I am currently flying on Qatar Airways QR276, and I wanted to share my experience for those considering international travel. If you have other options, you might want to think twice before choosing this airline.
Despite deciding to avoid Qatar Airways after past experiences, I made the same mistake again. One notable instance involved their extremely strict cabin baggage policy. My sister’s carry-on was under 7 kg, but including her personal item—a backpack—the total came to 11 kg. Yes, they weigh your backpack too. She had to throw away some belongings, and only after reducing it to just under 9 kg did they let it slide, though not without noticeable disapproval from the staff. While you can argue that it’s their policy, it’s not stated clearly that a personal item (like a backpack) counts toward the 7 kg limit. This isn’t typical for most non-budget international airlines, and the surprise comes when you’re already at the airport.
The cabin baggage issue didn’t arise this time, but new challenges did.
Flight from Dhaka to Amsterdam (via Doha): The journey started with a 7-hour delay from Dhaka due to a technical issue, which resulted in my connecting flight being rebooked for 24 hours later, as that was the earliest available. This meant I missed most of the first day of the 2-day conference I was attending in Amsterdam. Although technical delays are outside the airline’s control, what surprised me was the lack of support during the wait—no meal vouchers or lounge access were offered. Luckily, I had credit card lounge access and received a business class upgrade due to an overbooked economy section, making the wait somewhat bearable.
When we finally arrived in Doha, all transfer passengers gathered at the counter to check rebookings and hotel arrangements due to the long layover. Unfortunately, the staff manning the counter were absent, even though we could see them walking back and forth. After a 70-minute wait and escalating frustration from passengers, we were finally given meal vouchers and directed to visit the food court. We were told to return to a different counter for hotel arrangements. At that counter, we were told to return at 1 p.m., again at 2 p.m., and finally at 5 p.m. When it became clear that we were getting nowhere, a few of us returned to the original transfer counter to find a supervisor. The supervisor informed us that all contracted hotels were fully booked. And they weren’t going to provide us with accommodation.
Other passengers with passports allowing them to exit the airport could arrange their accommodations outside. However, with my Bangladeshi passport, I couldn’t leave without a pre-approved visa without the airline arranging my accommodation. This left me with two options: pay ~$400 for an airport hotel or spend the second consecutive night in the airport without a bed. Fortunately, my company stepped in and paid for the hotel as I was on a company-sponsored trip, but the airline should have covered this. I’ll request reimbursement and will see how the experience for that is.
On the return flight, I paid $100 extra for an extra-legroom seat, only to find that my in-flight entertainment screen was broken on a 6-hour daytime flight. The flight attendant offered me to switch to a middle seat, which wasn’t appealing after paying extra. After about an hour of waiting for a solution, the supervisor arrived and suggested a standard aisle seat with no extra legroom. So here I am, in a different seat, not receiving what I paid for.
Let’s see what else this journey brings.