First time on Qatar Airways - my thoughts

[Princess Fiona]

I’m on my 4th QR long haul of this trip and every single flight has been flawless.
Not a fan of bus gates at DOH or anywhere else for that matter but aside from that couldn’t fault anything about QR.

 

[Mr H]

That's an interesting itinerary...

Actually, now I think about it it was IKA-DOH-ATQ and I crossed over to LHE by land before flying home via CMB. I try to use frequent flyer points to do routes that you wouldn’t do as a revenue passenger.

 

[luxury-lizard]

To the OP, have you checked whether you’re eligible for EU261 compensation for the downgrade? Could be worth 75% of the cost of the single sector.

There was no downgrade - just a schedule change some months before the flights requiring an overnight stay in DOH (which QR would not provide as it was an AA ticket).

 

[SYD]

I’m on my 4th QR long haul of this trip and every single flight has been flawless.
Not a fan of bus gates at DOH or anywhere else for that matter but aside from that couldn’t fault anything about QR.

Did you happen to be on B787s for the bus to gate arrivals? I saw something on FT that suggested 787s are more likely to be a bus than 777s and A350s….

SYD+1 just passed through recently but a 1:30hr transit was whittled to 55mins after two schedule changes - inbound push back and out bound bought forward! Fortunately, the inbound A350 arrived slightly early and to an airbridge. But zero ground staff directing connecting PAX (onboard system had zip info). Fortunately, I’d texted the connecting gate info…

 

[Princess Fiona]

Did you happen to be on B787s for the bus to gate arrivals? I saw something on FT that suggested 787s are more likely to be a bus than 777s and A350s….

SYD+1 just passed through recently but a 1:30hr transit was whittled to 55mins after two schedule changes - inbound push back and out bound bought forward! Fortunately, the inbound A350 arrived slightly early and to an airbridge. But zero ground staff directing connecting PAX (onboard system had zip info). Fortunately, I’d texted the connecting gate info…

Two of the bus gate arrivals were from an A350. One from an A320.

 

[SYD]

Two of the bus gate arrivals were from an A350. One from an A320.

Well, that stuffs the A350 theory!

Precovid, I reckon I had a 100% failure rate ie bus to gate on multiple trips Oz to/from Europe.

I have my first post Covid QR trips booked for July and the Christmas. We’ll see how it goes.

 

[jase05]

Well, that stuffs the A350 theory!

Precovid, I reckon I had a 100% failure rate ie bus to gate on multiple trips Oz to/from Europe.

I have my first post Covid QR trips booked for July and the Christmas. We’ll see how it goes.

Still a perfect 100% at avoiding the bus at DOH
No doubt the time will come

 

[SYD]

Still a perfect 100% at avoiding the bus at DOH
No doubt the time will come

It’s disconcerting that they are still busing after a very recent terminal extension.

AUH used to be as bad, probably worse but I hope to God that’s a thing of the past for now with the midfield terminal finally operating.

 

[RooFlyer]

I'm probably 50/50 but the J and especially the F buses aren't too bad!

 

[Cessna 180]

Still a perfect 100% at avoiding the bus at DOH
No doubt the time will come

I like the bus! I was through there end of April and I thought it was great. A cool drive around the airport and a bit of fresh air between the flights and the terminal.
Also, the DOH bus is much nicer than the one at BNE.

 

[SYD]

I like the bus! I was through there end of April and I thought it was great. A cool drive around the airport and a bit of fresh air between the flights and the terminal.
Also, the DOH bus is much nicer than the one at BNE.

Yes, fine for a long layover. But they can be a bit nail biting trying to meet the 45min MCT.

Also, mid summer you can literally melt into the tarmac at DOH, DXB and AUH trying to board a bus. Very unpleasant and not a good look.

 

[RooFlyer]

Also, the DOH bus is much nicer than the one at BNE.

Sure is

 

[Princess Fiona]

I like the bus! I was through there end of April and I thought it was great. A cool drive around the airport and a bit of fresh air between the flights and the terminal.
Also, the DOH bus is much nicer than the one at BNE.

The other downside of the bus gate is you know you will have to do security screening. All be it with a priority line for J/F

I have a 50/50 hit rate of getting directly into the terminal from non bus gate arrivals.

 

[justinbrett]

Can’t be worse than the LAX bus (before they expanded TBIT)




Egalitarian US/Aussie culture, we all ride the same bus.

 

[Ansett Nostalgic]

Can’t be worse than the LAX bus (before they expanded TBIT)


View attachment 390545

Egalitarian US/Aussie culture, we all ride the same bus.

More like lack of culture!

 

[Daver6]

The other downside of the bus gate is you know you will have to do security screening. All be it with a priority line for J/F

I've found the J/F screening to be incredibly slow in DOH

I have a 50/50 hit rate of getting directly into the terminal from non bus gate arrivals.

I thought whether you're screened or not depends on where you've arrived from?

 

[Princess Fiona]

I've found the J/F screening to be incredibly slow in DOH

I thought whether you're screened or not depends on where you've arrived from?

Yes which is why I said my non bus gate arrivals are 50/50 as to whether I get screened or not.
The origins that don’t get screened aren’t published and are rotated at random AFAIK. Not a fixed thing.

 

[jase05]

I've found the J/F screening to be incredibly slow in DOH

I’ve made good use of the Al Maha service and geez it works well

 

[Secco]

Hi, I am looking to book some Qatar Business class flights using Velocity Rewards.

I was checking out the Qatar website to make sure the flights I was choosing on Virgin site were for Q Suites, and I noticed on the Qatar site that you have to pay to choose your seats, even in Business class. Will I have to pay to choose seats on Qatar when booked through virgin, or will I even have an option to choose seats, even by paying

 

[Mr H]

Hi, I am looking to book some Qatar Business class flights using Velocity Rewards.

I was checking out the Qatar website to make sure the flights I was choosing on Virgin site were for Q Suites, and I noticed on the Qatar site that you have to pay to choose your seats, even in Business class. Will I have to pay to choose seats on Qatar when booked through virgin, or will I even have an option to choose seats, even by paying

I can't say for sure, but when I have booked flights on partner airlines through QF awards I have been able to pay for seat selection by going to the website of the airline operating the flight and managing the booking with them. I doubt an airline is going to turn away the chance to charge you $$$ for something they would otherwise have to allocate for free.