Reasons NOT to Fly QATAR Airways. Traveling in the Pandemic by Alexander Agostini PRSC
By: Max A. Agostini
Tags: Airlines, Pandemic, Qatar Airways, Traveling, Pcr Test

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear Readers,

I used to be enthusiastic to flying with Qatar Airways, especially in their well nominated and rewarding Business Class, I even managed to setup a QBiz account, so employees, friends and partners could make good use of their world class facilities and state of the art aircrafts. Being also flying frequent on other carriers such as Emirates Airline, Etihad, where I did also spend a fortune through company accounts, I always have considered Qatar is the better alternative, under the impression that this Doha based carrier would be a legitimate business, that stays ahead of the rest, the rest of the world. However, Qatar is now struggling to keeping the carrier alive and, based on my experience, it’s not making any money through selling tickets no more, but by charging passengers for ticket changes, those are done by force and only made up rules, laws and regulations instead.

Embassy of the United Arab Emirates, Washington DC:

A clear online guideline has been set for travelers between the United States and the UAE, and such information can be found online in fact

I did urge Qatar Airways to read the website of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the United States, but no one ever heard me out or tried to understand the actual reasons behind a government making clear guidelines and rules

Here it the link https://www.uae-embassy.org/novel-coronavirus-covid-19-information-uae-response — Americans traveling to Dubai must hold a negative COVID‑19 RT‑PCR test certificate for a test taken no more than 72 hours before their departure for Dubai.

Clearly it says, 72 hours prior their departure for Dubai and not 72 hours prior arrival in Dubai instead.

My actual flight time, plus layover, was only 22 hours, and the result date / until the departure, the date the result has been released until my departure only 26 hours and 24 minutes. The test is supposed to be resulting negative only 72 hour prior departure. Even you would have calculated the sample collection date, instead of the negative result date, it would have been 54 hours and 16 minutes. I could have had an additional of 17 hours and 44 minutes for getting my test result, but I managed to even get it earlier as expected, within only around 26 hours and 24 minutes, to be precise. So how, on earth can the UAE Embassy in the United States release a statement, saying that a PCR test would have to be done 72 hours prior departure, when Qatar Airways is refusing to let passengers check-in with a valid PCR test has been done within less than the required time.

There is only one way, either their airport staff did not read such details clearly, or they intentionally want to show their disrespect for UAE residence, and punish those intentionally, otherwise how could anyone explain their ignorance?

Challenges of the Doha based carrier:

1) being accused of supporting terrorism, banned to trade, fly into GCC airspace

2) their government to being “accused” for bribing FIFA to win the World Cup 2022 nominations

3) there must clearly been a reason why KSA has started to dig a tunnel to separate both nations even on a geographical map, to just erase any sort of connection between both Nations.

Plenty of reasons to not fly with Qatar Airways, the Doha based carrier:

A) sadly but true, there is a drawback when wanting to offer excellent service for a good price for value. Truth to be told, an airline carrier would have to cut cost somehow, lowering their ticket price (based on their current low reputation), is not easy with such high running costs. The only way for them to keeping their business, with the amount of human power required, is to lower the quality of staff and to keep cutting on every possible edge and corner.

B) people living in so called “worker camps” are being placed into their roles while being ground staff,

C) most of those have an extremely low educational background and don’t necessarily have willingness or enthusiasm to work -dressed- in an uniform and to get paid extremely little.

Issues at Doha airport, repetitive issues:

C) their ORYX lounges that are supposed to be accessed with LoungeKey / PriorityPass, are only here for “show” , they won’t let you use those and ask you to wait, 4, 6, 7, 10 hours until a spot is available for you to access such.

D) the same counts for their Sleep N Fly lounges, which I would completely understand, however, but if you offer to pay for the access, they would accept the payment and let you go through.

E) Rather than even looking at the passengers tier status, they will send you away, and on my passes it usually states GOLD or SILVER, and luckily while being sent away and not being allowed

E) to enter or sit on their main lounge gate’s chairs, tables, a Kenyan Janitor started to talk with me, while I was complaining about such unreliable service quality, which happened to be repeatedly, the Janitor recalled my face and asked me whether I would be Silver member, since he remembers my face.

F) here comes the very best, the Janitor has (apparently) higher qualifications than the airport lounge check-in staff, it was (to be specific) a lady from the Philippines and her country fellow supervisor. The Janitor told me that I can make use of the Silver / Gold Class lounge across the main lobby, right in front of their yellow teddy bear, that’s got a lamp on his head.

G) when I approached the airport staff and that lady, she just responded “I didn’t see that your ticket has a Silver / Gold Tier status” , she hasn’t read it.

H) this happened on my outbound flight, and here comes the best part of it.

Seattle Airport Check-in, made up stories to scam passenger:

I) I did my PCR test in Seattle, and got my result on the 29th, so I could fly out on the 30th, and they don’t let me check-in, telling me that I would not reach Dubai within a period of 72 hours.

In contrast, the UAE government website mentioned that PCR tests for passengers traveling from the United States to Dubai, would have to hold a PCR test that has been resulted negative 72 hours prior departure, instead of calculating such, I was asked to calculate flight time, plus layover time, plus time zone difference between Seattle and Dubai, plus stressing out that it’s not the result lab test date counts, but the date when the sample has been collected.

In a nutshell and just to sum it up:

J) I did fight it and had no other option than to pay USD 250 for a rapid test at Seattle’s luggage carousel number 9, carrying all my baggage, and even my golf set, without elevator all around the airport, up and down, like I am some kind of carrying donkey.

K) having paid those USD 250, rather unwillingly, I did forward all details to get Qatar Airways in Doha offices, social media platforms, and even got a case number

L) such cases have been closed and when I started to keep contact contacting those social media / email addresses, it’s been re-activated,

M) all they have done is to keep copying and paste some of their own website content, which was rather meaningless.

Vienna International Airport, Qatar Airways Flight to Dubai, via Doha:

It’s just been a couple of weeks ago, before my experience in Seattle Tacoma International Airport, and I did fly inbound from Vienna, to Dubai, via Doha.

While checking in their airport staff could not make head or tail or the immigration procedures during the Covid 19 pandemic era, believing that the UAE would have “nationwide” rules on flights into the Emirates, not thinking of each city being ruled differently.

I was asked to download mobile applications or provide forms that are only being requested entering Abu Dhabi or Sharjah, and rather than reading such details with close attention into detail, I was rather being treated rude, “Don’t you have this form”, “Don’t you have that app”, “you must have it, you must download”, — “you must sign a form and print it out”. — While making good use of “Google”, I had to inform their airport staff clearly about the differences between each cities requirements, rules and regulations. Those forms and applications are only being required for Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, I mentioned and stressed out, however, I was being ignored and rather being blamed not to have it in hands.

Seriously, I cannot explain it more often, and kindly remind Qatar Airways Human Resources manager to hire qualified people that are actually showing interest in their jobs, willingly to read details more clearly.

Qatar Airways operating in a loss, fine, go on, I wish you all the best to recover, but on no account could they ever hire non-qualified member of staff, being ignorant, no matter Vienna International Airport or Seattle Tacoma International Airport.

What has probably and most likely happened in Seattle Tacoma International Airport is as follows:

N) that they looked me into my white face, and knew that I am flying inbound to the UAE, Dubai, so they started to think, “let’s make some money out of this guy” instead. I got no proof for that one, but what I do know is that I got lucky to get into the Business Class check-in area, instead of Economy Class, which was stuffed with people.

If I would have been not granted Business Class check-in for loyal Gold / Silver Class members, I could not have not even been able to do a Rapid Test for USD 250, and would have to even stay in a hotel for a couple of days and pay for additional flight change / reschedule / fare-increase charges instead.

Qatar used to be a great carrier, but flying with this airline has become rather disappointing and annoying.

Don’t you ever consider flying with Qatar Airways, they will not be able to read official government websites and don’t necessarily care about you paying an additional USD 250, it is definitely not their money they are spending.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

If there are any questions that may arise in the meantime, please feel so free to contact me directly at (86–21) 6157 4954 or drop me an email to max@prscenterprises.com.

Kind regards from the very city centre of Shanghai, The People’s Republic of China,

Max

Maximilian-Alexander Agostini

PRSC APAC Procurement Team a division of People’s Republic Sourcing Channel Limited Corp..

Chief Executive Officer

People’s Republic Sourcing Channel Limited (Shanghai, CN)

People’s Republic Sourcing Channel Limited (Beijing, CN)

People’s Republic Sourcing Channel Limited (Dubai, UAE)