florin

We all know this... QR is good at some things while failing miserable at others.

- The website is just TERRIBLE. I'm a software person and I cringe every time I go to QR.com - the way it's implemented is absolute garbage.
- QR sucks at IROPS. I can't think of any situation that has been gracefully handled.
- Agents are not empowered to do much. They simply don't have the option to act like a human being, even if they wanted to. It's the way that QR has set up their structure.
- Coms are bad. Long wait times on the phone, emails answered many days later... things like this can be very frustrating to pax.


There is SO much travel-related uncertainty due to Covid nowadays! Rules change all the time. You'd think that over a year into it, airlines would be better at this game by now; you can only play "oh no this got us all by surprise" card for so long...

Selling non-refundable UGs under these circumstances seems evil, IMO

Few countries have adapted their travel rules for people who have been vaccinated.

Ijones027

A flight from jfk to qatar and then a separate flight to Dubai not leaving the airport would require a test on which segment?

ISTFlyer

The State of Qatar does not have any COVID test requirements for transfer passengers arriving from the USA ( even on separate tickets ), thus you would only need to comply with the requirements that the UAE has set for entry.

However, border restrictions might change so keep an eye on them within regular intervals just in case they change.

Ijones027

Ah. So even though I would probably have to recheck my baggage that wouldn't make go though customs to recheck them?

ISTFlyer

QR would through check bags on two separate tickets if both flights arriving and departing are QR or oneworld operated/marketed flights.
You wouldn't be able to enter Qatar and clear customs even for rechecking baggage as currently most foreigners are not allowed to enter.

lifeonthego_k

Sorry to hear about your situation. Have you tried filing a dispute with your credit card company for the amount of the upgrade?

InternationalLiving

Thanks for the replies everyone. I have an update! After almost two weeks, Qatar customer service replied, and to my surprise, they offered to refund the online upgrade, and furthermore, refund the return ticket segment, subject to the ticket T&Cs on refunds. If this means only getting back something like £100 of the ~£500 though, I won't be best pleased still. If that's the case, I've told Qatar we'll accept a travel voucher for future travel with Qatar to the same value (i.e. ~£500). I hope they'll bite - if not, I'll try HSBC for a chargeback of this amount.

Thank you! She did get back okay in the end, albeit with some more stress. EY was not bad in J, but not as good as QR she said (although their 787 seats look nicer than those on Qatar's 787s). I think she's a bit addicted to the Q-Suite product (which I haven't even tried yet!). Not sure if we can afford that much in the future, but will probably stick with QR for the time being if they keep their 5 A380s for now or I can take the A350. Hate the 787 and 777 in 10-abreast Y. Otherwise, EK's new Y+ looks extremely inviting! Did you manage to get a flight back in the end?

Ugh, what a shame, sounds like you were in the same situation. What a mess when the airline isn't able to sort it out over the phone right away...

Thank you! Hopefully I won't need to test HSBC this time if Qatar manage to come to a full agreement (I'm still not 100% hopeful though, as I doubt they'll deviate from their ticket rules).

Yeah, I made all those points in my email actually, but especially the one about the lack of authority of check-in agents. I could tell the agent in Manila had her hands tied - she was on the phone to Doha, but wasn't able to do either of the two main logical things that could have been done to rectify the situation, i.e. either rebook for the next day in business class (thereby honouring the class paid for), or rebooking that same evening on a different airline (Singapore still had seats available in J that evening, at a fairly similar cost, and her PCR test would have been valid for transfer via Singapore).

And yes, selling non-refundable upgrades at times like these, and then not even transferring them when you (the airline) messes up, is a bit evil, or at the very least irresponsible and nasty.

Thank you... as above, thankfully that won't be necessary now, although I may do so for the cost of the (reasonably pricey) economy return segment, should the refund amount not be very high after the charges...

Julien O

Silly question maybe, but how you need to count the 48h if you have a connecting flight?

In my case I will fly TAC to MNL to DOH to ZRH, ticket issued from TAC to ZRH by Qatar airways. Should the 48h count from the 1st flight (TAC -> MNL) or from the effective departure from the Philippines? I doubt that PAL will check anything, but we never know.. My stopover in MNL will be 6h..

SK AAR

Check the Covid test requirements for Qatar and Switzerland in TIMATIC; should tell you from when 48h are to be counted. Also pay close attention to if only PCR test will do or rapid/antigen test will suffice.

Newbtravelle

Flying SFO-IST tomorrow. I am wondering if the requirement seen on the QR website is still current and therefore doesn't apply for the USA. (In which case for IST I just need an antigen 48 hrs before or PCR at 72hrs)

ISTFlyer

If you haven't been to one of the countries listed in the parts you have circled, you only need to comply with the entry rules of your final destination.

The State of Qatar does not have any specific COVID requirements for transfer passengers if you have remained in the USA for the last 14 days

mileageking

This is what TIMATIC shows if I enter info as US citizen, IST as final destination, 7 vacation days, return/onwards confirmed ticket and sameday transit in DOH.

I believe your understanding is correct on 48hrs for Antigen and 72hrs for PCR if you haven't been to the countries listed. You could be subject to PCR test in Turkey. I believe there is a travel entry form that needs to be filled out as stated in TIMATIC.

Newbtravelle

Thanks guys! I'll screenshot Timatic also just incase any issues.

nomiiiii

I'm flying Pakistan to USA on Qatar, so even though US has 3 calendar days rule even antigen ok, I need to get the 48 hour pcr test done (I was aware of this due to diligently reading website rules 100 times, like OP I missed this rule in the first reading of rules). I bought the flight on Qatar website, no third party agents.

Anyways, my experience has been that the pcr test lab was very aware of reduced test timing for Qatar and proactively advised me to be well within 48 hours even if my US destination is longer, and on top of that today I got an unsolicited proactive phone call from a real human Qatar local "passenger services agent" advising me of the test time and checking if the lab I got tested at was authorized.

So overall I was honestly impressed by Qatar's handling of the changing rules, at least ex-Pakistan. But their website should have this transit rule front and center given how much traffic they get from these countries

Julien O

Information from different websites give differents result and it's really difficult to judge what's is correct and/or would be accepted :

From Qatar Airways website :
Effective 29 April 2021, passengers arriving or transiting in Qatar who have been in [...] the Philippines need to present a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 48 hoursprior to their scheduled departure time from these countries.

From IATA website :
Passengers entering or transiting through Qatar from Philippines must have a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken at most 48 hours before departure of the first embarkation point. The test result must be issued by a testing center approved by the local government.

MPH Qatar :
All passengers whose original flight is from the said countries are subject to mandatory COVID-19 PCR Test done 48 hours before departure from the testing centers approved by their local health authority. Knowing that no one can board the flight to Qatar without a valid Negative PCR certificate.

So, in the above case, who should you follow ? As MPH Qatar is not going to the details and Qatar Airways and IATA have 2 different interpretation.
I still have time, and hope this will be lifted on the time I need to travel back, but otherwise what would be my best option ?