Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways are ripping people off left, right and center... to change a date on a ticket they upsell you the next ticket, plus charge you tax again, which you paid for the first ticket anyhow,
Second, as a privilege club member, to transfer your miles to a family member, friend, etc.. it will cost the person who is receiving them $20 per 1000 miles...
What is the use of this card, if you are not Privileged!
Has anyone here had bad experiences with QA?
I was on a QA flight recently and asked one hostess for a news paper. She said its not available. 5 star airline with no news paper? I think emirates is still the best.
An official there of extremely high seniority once told his crew:
"I don't want you to treat the Captains in any special way: they are nothing more than glorified bus drivers".
How to sell a job with Qatar Airways to potential staff in spite of the reputation? I'll tell you.. On many world airlines, the longest and most attractive routes, like Europe or US (which have highest allowances) are only given after a number of years of seniority. For example, in Thai airways, the younger staff don't get to fly internationally. Thus, drop the carrot of European or long haul flights to most young people around the world and they'll be queueing up. Add in the buzzwords of 'challenge' and 'dynamic' into the description and most people are convinced. They think it will be different for them. It's not about the money - people look for other things in jobs - and the prospect of Geneva, Washington, Hong Kong and Joburg in a month on a '5 star airline' sounds pretty good to most young people I guess.
I could tell a few stories that would make your eyes water (that I have heard, I don't work there but know a lot of people who do) but I don't feel comfortable putting them out on the public domain.
Koko37 - from what I've heard, they certainly do follow it up with the staff. They might not follow it up with you, the aggrieved customer, but they do take it up personally with the staff - it does wonders for staff fear to have stories of ritual sacking and humiliation circulate around the ranks.
And by the way, it's not just the flight attendants who hate it. Ask the captains -they are SCATHING.
What's the use in complaining to the airline anyhow... most of the time absolutely nothing is done about it, and they don't even bother to contact you again. I had an incident in Dubai, where i stayed an extra day, i called QA before hand to ask what the fine was and i was ready to pay, but he informed me no fine, and booked my seat... got to the airport next day and had to buy a one way ticket back to doha, as i was not booked and overstayed. I gave them the reference number, but, QA, who cares.. buy a new ticket or stay here... got back and made a huge complaint at the main office.. it's been 3 years now and never heard anything.. nothing, zilch...zero.. what kind of customer service is that... they just don't give a damn about their customers... make money... make targets... that's it!!!
Never say Never for fear of Forever!!
Hi. nigelreid............YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT ESPECIALLY THE LAST PARA
Your points are true, but it's like any job in Qatar. You should do the research first.
Everyone knows QA is run by that moronic idiot. It's no secret in the aviation industry that he couldn't run a bath, let alone an airline.
Add to that you have the Indian Mafia doing his dirty work to all the staff, and you have to wonder why anyone is daft enough to join the airline in the first place.
I do have sympathy for them (like a lot of employees here working for crappy organisations) but there is SO MUCH bad stuff written about the dysfunction that is endemic at QA that you have to wonder why people ever accept jobs with the airline.
It is known throughout the industry as one of the most poorly run airlines of all!
The minute they get rid of that idiot and find a decent CEO perhaps things will change. Or perhaps they should stop existing as a 'well if Emirates can be big then so can we' airline, and find their own business model that actually suits them.
I have to agree with your comments regarding QA's brand placement.
They have nothing else to say about their airline other than it is a '5 star airline', and I'm yet to meet anyone who would agree.
You can't charge 5 star prices unless you actually deliver, consistently, and to all passengers, a 5 star service.
And in this day and age of increasing petrol prices, airline prices, and general food and living price inflation, the idea of a 5 star airline is a turn off for most people. They would rather travel on a basic, cut price airline and save the money.
What wants to spend thousands and thousands of riyals for a short trip to Europe? Even if it is 5 star I'd rather save my money for the destination, not the air travel.
QA is going to really suffer when fuel prices rise even more. They have enough trouble filling the economy seats in their planes already! Everyone knows their operating loss is about 500 million US annually.
The 5 star award is by Skytrax, an outside global organisation, and I believe Qatar Airways are not the only airline to have it. It applies only to First and Business, not economy, of course.
I have been on lots of their flights which are not even a third full; it is not a money-making operation. Who needs to make money? There is enough natural gas underground to put 5000 empty planes in the air every day!
I find their prices uncompetitive. I had a chuckle last year when I contacted their groups travel dept and asked for a large group quote (around 50 passengers) to Europe. Their 'special' discount price for middle of the night flights was more expensive than what I found on a basic websearch with Expedia for a direct flight on a similar (and also very good) airline. Haha. I told them as much.
The really sad thing is the staff. They are lured to Qatar thinking the job is good, which, to a certain extent, it is. They assume it will be similar to working at Emirates (where the staff smile because they're happy, well-treated employees). When they find out that the organisation is run on Fear and Loathing by a cruel maniac, and they can't leave to work in Emirates because it's written in their contract, they all get really rather depressed.
Just a plea on behalf of them - please, if you are travelling by Qatar Airways and one of the crew seems tired or sad or less than a perfect 5 star human being, PLEASE avoid complaining - what the airline will do to them is merciless. They won't even give them a chance to explain. Just let it pass! Be a compassionate human being. Some people have larger and heavier crosses to bear than we do and they have to put up with a lot of arrogant / drunken idiots with rather inflated expectations.
Gotta go for Emirates over Qatar Airways any day. The service, quality of food & planes, in flight entertainment (not working on entire plane apart from 1st & business for a recent flight from Geneva to Doha..., thanks for the offer of QR50 in flight voucher discount for duty free, it went so far) competent and trained staff actually looking like they are enjoying themselves, not panicking and yelling at each other.
Also, someone has to tell some of the staff to lay off the makeup gun a little... Ahem..
The problem with telling the world that you are a 5* airline, then the expectation of delivery is there. If you say that you are an average airline and then deliver excellent service, you will be praised all the more so. Its all about expectation management. I would first build the service so its actually decent and you have something to fall back upon, not the other way round.
Anyway, enough of me b*tching...
i will forward my cv
Easy - you date 5 at once. Then 4 will always be away and you can have fun with the 5th.
The QA cabin crew don't date, they just have a second income.
Yea right they are always gone. when at work they are on flight
and when on land they are on SOME FLIGHT ;-)
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Forgiveness is life...:)
how do they get their awards? hmmmm, they got money (from their sky rocketting fares)..so hmmm buying an award wouldn't hurt a bit from the monies collected from us.. :/
[img_assist|nid=12867|link=none|align=left|width=|height=0]Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.
It's no secret how they get the 5 star award.
Like most airlines, they are told when the judges will be on the flight. They know which flight the judges are taking, they know which seat he is in, and they tell all the cabin crew.
They then pick the best plane, make sure it is extra clean, and then stick the judge up in first class somewhere and treat him like a Sheikh.
Meanwhile everyone back in economy still travels the same as they do on Gulf or Air Arabia.
Qatar Airways is a complete rip off, they cancel flights all the time, and they are NOT worth the money.
I'm sticking to Emirates. It's usually cheaper, has more destinations, and their loyalty program suits me much better.
Espesialy if you are flying with young children. We flew with them to Hong Kong on our way home last year and every time I asked for a glass of water or juice for my kids I was like I had asked them to strip naked and run aound the cabin.
better than QA and do get a chance to stay for a day in Dubai too.
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I swear.. they go around as if they are the queens bees.. and all they are just flying waitresses.. i don't think they get it!! Their heads are so far up their a**** that they can't understand the BS they are saying!
Never say Never for fear of Forever!!
I'm sorry to say that QA is the only Airline that I know that upsells to the next price when you change a date.. others out there have a QR100 fine for changing dates... but not QA!
Never say Never for fear of Forever!!
their pay scale is not that much and see them driving around. only the amiri flight attendant have a good pay scale and they are very few. but rest the normal ah you never know.
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Through my experience through airlines, till now qatarairways is the best, prices are high in all airlines due to many reasons, and regarding tkt refunds and these stuff, evry price has its regulations, so when ur paying the lowest fare, u need to pay pelanties when changing or cancelling a tkt.
I'm not sure about one another.. but I do know they date a lot of RICH Qatari's just to get the cars and what-ever-else comes with the relationship!!! I have seen many Flight Attendants driving around in 2008 Mercedes, BMW, BMW 4x4.. how the H**l can they afford that.. i know for sure their salary is not that much!!!
Never say Never for fear of Forever!!
their staff are good at one thing only dating each other. they are masters in that.
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I just flew in to doha on tuesday
I got on the plane, and everything seemed ok,unti lJUST before we take off, an announcement over the intercom comes on saying " ladies and gentleman on behalf of qatar airways, we regret to inform you that due to mis loading of the aircraft, there is no headphones aboard this flight this evening, however we will do our best to compensate for this"..
On a 6 and a half hour flight from london, what exactly were they gona do ?
Anyway then it comes to meal time, and they ahnd out the menu....I am thinkin mmmm chickenn....as thats whats on it.
I was in row 31 ( on a Airbus A340, this is fairly near the front)...so I shoulda got the chance of all 3 meal choices.
The lady gave me a vegitarian meal, i said I wanted chicken...she said " sorry none left" arghh ( this has happened to me on 3 flights in row with qatar airways)
and then the rest of the flight the flight attendants were just rude. :(
Exactly... their ground staff are the worst.. no manners and talk about slow... damn... you go into their office for a quick issue and it takes 1 to 2 hours.. what a waste.. and most of the time.. they are on the phone...
Awards my bhind...
Never say Never for fear of Forever!!
yea 5star in dreams. Excellent they only want to make money not provide their best services. i wonder how the hell they win awards.
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i reserved two tickets to mumbai for vacation
now i want return they will deduct more than 1500QR
almost a price of aticket
They say they are a 5 Star Airline... they are only a 5 Star airline of you can actually afford to pay for First Class!!! Thieves!!!
Never say Never for fear of Forever!!
and many times
all of us