vsepr

There is no more inflight sales catalog magazine. I asked for free playing cards and the inflight manager said no free playing cards and cannot buy onboard as there is no more inflight sales onboard. Can buy duty free items at Doha's Airport duty free instead of onboard. I flew on 8 Aug 2019, 01 May I flew with Qatar Airways still have the thick inflight sales catalog magazine.

msm2000uk

The last minute plane swaps have massively reduced over the past 12 months, with most swaps taking place around 4 weeks before flying.

While there are QSuite swaps, these are not aircraft swaps, and thus purely a preference.

M

Richard Bell

Thanks, I must be out-of-date.

I remember how D/F-sales used to be energetically pushed, on our UK-charter flights, back in the old days. It was a real source of profit in the late-80s, and extra income for the cabin-crew too.

But D/F-prices these days are not exciting anyway, I guess the world moves on.

FlyingScientist

Has anyone tried the security checkpoints in the Northern node?

Spinstorm

When I was in Doha in April I had a 7 hour lay over until my Tokyo flight. I decided to go an explore Doha. I had some massive issues with internet connectivity in the Airport. My first complaint about Qatar is they need to sort out their WiFi... Then I had to join the queue to clear passport control and that was a massive slow queue. The immigration officer told me he didn’t think I had time to go out and come back due to the queues but he didn’t seem to care that much and stamped my passport anyway!

But when I came back an hour later - rushing totally unneeded - I came through the business/first security and it took me literally 2 minutes and I was right by the first class lounge! I was amazed at how quick and easy that was.

The first lounge is fantastic and the rooms with beds great - it is a real shame its now more than double the price of entry - as I enjoyed a few hours sleep for less than a hotel would have cost in the most convenient place possible.

However I wasn’t impressed with the business class lounge. On the way back I had around an hour and half between flights and the lounge (as other have stated) was packed. It didn’t feel like a premium lounge. It was huge but very very busy. I wanted to have a shower and was told I would have to wait an hour! I managed to get one in the end by asking nicely at the entrance and they sneaked me in before others in the queue! Lol which as great service.

Doha airport is massive and I found the directions very confusing. I can’t comment on Singapore (yet) as an airport and I haven’t flown Singapore Airlines (although I do want to) but what I can say is Qatar is in my mind the best airline I’ve flown in terms of onboard and service.

IAN-UK

This is a confusing tale. If you faced a long slow queue at immigration it sounds as though you were travelling in economy class. It's a line I face quite often, and it's awful: the premium-class route is (usually) a joy.

So now you switched to business class. And I'm guessing you bought your way into the Al Safwa lounge (the first class lounge is the one you get as OWE travelling in economy)

Al Mourjan (the one for QR's business-class passengers) gets busy, but what you experienced sounds more like the business-class lounge (the one for lesser members of OneWorld travelling in economy).

Spinstorm

I travelled in J to Budapest to Doha to Tokyo - I was a bit naughty because I went to the first lounge and then had to find my way out. And that was a challenge; hence my confusion finding my way out. Clearly I ended up in the economy immigration area but I wasn't aware there was another way out!

My reference to the business lounge was on the way back from Tokyo I used it. I used the first lounge on my to Tokyo,

vsepr

Will SIA continue to be a great way to fly? « Business « Opinion « TR EMERITUS

Observer:
August 20, 2019 at 10:29 am (Quote)Overrated airline where the cabin crew are nicer to ang mo passengers. No wonder FTs are bullying locals.

Rabble-rouser:
August 20, 2019 at 11:13 pm (Quote)@ Realistically:
Thank you, mate! Glad you still remembered the SIA history from over 16 years ago during the SARS epidemic.

I always believe that Private Sector initiatives were critical for the health of an economy, not brutal State Intervention & physical threats from a tyrant to cower people into giving concessions for the State Enterprise’s profitability.

In early 2000s Tony Fernandes met with M’sian PM Mahathir to lay down the beginnings of Air Asia, the first budget Airline in Asia. The rest as they say was history! M’sia became the 1st mover in today’s Budget Airline operator in Asia while S’pore & SIA are following behind in it’s slipstream eversince.

SIA around 2003 not only extracted concessions from their flight crew including pilots; but also brutally laid off many ground staff including Cabin Service Quality ground staff permanently. Emirates Airlines at that time snapped up those laid off SIA redundant staff to upgrade their own cabin service quality. Since then, Emirates Airlines had won many accolades for their cabin service quality for many years while SIA own cabin service quality actually declined year-on-year.

Today, expatriates now prefer travelling on Gulf Airlines (Emirates, Etihad, Qatar airways) for their corporate travel instead of being on SIA for the long haul trips.

Dr. HFH

I'm a glass-half-full kind of guy. I think that it's pretty good that one can buy one's way in at all. Compare, for example, to the Concorde Room at LHR or FCL at FRA.

Traveller999

If I would be from QR and would read your comment, I would vote for doubling the fee again ;-)
Just joking :-)