[Luis]

QR988 Doha to Adelaide (with a “technical” stop in Melbourne)

Im on this flight in 12 days time. Does anybody have any experience of this flight and the possibility to leave the flight at Melbourne and not carry on to Adelaide.

Ive read so many reports about this, the ghost flight from Melbourne to Adelaide with about 30 people on a 777-300 as everyone gets off in Melbourne and doesnt reboard, also people saying that no you cant enter Oz in Melbourne as they’re expecting you in Adelaide.

I understand that the only reason Qatar have this flight (they have a direct service to Adelaide too) is that Qatar want an extra entry into Melbourne but the arrangement between Australia and Qatar prevents more than 1 flight per day.

Im leaving London on the 15th January and am inclined to just leave the airport in Melbourne (I will have hand baggage only). Whats the worst that can happen I wonder?

Does anybody have experience of this flight and leaving in Melbourne?

I snagged this flight last January – 90000 avios and about £240 in Qsuite all the way- which Im quite pleased about). A seamless exit at Melbourne would seal the deal!

Id really appreciate any feedback from this most excellent forum of super experienced flyers.

Thanks in advance
Luis

[Mark]

It’s entirely up to you if you land yourself at MEL.
You are entering Australia not a country called Adelaide😆😆

QR will just offload you from the last sector and think your AWOL.

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Luis

[cwoodward]

QR are blatantly seeking to break the aviation agreement between the two countries and the AU government dont like it which is one of the reasons if not the prime reason why QRs request for additional flights to AU major cities was rejected. Until forced to by the AU government QR did not even sell tickets for the Adelaide leg

The flight to which you refer is a ‘ghost’ flight as the sole purpose of the flight is to add an extra daily frequency over and above the bilateral air agreement into Melbourne.

On some day no passengers continue on to Adelaide although that is the ticketed destination for many. A prime disincentive to continuing on is the 6.5 hour connecting time in Melbourne for the onward flight to Adelaide.

“Australian Govt Frustrated by QR
In response to Qatar’s exploitation of the legal loophole, the Department of Infrastructure and Transport has imposed a condition on the timetable approval for these flights on the mentioned route.

The condition stipulates that the flights must be available for sale to both passengers and cargo arriving and departing from Adelaide, according to a spokesperson for Catherine King, the transport minister.

The spokesperson further explained that the department now maintains ongoing surveillance over Qatar Airways’ sales to ensure that the airline is adhering to this condition.

An insider from the industry commented, “The main intent is to reach Melbourne… They didn’t even offer tickets [to Adelaide] initially. They were blatantly disregarding the industry and the regulations.”

As it is QRs intention that this is a flight who’s prime destination is Melbourne there will be no comeback from them if you disembark in Melbourne and providing that your documents are in order to enter Australia you are unlikely to encounter any problems.

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Luis

[TheRealBabushka]

It’s only safe not to do the MEL/ADL leg, if DOH/MEL is the penultimate leg of your booking. If you’ve got further sectors booked with QR on the same reservation (e.g. to return to the UK), QR will invalidate your booking if you skip the MEL/ADL sector.

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SimonS1

[BPP]

If you fail to complete to your final destination you will be classed as a ‘no show’ and will loose your return flight.

[Luis]

Thanks for your post

Its a one way flight so no problem re the return.

Im flying back home from NZ with QR on a separate booking so I think that will be ok?

Cheers

[AMcWhirter]

I thought I had seen news of this QR route previously.

And indeed I started a Forum thread on this subject last Summer following a report by The Guardian’s Australian edition.

“cwoodward” provided more valuable information including a link to a piece by CH-aviation.

How Qatar Airways exploits its Australian air services agreement

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Luis

[Luis]

Hi

Thanks for your reply.

yes, I had seen this thread and associated article.

I understand why QR do this flight and the ghost flight from Mel to Adl is usually a “ghost” flight with very few people on it. My query is whether its possible to leave the flight in Mel. Obviously I can just walk out of the airport, saying I feel unwell, but Im trying to find our the implications of such an action.

My research continues.

Cheers

[Stow2006]

Hi, I would be extremely interested how you get on if you do indeed leave at Melbourne and don’t get on the next flight to Adelaide, as I have got a one way ticket booked on that route in October and was wondering exactly the same thing!

[Luis]

Hi

So, I took this flight last Monday and got off in Melbourne as discussed above. I had sought information from Qatar Airways at Doha, one agent said, no you can’t leave at Mel, one said, sure, leave, no problem.

Anyway, I deplaned with everyone else in Mel and proceeded to immigration, n the way there was a lady holding a sign saying QR988 to Adelaide this way, as if offering an option. No thanks, I carried on to immigration, used the egates for the first part, the second part advised me to see an agent, I did, had a nice chat with him for about a minute, and I was out of the airport thereafter. Plane to kerb took about 5 minutes.

No communication since from the airline and all good, it was no problem whatsoever.

Kind regards

[Stow2006]

Hi, very glad for you it worked out.

What about if you had checked in baggage? Did you notice whether people were able to leave at Melb and collect their checked in baggage?

I will definitely be having checked in baggage.

[Luis]

I didn’t wait around to see what others were doing but I would think it’s not possible with checked baggage

[Author]

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