[SG Globe-trotter]

As a frequent business and leisure traveler, I have been flying mostly on Singapore Airlines for its excellent reliability and ground/cabin crew service. Recently, in view of the air-ticket price differential and Qatar’s reputation, my family and I decided give Qatar Airlines a try.

Given that Qatar Airlines has been awarded ‘Best Airlines’ by Skytrak, I thought that it may provide me with a comparable alternative to Singapore Airlines. However, my family’s experience as detailed below has proven otherwise.

I have submitted my feedbacks/requests via Qatar’s website on at least 2 occasions and sent reminders to their acknowledgment emails, however to-date (and since 30 May feedback via website) Qatar has not accorded the courtesy of a response. Hence, I am writing to this forum so that fellow travelers can make better decision in choosing airlines.

Details of my family’s ordeal are provided below:
My family’s flight to Istanbul via Doha was significantly affected by the retiming of flight QR947 SIN-DOH from 21:25 hrs to 10:35 hrs on 2 June 2022 of almost 11 hours earlier departure timing from Singapore to Doha.
The resulted in an extremely long layover of 17 hours 45 mins instead of a planned and bearable 7 hours 25 mins. The late notification (received on 30 May 19:54hrs) had also caused severe disruptions to my work (cancellation of meetings and an additional leave) and my children’s university commitments.

(1) Notification of flight disruption

It was during the course of downloading the Qatar Airways App that we noted that the flight timing differs from the timing originally booked.

In our anxiety, we called Customer Service Hotline immediately around 19:20 hrs to understand the situation and our options. However, we were only told to contact Qatar Airways Customer Care via portal/email. We duly lodged our concerns to seek alternative arrangements and or suitable recovery efforts at Doha Airport.
Interestingly, soon after our call, a notification of retiming received via email on 30 May 19:54hrs. Based on the official notification of the retiming, my family members have only slightly more than two and a half days 2 June 10:35 hrs to reschedule all prior commitments and to obtain leave approvals.

An acknowledgement of my email was subsequently received on 30 May 20:08 hrs. However, to-date (more than a month later) we have not heard from your office despite 2 email reminders.

(2) Ground support at Doha airport

(a) Flight disruption letter
Upon landing at Doha Airport, we approached Qatar Airways Transit Desk to listen to what customer recovery arrangements have been made for affected passengers. We have also requested for a ‘Flight disruption letter’ to facilitate any possible travel insurance claim.

The Country Manager told us that no flight disruption letter will be issued from Doha as the flight disruption had taken place outbound from Singapore. However, this was inconsistent with what passengers were told when the same request was made at the Qatar Airways check-in counter in Singapore i.e. to be provided at DOHA.

(b) Accommodation / lounge access
In relation to our request for accommodation / lounge access, the Country Manager explained that due to COVID-19 reasons, no accommodation nor lounge access could be arranged for affected passengers. Giving the benefit of the doubt to Qatar Airways, the least one would expect is for the airline to mitigate the inconvenience caused through other measures. Instead, other than meal vouchers, none was forthcoming.

We also note that some affected passengers were able to have lounge access or sleep pods at their own expense.

(c) Meal vouchers
On the subject of meal voucher, the initial offered voucher was for a ‘princely’ sum of 30 Qatari Rial per meal. When we got to the Food Court, we realised that a cup of fruit juice costs 27 Qatari Rial. Obviously, the meal voucher accorded is insufficient for a modest meal. It was only after much rationalisation with the ground staff that the voucher was increased to 60 Qatari Rial.

I hope that Qatar Airlines would now respond to my feedback/requests after reading this review.

[MartynSinclair]

There have been many threads created about airline’s HARD PRODUCTS verses their CUSTOMER RELATIONS WHEN THINGS GO WRONG.

My own experience of QATAR using all three of their current business class offerings have been excellent, in fact above excellent. However, I have never needed currently, to test their C/R.

I recall lots of comments about Turkish, Emirates and others about how wonderful their passenger offerings have been (pre and post pandemic) but customer relations has always been another story.

QATAR are about to benefit from probably their busiest and most profitable ever period with the FIFA world cup.

I hope you get the answers you are looking for and personally I would be quite upset if I had a 17 hour transit delay. However. this may not be the answer you are looking for, but at many modern airports, delay comforts can be bought to speed up a 17 hour delay – but I agree, why should you have to pay.

[ASK1945]

Martyn

When I was in business I stressed to my staff at our regular staff meetings that good customer care was a prime necessity.

More particularly, I explained that it was how we dealt with matters when things had gone wrong was what people remembered. Unfortunately, with the airline industry it seems that this message has been lost in recent years.

3 users thanked author for this post.

sparkyflier, MartynSinclair, DerekVH

[cybertravller]

The Gulf carriers are nothing more than vanity projects for their respective countries. They can afford the “bling” of the hard product as that is what customers in the Middle East value.

They do not care if a customer is inconvenienced and refuses to fly with them again since any losses are covered by oil revenue.

I have flown Emirates and their product and Dubai airport, in general, are fantastic. I would hate to think about what would happen if things went wrong.

[Inquisitive]

OP did not mention which class they were travelling; likely economy as there is mention of meal voucher.

Qatar is not best airline for economy class, it is among the best in business class.

If one travel economy class, the best airlines are Asian airlines with SQ on top. To some extent BA provide reasonably good service in economy.

ME airlines are only good for business class due to hard product and very good pricing. They are not good in economy class at all.

[Author]

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