Travel Ban South Africa
Dec 22, 2021, 6:06 am
#46
Join Date: May 2013
Programs: PC(QR), IB, CX Marco Polo, SAA Voyager
Posts: 220
I spoke with QR in Doha today and the gentleman said that as per their instructions, flights from SA would resume on 1/1/22. I did some dummy bookings using December dates but they came out with Jan 1st being the earliest available date. We have flights booked on Jan 6th out of JNB to Europe and today received an email from QR advancing the 1st leg JNB-DOH from 1340h to 1050h and that we should be at the airport minimum 4 hours prior to departure. But, so far, no definitive statement from QR regarding South Africa.
Dec 22, 2021, 9:11 am
#47
Join Date: May 2020
Location: DXB and JNB
Programs: EK Plat; QR Gold
Posts: 510
Where did you see the reference to Jan 1st restart? Thank you
I am keeping our flights for now and assuming we don't test positive we intend to go (return booked for Jan 10th). If we get there and the return is cancelled I have a Plan C which is 2x reward economy seats on BA out of CPT (not ideal, but if you need to get out comfort takes back seat). Otherwise I am seeing several European carriers (France, Germany and Switzerland and now Turkey all allow airside transit from SA to UK) selling one way business fares at £1,500 pp (which is similar to what QR would have to pay me back). None of this is ideal but this is one of the very few times a year when we can take a proper holiday and I am not willing to give up that easily! Good luck everyone
I am keeping our flights for now and assuming we don't test positive we intend to go (return booked for Jan 10th). If we get there and the return is cancelled I have a Plan C which is 2x reward economy seats on BA out of CPT (not ideal, but if you need to get out comfort takes back seat). Otherwise I am seeing several European carriers (France, Germany and Switzerland and now Turkey all allow airside transit from SA to UK) selling one way business fares at £1,500 pp (which is similar to what QR would have to pay me back). None of this is ideal but this is one of the very few times a year when we can take a proper holiday and I am not willing to give up that easily! Good luck everyone
Dec 22, 2021, 9:25 am
#48
Join Date: Aug 2018
Programs: AA Plat Pro
Posts: 105
You guys are brave. QR banned flights from SA; then changed it to an outright ban; then announced reinstating of flights, and accepted bookings and money from customers; then cancelled the flights they’d reinstated hours earlier without actually telling anyone or explaining why; and maintain they will recommence flights on the entirely arbitrary date of 1 January, and you’re still booking?
I suppose in a couple of weeks we’ll have to read about your complaints with processing refunds, yeah?
I suppose in a couple of weeks we’ll have to read about your complaints with processing refunds, yeah?
We have flights out of South Africa booked for mid- February. They've been booked since last spring. They were booked with vouchers that have an expiration date so it is obviously ideal for us to be able to use these but you better believe that we already have alternative plans in place. Those alternative plans have nothing to do with the recent flight bans, they were in place before that occurred, as given the ever changing regulations during this pandemic it was prudent to have options. Could the alternative plans also fail? Absolutely! But I figure that if I am going to travel right now then I better be willing to accept that we could run into some difficult hurdles.
Dec 22, 2021, 10:31 am
#49
Join Date: May 2020
Location: DXB and JNB
Programs: EK Plat; QR Gold
Posts: 510
Though I am not saying that any of this is ok, it is not out of the realm of what I've come to expect from many airlines. As someone who lives in the United States, I learned a very long time ago that I need to help myself when something goes wrong with my travel plans and that I can't expect the airlines to be looking out for me or to offer the assistance I need when I need it. Sadly, this was already a reality before COVID so I expect it to be even worse while we're still in the deep of this pandemic. Of course there are airlines that will take much better care of their customers, many of them are under regulations that require them to do so, but many of us don't have the luxury to fly those airlines regularly and thus don't have those high expectations.
We have flights out of South Africa booked for mid- February. They've been booked since last spring. They were booked with vouchers that have an expiration date so it is obviously ideal for us to be able to use these but you better believe that we already have alternative plans in place. Those alternative plans have nothing to do with the recent flight bans, they were in place before that occurred, as given the ever changing regulations during this pandemic it was prudent to have options. Could the alternative plans also fail? Absolutely! But I figure that if I am going to travel right now then I better be willing to accept that we could run into some difficult hurdles.
We have flights out of South Africa booked for mid- February. They've been booked since last spring. They were booked with vouchers that have an expiration date so it is obviously ideal for us to be able to use these but you better believe that we already have alternative plans in place. Those alternative plans have nothing to do with the recent flight bans, they were in place before that occurred, as given the ever changing regulations during this pandemic it was prudent to have options. Could the alternative plans also fail? Absolutely! But I figure that if I am going to travel right now then I better be willing to accept that we could run into some difficult hurdles.
QR’s main reference pint is EK. EK are not bound by EU or US regulations (at least not fully). I was trapped in Dubai and unable to fly directly to Johannesburg (for a while EK stopped flying into SA). I then had a subsequent Johannesburg to JFK return which I wasn’t able to use. For the Johannesburg flight, EK arranged for me to fly through Nairobi to get there, and covered the cost of an extra night in a hotel. I got a full refund for the JNB - JFK - JNB within three days of cancellation. They haven’t had any dodgy false starts.
I simply don’t trust QR. EK seem to be doing the right thing and not jerking people around. QR are doing whatever they think they can get away with.
Dec 23, 2021, 11:06 am
#51
Join Date: Dec 2020
Posts: 63
Thanks for posting this - never a dull moment these days. I called AMEX (I booked through them) who just spoke to QR directly and QR are saying that they have no information on how long the ban is going to last and that nothing can be done until they actually cancel my flight (scheduled for Jan 10th, so within the period of suspension referenced in this Trade Partner update). Go figure!
Dec 25, 2021, 3:12 am
#52
Join Date: Jun 2010
Programs: SQ*G BA GGL/CCR
Posts: 192
QR SA flight
I’m slightly confused here. I just booked on the 21st Dec HEL-DOH-JNB-DOH-BRU. (JNB-DOH on 6th Jan QR1364). QR emailed to say that the flight timing changed from 13.40 to 10.50. I see the flight on expertflyer (but showing 0 inventory in all classes). When I call QR they tell me the flight is cancelled and they can only rebook me on 13th Jan (and tell me they can’t see seats on eg the BA flight via London).
1. from reading the thread above it seems no one has been successful at what I normally expect in the circumstances (a reroute on the same date on any carrier)?
2. why does the flight still show on expertflyer? (Or is the 0 inventory the clue?)
1. from reading the thread above it seems no one has been successful at what I normally expect in the circumstances (a reroute on the same date on any carrier)?
2. why does the flight still show on expertflyer? (Or is the 0 inventory the clue?)
Dec 26, 2021, 10:26 am
#53
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: BA Exec Club Gold, *G, EK Skywards Silver
Posts: 1,022
So just so I am understanding this.
QR are currently still flying south bound but are not carrying pax north bound and therefore if you travel south, you’re ‘on your own’ to get back to DOH and onwards?? Until roughly 11/12 of Jan? And this is due to Qatar’s country rules on Africa? Cheers
QR are currently still flying south bound but are not carrying pax north bound and therefore if you travel south, you’re ‘on your own’ to get back to DOH and onwards?? Until roughly 11/12 of Jan? And this is due to Qatar’s country rules on Africa? Cheers
Dec 28, 2021, 3:14 pm
#55
Join Date: Dec 2020
Posts: 63
So just so I am understanding this.
QR are currently still flying south bound but are not carrying pax north bound and therefore if you travel south, you’re ‘on your own’ to get back to DOH and onwards?? Until roughly 11/12 of Jan? And this is due to Qatar’s country rules on Africa? Cheers
QR are currently still flying south bound but are not carrying pax north bound and therefore if you travel south, you’re ‘on your own’ to get back to DOH and onwards?? Until roughly 11/12 of Jan? And this is due to Qatar’s country rules on Africa? Cheers
Dec 29, 2021, 1:30 am
#57
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: LCY / LHR / ZRH / JNB
Programs: BA
Posts: 120
I have a booking JNB-DOH-LHR this coming Monday the 3rd of January.
I only just became aware of the QR restrictions today as have not been reading much news over the holidays. So I contacted QR today to ask for a rebooking to get home to London, and they said these flights are operating normally and I will be able to travel on Monday as booked.
As with anything from QR customer service I take this with a pinch of salt. But, thought it worth sharing. I guess I’ll find out by Monday if it’s really operating for northbound passengers from Johannesburg…
I only just became aware of the QR restrictions today as have not been reading much news over the holidays. So I contacted QR today to ask for a rebooking to get home to London, and they said these flights are operating normally and I will be able to travel on Monday as booked.
As with anything from QR customer service I take this with a pinch of salt. But, thought it worth sharing. I guess I’ll find out by Monday if it’s really operating for northbound passengers from Johannesburg…
Dec 29, 2021, 1:54 am
#58
Join Date: May 2020
Location: DXB and JNB
Programs: EK Plat; QR Gold
Posts: 510
I have a booking JNB-DOH-LHR this coming Monday the 3rd of January.
I only just became aware of the QR restrictions today as have not been reading much news over the holidays. So I contacted QR today to ask for a rebooking to get home to London, and they said these flights are operating normally and I will be able to travel on Monday as booked.
As with anything from QR customer service I take this with a pinch of salt. But, thought it worth sharing. I guess I’ll find out by Monday if it’s really operating for northbound passengers from Johannesburg…
I only just became aware of the QR restrictions today as have not been reading much news over the holidays. So I contacted QR today to ask for a rebooking to get home to London, and they said these flights are operating normally and I will be able to travel on Monday as booked.
As with anything from QR customer service I take this with a pinch of salt. But, thought it worth sharing. I guess I’ll find out by Monday if it’s really operating for northbound passengers from Johannesburg…
Dec 29, 2021, 4:31 am
#60
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: LCY / LHR / ZRH / JNB
Programs: BA
Posts: 120
Guess I’ll never know. Only reason I booked was QR had a good one-way business fare while others were charging punitively for one-ways. But now both BA and VS are also doing the same with fares at ZAR 25k / GBP £1200 , so have booked a direct flight this weekend instead.