying JNB to DON and apart from the first 2 rows, the rest of the plane did not have a working IFE syatem. Nothing came up on the handheld remote and to rub salt into the wounds, you could not switch of the screen so we had to spend 8 hrs watching those annoying adverts!
2 questions:
1) why do QR take delivery of new 777s with the old config in J?
2) any plans of sorting out the major bugs in the new IFE. I have flown the new planes 6 times this year and have had to do a forced restart at least once on each flight. How does AAB tolerate this?
Whereas the 777 seats are not quite up there anymore for a J class seat but have an IFE system that works.
I just completed my 12th Qatar long haul this morning and had an epic IFE failure. Was flying JNB to DON and apart from the first 2 rows, the rest of the plane did not have a working IFE syatem. Nothing came up on the handheld remote and to rub salt into the wounds, you could not switch of the screen so we had to spend 8 hrs watching those annoying adverts!
2 questions:
1) why do QR take delivery of new 777s with the old config in J?
2) any plans of sorting out the major bugs in the new IFE. I have flown the new planes 6 times this year and have had to do a forced restart at least once on each flight. How does AAB tolerate this?
Nov 7, 2015, 8:27 am
#2
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 842
Qatar Airways really confuse me. They have fantastic seats on the A380/350 and 787 but the IFE is extremely unreliable.
Whereas the 777 seats are not quite up there anymore for a J class seat but have an IFE system that works.
I just completed my 12th Qatar long haul this morning and had an epic IFE failure. Was flying JNB to DON and apart from the first 2 rows, the rest of the plane did not have a working IFE syatem. Nothing came up on the handheld remote and to rub salt into the wounds, you could not switch of the screen so we had to spend 8 hrs watching those annoying adverts!
2 questions:
1) why do QR take delivery of new 777s with the old config in J?
2) any plans of sorting out the major bugs in the new IFE. I have flown the new planes 6 times this year and have had to do a forced restart at least once on each flight. How does AAB tolerate this?
Whereas the 777 seats are not quite up there anymore for a J class seat but have an IFE system that works.
I just completed my 12th Qatar long haul this morning and had an epic IFE failure. Was flying JNB to DON and apart from the first 2 rows, the rest of the plane did not have a working IFE syatem. Nothing came up on the handheld remote and to rub salt into the wounds, you could not switch of the screen so we had to spend 8 hrs watching those annoying adverts!
2 questions:
1) why do QR take delivery of new 777s with the old config in J?
2) any plans of sorting out the major bugs in the new IFE. I have flown the new planes 6 times this year and have had to do a forced restart at least once on each flight. How does AAB tolerate this?
1) Because the new Business Class seat is not yet certified. The 787 seat wasn't intended for the 777.
2) You are right, the Thales system is not very reliable and going by how previous IFE systems developed it would probably be a year or two before it becomes more stable, the 777 Panasonic IFE system is 9 years old.
Nov 7, 2015, 9:48 am
#4
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 842
I agree with you, especially on the 787/A320 the controller is very laggy and freezes often, the A350/A380 one is a bit more responsive. It just seems un-necessary, give me a standard controller anytime.
Nov 7, 2015, 5:17 pm
#6
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: OZ, Perth
Programs: QF QR Silver, DJ,TG,MH
Posts: 509
I hated the "rabbit hole" J seating of the of those planes and much prefer the openness of the 777 J cabin.
Nov 7, 2015, 10:36 pm
#8
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Doha, Qatar
Programs: QR Gold
Posts: 772
Call me old fashioned; but I like the old A330's IFE the most. Its a remote and a simple "Super Nintendo" style arrow pads; where you move from one icon to another. Easy enough.
I do not get why you would not be able to access the menu from the TV; and you are forced to use the remote as a menu on the 787's/A320s/A380s/A350s.
I do not get why you would not be able to access the menu from the TV; and you are forced to use the remote as a menu on the 787's/A320s/A380s/A350s.
Nov 7, 2015, 10:56 pm
#9
Join Date: Jun 2007
Programs: SQ AA TK
Posts: 1,438
Row 1 solves the rabbit hole problem. My issue with the 787 seat is that it feels super exposed.
Nov 8, 2015, 3:04 am
#10
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Germany
Programs: QR Gold, Skyteam Silver, Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum
Posts: 144
How to initiate touch screen on A-350
I had the same problems on my last A-350 flight, after several flights where it worked perfectly. After one hour the IFE broke down. Going with the pacient SFS through the various re-starts I learned a little "secret". Normally, the system is set in a way that you control it through the hand held device. My problem with it: it does not allow you to access the various sub-menues of the air show - and the airshow is my peferred entertainment programme. Most of crews do not yet know about these features. So, to access them you have to move control from the hand held to the (touch) screen. He explained me that you have to press the on/off button for some seconds to initiate the re-start of your system. Then you have this little circling thing. After some time of circling the face of a flight attendant should appear. Put your finger there and after some more circling the system should prompt you on whether you wish to transfer control from the hand held to the screen. Unfortunately, I could not verify this as the system wass off..I will try it in two weeks on my next flight. Has anyone tried this already?
Btw: QR compensated me with 5000 Q miles which was fine for me
Btw: QR compensated me with 5000 Q miles which was fine for me
Nov 8, 2015, 5:00 am
#11
Join Date: Jun 2008
Programs: TK*G (E+), IHG Plat Ambassador
Posts: 7,884
I also like the seats, though...
Nov 8, 2015, 8:49 am
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold (OW Emerald) & Jet Airways - Thank goodness i never got started.......most awful FF program
Posts: 2,385
I have complained to Qatar about this.......what should a non-QR privilege club member seek as adequate service recovery*?
*Qatar advertise themselves as the creme de la creme of the aviation world and 5*. I choose to fly via Doha because I have been suckered in by their high service standards but this was not 5* at all and I feel that I am perfectly entitled to ask for something in return for a major fail?
*Qatar advertise themselves as the creme de la creme of the aviation world and 5*. I choose to fly via Doha because I have been suckered in by their high service standards but this was not 5* at all and I feel that I am perfectly entitled to ask for something in return for a major fail?
Nov 8, 2015, 10:36 pm
#13
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 89
I have complained to Qatar about this.......what should a non-QR privilege club member seek as adequate service recovery*?
*Qatar advertise themselves as the creme de la creme of the aviation world and 5*. I choose to fly via Doha because I have been suckered in by their high service standards but this was not 5* at all and I feel that I am perfectly entitled to ask for something in return for a major fail?
*Qatar advertise themselves as the creme de la creme of the aviation world and 5*. I choose to fly via Doha because I have been suckered in by their high service standards but this was not 5* at all and I feel that I am perfectly entitled to ask for something in return for a major fail?
"We are in receipt of your web complaint.
At the outset, we wish to sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused to you as a result of you not being able to experience and use the in-flight entertainment system on your flight from Doha to Hong Kong.
We in Qatar Airways take great pride in ensuring the highest standards of serviceability of all our cabin features. We trust you will understand that whilst extensive checks are carried out prior to boarding of passengers, there are occasions where deviations from our in-flight service levels surface only later, where our cabin crew are occasionally unable to rectify the matter. We would like to assure you that instances when such defects occur are rare and request you to please treat this experience as an aberration. We have noted your comments about the handling and have forwarded it to the relevant department for their attention.
We are committed to providing our passengers with the highest levels of service and innovation onboard our flights to maintain the 5 star propositions to which we aspire and we assure you that on your future travels with us you will experience the 5-star service that has become a hallmark of Qatar Airways. However, we regret to inform you that we are unable to offer any form of compensation on this occasion.We once again sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused and remain hopeful that you will continue to use our services again in the future and make Qatar Airways the airline of your choice.
Last edited by ctb213ctb213; Nov 8, 2015 at 10:43 pm
Nov 9, 2015, 7:24 pm
#14
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Thames Valley
Programs: BAEC, LHM&M, and even a dusty KLFB!
Posts: 893
A couple of quick musings about B787 IFE based on a recent trip, which might be helpful to someone in the future:
3 out of 4 sectors last week on the 787 (which, by the way, I found to be a pretty uncomfortable J seat experience - somehow the seat back is just too low to provide me with proper support - it was only comfy when reclined to medium slouch position!).
For a start, I don't really understand why the 3 different aircraft had different IFE choices loaded - I thought the same a/c type (and therefore IFE system type, presumably) would have the same monthly package of content loaded, but no... Which means I need to wait until next week to stand a chance of finishing the films I started on one of my sectors ;-)
But the useful tip is that on my last sector, my IFE system kept blanking and resetting by itself. After it had done it four times, I asked the crew, and they tried 3 times to reset it to no avail. It either would come up with no sound, or it just reset itself again and again. Having given up and read a couple of magazines, I had a careful play/diagnose of the system, and realised what the issue was. The power connector on the headphones must have been faulty and was short circuiting the system if the headphones were plugged in or moved. Using my own (non powered) headphones or a new QR pair cured the problem, and the system worked perfectly. So if you ever have a seat where the IFE keeps resetting itself, try replacing your headset!
3 out of 4 sectors last week on the 787 (which, by the way, I found to be a pretty uncomfortable J seat experience - somehow the seat back is just too low to provide me with proper support - it was only comfy when reclined to medium slouch position!).
For a start, I don't really understand why the 3 different aircraft had different IFE choices loaded - I thought the same a/c type (and therefore IFE system type, presumably) would have the same monthly package of content loaded, but no... Which means I need to wait until next week to stand a chance of finishing the films I started on one of my sectors ;-)
But the useful tip is that on my last sector, my IFE system kept blanking and resetting by itself. After it had done it four times, I asked the crew, and they tried 3 times to reset it to no avail. It either would come up with no sound, or it just reset itself again and again. Having given up and read a couple of magazines, I had a careful play/diagnose of the system, and realised what the issue was. The power connector on the headphones must have been faulty and was short circuiting the system if the headphones were plugged in or moved. Using my own (non powered) headphones or a new QR pair cured the problem, and the system worked perfectly. So if you ever have a seat where the IFE keeps resetting itself, try replacing your headset!
Nov 9, 2015, 10:52 pm
#15
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Zurich area
Posts: 302
For a start, I don't really understand why the 3 different aircraft had different IFE choices loaded - I thought the same a/c type (and therefore IFE system type, presumably) would have the same monthly package of content loaded, but no... Which means I need to wait until next week to stand a chance of finishing the films I started on one of my sectors ;-)
IFEs is normally loaded with new content when aircraft goes into maintenance. As far as I know it is done during A-check https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircra...tenance_checks
It might be different for QR.
As a leisure traveler I can afford to plan my trip outbound in the last week of the month. And inbound after the first week of the following month. This normally offers me more choices, especially on airlines with limited selection in their IFE.