First time flying with QR - Questions
 

I will be flying with QR for the first time next week and have a couple of questions. My route will be MAN->DOH->MCT and I will be in economy class.

First off, I've studied the baggage guidelines and checked my cabin bag against these. However, the guidelines do not state whether or not an additional personal item is allowed. I was thinking in terms of a small camera case. Are QR ground staff likely to be particularly stringent with these rules?

http://www.qatarairways.com/global/en/baggage.html

Secondly, I can't find any information as to when check in opens at MAN or MCT. Can I assume three hours or do they have a smaller window? Generally, I tend to check in early and go to whatever lounge I have access to.

Never had problems with a camera bag ON TOP of the one cabin-bag taken onboard; also, never asked to weigh these bags, although, officially, it cannot be more than 7 kgs. per bag.

Checked-in a few times ex MAN (to DOH and SGN), but that was 2 hours before departure, so I guess 3 hours they 'open up' the desks...

I flew QR economy DAC - IAD. On the DOH - IAD sector, the young girl sitting next to me carried a guitar on board in addition to her stuffed backpack.

Thanks
 

Thanks for confirming. Standard cabin bag + camera bag it is. I asked about weight because my Samsonite cabin case already weighs a bit when empty. Add a laptop, power supply and a couple of changes of clothes and it's likely pushing that 7KG limit (though much less this time because I'm taking a little camera in a smaller bag rather than my big camera + heavy pro lens + laptop :)).

Qatar Airways at MAN
 

The check-in opens 2 and 1/2 hours before flight time. I get there 3 hours before so I get more time in the lounge (I'm a Silver card holder so take advantage of the serviceair lounge with free booze and wireless internet).

They are dead strict on the weight of you main hand luggage bag, but don't bother with you laptop, coat, books, camera as long as they are not IN the bag. I just put all of those in the luggage cart top 'tray section'. So no worries there!

Be wary of you transfer in Doha, sometimes they give the wrong gate for Muscat so double check with the information desk. Otherwise O.K.^

And a big hello from the Escape Lounge at MAN T-Chav. A few points of information for everyone:

1. My check in agent was specifically weighing everones' hand luggage.

2. The luggage guides at MAN contradict the Qatar Airways online size guideline by a fairly wide margin. Fortunately, I did not have to fit my luggage into these.

3. My bag was over the weight limit with laptop.

4. The check in agent explained that 'laptops go free', which I took to mean 'one piece + laptop'.

5. There is nowhere to buy a laptop bag in T-Chav (thought there was a Samsonite shop but was wrong).

hi,

i'm flying qatar airways for the first time later this month IAD - DOH - DEL and back. i carry one large bag (the tom bihn aeronaut) and a waist pack. i don't check in any luggage.

the aeronaut is a little longer (by 5cm) than their sizes posted on their website, but i can pack it so that it is within their size limitations. i'm more concerned by the 7kg weight limit. i'm curious if they weigh the luggage in DOH or any place else. i don't have a laptop i can pull out, and the camera i will be carrying is fairly small, not significantly contributing to the weight.

thanks!
-m

Be careful. Their web site says one thing about allowable bag size while the guides at the airport may be quite a bit smaller. We're not talking a US airline where it is often considered quite acceptable to break the record for world's largest bag ever squeezed into the bin a of 737 here. At IAD you may get away with it depending on exactly who does the ground handling but you may have issues at DOH or DEL......