InternationalLiving

Well, that's really buried away. It does not come up in the standard Travel and Entry Requirements search, you have to use the other "Visa Requirements" tool. Even there, it's hidden at the bottom in a sub-tab.
Again, if you're looking hard enough because you know it exists, you can find the information eventually. But if you don't know of it, you'll just use the tools that are obvious. This information COULD easily be conveyed to ALL travellers coming from those countries via a travel alert. But it wasn't. It was quietly announced as a news article on Qatar's Ministry of Health website, and it's not even mentioned elsewhere on their site. Similarly, there's only one way to find it on Qatar's website, and it's not obvious. We made all reasonable efforts to check travel requirements in advance of travel. It falls within the remit of the national airline to convey any new urgent travel requirements to people flying with them. End of story.

ovacikar

This is a good reminder that traveling in covid is still a gamble, you take a risk against how important to take the trip or stay put in home country.or do not book anything nonrefundable.

​​​​​​Most of the times everything works as planned, but there is still %1 change it would not.

​​​​

plunet

Whilst I have every sympathy with the OPs situation, I suggest we have to accept that any travel at this time could be subject to last minute changes in regulations and policy.

I have to agree with the comments above that it is always the travellers responsibility to be informed of immigration requirements and government advice, and whilst airlines might try to assist with providing such information to their passengers, the passenger must should also know the relevant government websites to be able verify such information. It is very disappointing that Qatar have seemingly not tried to help their passengers more by proactively those with flights on the first few days of the new restrictions, but as they still struggle to notify passengers consistently of flight time changes, I guess it is par for the course.

I was personally in a similar situation back in Jan 2020 in China when borders started to close and the UK government strongly advised UK citizens to leave China... I had a frustrating day trying to reorganise flights back to the UK and trying to keep checking the route I had booked remained open.

Good luck sorting the return journey, I know how much the UK have been dependant upon NHS staff who come from the Philippines in the past year, I hope this doesn't take the shine off a no doubt well deserved break.

InternationalLiving

Thanks Plunet...
I accept that travel requirements are changing constantly - indeed, I'm doing my PhD in the Netherlands right now and have travelled several times to the UK the past year (usually via Eurostar), so I'm quite aware of the need to stay on top of changes. But I guess the point is that A) there is no official section on Qatar's Ministry of Health website showing this information (only a news article at the bottom of their site, with Philippines not visible in the title on the Homepage); B) there is no information on Qatar Airways' own "Travel and Entry Requirements" information searcher, nor on the "Passenger Alerts" page; and C) Qatar Airways have a contractual agreement to provide travel that's paid for in the class of travel paid for (or to offer a refund of the difference if not possible).

Things are not easy right now for anyone, and I'm happy to give airlines etc extra flexibility if they need to rebook a flight etc (Qatar even cancelled a flight of ours last year, I understand). What's not acceptable is when they don't provide necessary/essential travel information even when you search for it, and then don't make any effort to make the resulting situation right for anyone (as I mentioned, about half the other passengers on the flight were also denied check-in).
Also I'll add, had we upgraded at time of rebooking to an "I" ticket (my recommendation, but she was thinking about if she could afford it or not) rather than the email upgrade to an "R" ticket, they would have rebooked her in business all the way for free. To say that an upgrade is not transferable when it's their own fault just doesn't cut it with me I'm afraid...

As a professional transport planner, I feel like I would be fired from a job if I were in charge of providing travel information to customers/the travelling public and failed so epically to do so...

Kacee

Entry is not transit. They are completely different. You can transit many countries without a covid test, entry is a completely different issue.

supatight80

Thank God for flyertalk. Have a flight from CEB to IST 1st week of May, and if it weren't for this thread I wouldn't have known the new 48h rule for transit passengers.

Now just need to find a PCR lab that can do 24h since labs here close before 1830. And flight is at 1835. What a PITA

InternationalLiving

Glad to help! That's mostly why I made this thread, because I know others will be in the same situation... At least FT will tell you what you need to know, even if the airline won't!

I think some here on FT who are questioning my partner not getting a test closer to the flight have no idea how hard it is to get quick-turnaround PCR tests in some developing countries like the Philippines... it's not like the UK where you can just get a 3-hr PCR test at Heathrow. The only way in which she could have got one in time would have been to fly to Manila a day earlier, which she would have done had Qatar contacted us to inform of the sudden rule change...

IAN-UK

So will many other sources, e.g. https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/world.php


In these weird times it might be best to get information from the airline, the relevant authorities and the Timatics etc - and go with the strictest interpretation of what's required.

supatight80

Actually I googled around and found 2 accredited labs in CEB that can do 24h turnaround time. Not too sure in MNL. Thank God for that!

Sorry that your gf had to go through all of this though. I would have been royally pissed as well, considering QR sends these travel entry and requirements email 2-3X a week.

Wonder why countries with more daily covid cases are not on the list, because they are not from countries sending low wage earners to Qatar?

Edit: Ian, I check timatic as well on a regular basis, this is really new. Really can't blame the gf here. Because many were, are, and will be in her situation. It's really easy to say you should have known after the fact... Heck, how many non flyertalkers even know Timatic??

CommittedLurker

Prior to this rule, Qatar had no covid test requirement for transiting pax

it was only based on origin/destination requirements

while this may be a Qatar government rule, it should have been implemented with at least 48 hours notice

Unfortunately that is a bit much to expect from ME carriers/governments

again fantastic hard/soft product, but when things go wrong, they go very wrong with QR

I should have learned my lesson last year when it took Amex 90-120 days to get my refund on $10-15k worth of unused tickets

CX refunded in 30-35 days and UA maybe in 45 days

InternationalLiving

Yes, that well-known, user-friendly IATA website with all the requirements. It took 10 minutes just to enter the data there to get an answer.
Again, that information should be provided by the airline. I don't expect Qatar Airways' website to have the latest correct government information for Lesotho or Monaco. But transit information for Qatar, where I suspect 90% of their customers transit? You Bet!! This is a complete failure of duty to disseminate critical travel information. As much as I have enjoyed your posts over the years Ian, I have to disagree with your sentiment on this one. Qatar Airways should have sent an email. But they don't even have the information on their website if you search under "Travel and entry requirements".
It's a travel requirement, is it not? So why is the information not there?
Please, don't try to make excuses for Qatar Airways here. They have really failed in their duty here, and I WILL be taking them to court if they don't start playing ball.

supatight80

Regular people go to the airlines websites to check restrictions. Especially clicking links on the email Qatar airways sends every so often before departure. Heck, I got 3 emails from QR regarding travel restrictions and none of the links/email show this new requirement.

Easy for us flyertalkers to say should have checked timatic, iata, etc. But you really think regular passengers even know what timatic is?

NOTE to self: check timatic, QR visa requirements page 48h and 24h before departure

ft101

I think he's given the wrong link. The text is right, but it should take you here where you just click on the map - no data to enter.

https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/world.php

brunos

I feel for your friend.

If you are convinced that it is QR fault, then there is little we can say to convince you otherwise.

Even "regular" pax should be aware that requirements are constantly changing on a daily basis and is responsible to check every possible change in her situation due to new country restrictions. It is not QR responsibility to study each itinerary and advise the pax when there is a change in national restrictions. The transit rule was enacted by the State of Qatar on 27 April. It was immediately reflected in
https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/world.php
It appeared quickly on the QR website, but not where you were looking. QR might have been more explicit, but it is still the pax responsibility.

If you keep pushing, QR might grant you a goodwill gesture, but you stand no chance in courts.

We all know that the covid situation in the Philippines is exploding. I would advise your friend to leave as soon as possible trying to get on one of the few flights still operating.

InternationalLiving

It is the responsibility of Qatar to know that each one of their customers transits through Doha though!! I can't understand so many FT'ers sticking up for Qatar Airways here. I'm not telling Qatar off for not having updated info on the latest guidelines in Peru. I'm telling them off because they're not clearly conveying the latest guidelines in Doha, where every one of their transit customers passes through. They're even a state-owned airline! How friggin' hard would a banner on their front page and emailing everyone travelling from Philippines/Sri Lanka/India etc be?!

I did book a new flight for her in the end, on Etihad in J tonight. It was £900. I've also emailed Qatar's "tell-us" email stating the two potential options and what it will mean for their business relationship with us and potential court costs.

My fiancee was one of the first ones on a Covid ward in the UK, back in March last year. She was only permitted to wear a surgical mask - the hospital management wouldn't even let her wear better PPE that we bought ourselves. Most of her colleagues got Covid. Yet she didn't run from her job, and stayed with dying Covid patients as they coughed their last breaths. Imagine, what if she said to her patients "sorry, you didn't listen to the news and stay indoors, I can't help you"? Or maybe when someone with a broken hip came in, "Oh, didn't you see the sign warning of uneven footpath 500m back? I can't be bothered to help, sorry".
The only reason she went to the Philippines in the first place was to be with her family for the funeral of her grandma, the lady she credits with raising and supporting her. Of course we'd rather not spend £5,000 for her to travel in a pandemic.

I'll add that my fiancee has been vaccinated and still takes great precautions, so clearly those supporting Qatar in this thread are doing so because they enjoy pedantry.

I genuinely cannot understand why some are going out their way to defend Qatar Airways here. I've stated the exact circumstances, how Qatar did not email affected customers, and how the information is not even available on their own website when looking for Travel Requirements. Even Qatar Airways reservations specialists in Doha specifically denied there was any such new restriction. The fact that so many other customers did not know of this rule also speaks to that failure... even Supatight80 here on FT did not know. My fiancee said many were sleeping outside the airport terminal last night as a result. These are the hard-working people who keep hospitals staffed, ships carrying your goods, and looking after the kids of rich Emiratis. If you don't have something positive or constructive to say, please don't mention it here.

Oh, and, I hate having to resort to mentioning my qualifications. I have an MSc in Transport Planning, and am doing a PhD in the same. I'm a Qatar FF for 12 years. I even own a piece of Qatar Airways fuselage (from A7-AGD to be exact). I've done well over 250 flights in my lifetime. I live and breathe anything related to travel and transport. I understand very well the requirements for correctly disseminating information to travellers, including to those with certain physical and mental limitations. Heck, my mum even used to own a travel agency. I'm telling you, Qatar Airways are in the wrong here, and I have sufficient proof to show it.