QR – the price of 5 star service?

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Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 67 total)

  • Anonymous
    Guest

    Hermes1964
    Participant

    I came across an interesting and somewhat disturbing article today. On one of my two J flights on QR I was sitting next to the Inflight Standards Manager, which at the time I thought explained why the crew all looked as if they were scared of their own shadows. Perhaps there was more to it. It seems service is extracted at a price.

    http://www.expressen.se/nyheter/the-truth-about-the-luxury-of-qatar-airways/


    millionsofmiles
    Participant

    This is just symptomatic and typical for the low value women have in Islamic countries.
    Why a woman would want to work in such a country is beyond me.


    davey_boy
    Participant

    Who cares as long as the service is 5 star and champagne is flowing I am still happy to fly the airline. At the end of the day if staff are not happy with their careers they should find new jobs.


    ArabTraveller
    Participant

    davey_boy has a point. It seems like the airline was clear from the start about its terms, and these women were not forced to accept roles with QR. QR’s terms are barbaric nonetheless, but the whole country is subject to similar inhumanity. And why should QR change its policies when it is enjoying unlimited hoards of applicants who are willing to accept self-depreciating contracts?

    Luxury is widespread in Qatar and is catered for by exploitation. This is neither new nor surprising.


    1nfrequent
    Participant

    So davey and ArabTraveller, you’re both fine with the CEO allegedly firing female cabin crew who don’t respond to his unsolicited text messages? Must have missed the bit where it says that sexual harassment from a dirty old goat is within their employment terms and conditions. But hey, provided your egos are being stroked with a smile from a pretty woman and your glass is being kept topped up who cares, right?

    I’d been tempted by Qatar fares in the past but I think I’ll save my money for an airline that doesn’t seek to control the lives of its staff (which, incidentally, is ridiculous business practice).

    1F


    davey_boy
    Participant

    1F

    “provided your egos are being stroked with a smile from a pretty woman and your glass is being kept topped up who cares, right?”

    SPOT ON!

    This is an industry leading airline. If they have to go to extreme lengths to ensure top class service is maintained and keep fares low then so be it. It wouldn’t surprise me if other carriers in the middle east and even across Asia had strict terms and conditions on staff. How often do you ever hear of faultless service on a Qatar flight, especially in a J or F cabin?


    Ab0dache
    Participant

    Working conditions in Qatar starts to be described in Western European newpapers even in the ones with ordinary worker style readers.

    I believe Qatar (the country & the airline) will have to change their behavior in the very soon future if the country wants to be put easily on the map for good reasons and if it wants to have a sustainable growth and a good reputation at the end.


    thebigseats
    Participant

    Nobody is forcing these people to work at QR. Life in the M.E is very different. Their country (s), their rules. Don’t like it? Leave.


    Brett88
    Participant

    “davey_boy – 05/02/2014 22:18 GMT

    Who cares as long as the service is 5 star and champagne is flowing I am still happy to fly the airline.”

    Lovely.


    FrDougal
    Participant

    I suppose this is a moral choice. I know most of these stories are true as a very close family member was a chief pilot for them for a whole and said that the whole airline is barbaric in its managerial approach to staff and the exploitation is horrific. When you’re a naive 20 something just desperate to fly after hearing what it’s like to work at other ME airlines such as EY and EK perhaps you don’t think it’ll be that bad, and then when you try to get out you realise it’ll cost you a significant amount as a result of the training bond!!!

    But for the customer who is aware of this foul treatment it’s a similar decision as choosing fair trade chocolate or coffee, dolphin friendly tuna, buying fake DVDs etc etc!!!!

    I know I would never give that airline my money after hearing the stories of that vile airline, horrific stories which this article does not even attempt to tell!


    Brett88
    Participant

    How many of these people really realise what they’re signing themselves up to when they accept a job offer from one of the world’s most prestigious airlines? And no doubt many of these hopeful applicants are desperate for employment. QR are clearly taking advantage of these vulnerable people.

    I wonder how you look upon the horrific working conditions from the migrant workers of S and SE Asia working in Qatar? Is it OK for their even worse mistreatment because they agreed to the job?


    thebigseats
    Participant

    Its all very well taking the moral high ground but anybody with a basic level of intelligence will do their homework before working at any company let alone changing their work-country. The naivety of some comments is breathtaking, quite frankly.


    rferguson
    Participant

    I think the issues at Qatar are not all culturally related. The CEO Mr Al Bakar seems to have quite the larger than life personality that likes to keep a very tight rein on things at ‘his’ airline.

    I’ve flown with several crew at BA that used to fly for QR. One was telling me he came down with a flu and dared call in sick – to have an immediate phone call from Mr Al Bakar himself demanding to know when he would be back at work.

    Unlike say EY or EK you rarely see crews from Western Europe, OZ/ Canada ‘the west’ on QR flights anymore. QR seems to have realised that Eastern Europeans, Indians and girls from the far east tow the company line a lot better.

    The motivations for working for QR would vary. For example for a crew member from say a poor small town in India or Thailand the money earned from Qatar would be a lifeline for his/her family. Allowences are paid at each destination in local currency so the aim of the game for many is to spend the absolute minimum abroad (pot noodles and travel kettle in suitcase) and send everything home. Those from the west are more likely to want to work for Qatar to see the world and experience a bit of an exciting expat life. And when they realise it’s not all cracked up to be they flee back to their home countries with little hesitation.


    esselle
    Participant

    bigseats

    +1

    A lot of the people working in these (and similar) environments think they have died and gone to heaven.

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