Middle East Airspace Diversions/Cancellations

[Seat0B]

Looking like an 8 hr delay - if it goes at all

View attachment 500159

Oops you can see how stressed I am - it’s only a 2 hr departure delay at the moment. Not 8 hrs. I misread arrival time as departure time. I need to get a good night’s sleep.

 

[SCM]

Going to ask again, if anyone has had any success with QR visa via eu 261 in the last week? My flight will likely be cancelled sometime on Saturday evening, I'm wondering how best to contact Qatar about requesting accommodation and re-routing and what to say.

Update:
Not that they specifically emailed me about it, but they emailed saying "there are flexible options to manage your trip", then when I logged in to manage booking, I see that the first leg (AMS -> DOH) says it's cancelled (though the DOH -> SYD isn't, despite it also not running). Is that presumably enough to trigger EU261?

I had a look and neither Emirates nor JAL is currently flying out of AMS which does complicate things. Could I push for a hotel for a week and reschedule my flight do you think, would that fall under the regulation? I'd rather wait a week and see what happens, given there are limited options to fly out of AMS anyway.

So basically ideally I just push my flights 1 week to the 23rd, which I think I can do myself, book a hotel, and somehow need to get Qatar to pay for that, but just clarifying is this is fine under eu261, since I can see on their website my flight out of AMS is cancelled? The reason I say 23rd is Qatar's guidance is all flights to the 22nd.

Update2:
Doesn't seem like it's possible for me to change anything, it's all a bit broken, but they direct you to broken live chat either on the website or app - neither of which works

There is something on the contact page to say call the local number, but as a non-local my esim is data-only, I can't really call anyone. Really stupid if you ask me.

 

[Seat0B]

They are on their way and over Africa. Looks like there will be a wedding after all. . I hope I can sleep now.

 

[MARTINE]

They are on their way and over Africa. Looks like there will be a wedding after all. . I hope I can sleep now.

View attachment 500164View attachment 500165

Wishing Seat son all the very best for this exciting/stressful time

And you can have a Bex and a lie down

 

[jbman]

Have been monitoring the VA advise for friends flights at the end of the month. Updates happen at different times each day on the VA advisory page. They have finally announced all the VA flights are cancelled for the next few days rather than trying to say only some are.

Some days they are pushing the cancel day out by one, currently sitting on March 22nd bookings.

Helped friend contact VA via chat, short wait to get an agent. Only offer was the same as the advisory, cancel if flight is up to the 22nd for free. There is no option to change flights to a different carrier. Only option on offer is refund or change of date still with VA/QR.

They are really having a laugh not moving the cancel option up to the end of March.

Booked alternative flights with SQ.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Going to ask again, if anyone has had any success with QR visa via eu 261 in the last week? My flight will likely be cancelled sometime on Saturday evening, I'm wondering how best to contact Qatar about requesting accommodation and re-routing and what to say.

Update:
Not that they specifically emailed me about it, but they emailed saying "there are flexible options to manage your trip", then when I logged in to manage booking, I see that the first leg (AMS -> DOH) says it's cancelled (though the DOH -> SYD isn't, despite it also not running). Is that presumably enough to trigger EU261?

I had a look and neither Emirates nor JAL is currently flying out of AMS which does complicate things. Could I push for a hotel for a week and reschedule my flight do you think, would that fall under the regulation? I'd rather wait a week and see what happens, given there are limited options to fly out of AMS anyway.

So basically ideally I just push my flights 1 week to the 23rd, which I think I can do myself, book a hotel, and somehow need to get Qatar to pay for that, but just clarifying is this is fine under eu261, since I can see on their website my flight out of AMS is cancelled? The reason I say 23rd is Qatar's guidance is all flights to the 22nd.

Update2:
Doesn't seem like it's possible for me to change anything, it's all a bit broken, but they direct you to broken live chat either on the website or app - neither of which works

There is something on the contact page to say call the local number, but as a non-local my esim is data-only, I can't really call anyone. Really stupid if you ask me.

Yes, passengers are successfully using EU261 to get QR to re-route them on other airlines out of the EU, to their final destination.

EU261 considers the journey as a whole, origin to destination, including and transits. a if the AMS-DOH is cancelled that’s enough to trigger.

The obligation is to then refund or change dates or re-route. The latter being at the earliest opportunity.

Duty of care also kicks in. However, the duty of care only applies while you’re waiting for the re-route at the earliest opportunity. You can’t voluntarily take a flight a week later and expect the airline to pay for accommodation and meals.

If your re-route is the same day as your originally cancelled flight you might only get a meal, if it’s overnight, you’ll get one night’s accommodation.

You can fly anyone you like out of Amsterdam… you’re not limited to Emirates of JAL. Cathay, Finnair, KLM to Singapore kf Denpasar even (and onwards to AU).

If your flight is cancelled you call QR and ask what they’re going to do to get you to your destination. They may already have options for you. If you find other options, which will get you in earlier than those proposed by QR, you mention EU261, and that you’d like your re-route at the earliest opportunity.

 

[Quickstatus]

I had a look and neither Emirates nor JAL is currently flying out of AMS which does complicate things

If not AMS then LHR or another airport in Europe?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

If not AMS then LHR or another airport in Europe?

And EU261 will include the connecting flight from AMS to anywhere in Europe.

EU261 isnt complicated. It’s no different to taking a faulty product back to a retailer here in Australia. That’s second nature to us now, and simple to do.

The only catch with EU261 is the wait times to get through at the moment… reports are being on hold for up to an hour. Although for many of us who remember long call wait times at QF, or Aeroplan… an ‘hour’ is really not that long!

Just put your itinerary into google flights and go from there!

 

[Steady]

There is something on the contact page to say call the local number, but as a non-local my esim is data-only, I can't really call anyone. Really stupid if you ask me.

Can you use wifi calling via your Aussie sim?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Can you use wifi calling via your Aussie sim?

On the issue of contacting QR… the channels are busy.

With chat apparently you need to continuously connect, disconnect, and reconnect… eventually you’ll get connected to an agent, as in almost immediately. So just keep trying… connect, then disconnect.

Same with calling, apparently one of the difficulties is getting into the queue… can take repeated dialling. But once you get accepted into the queue the wait is up to an hour.

 

[Hunter4vr]

If you have Gold or higher status with QR, they have a dedicated WhatsApp service. It's not instant but I managed to cancel a couple flights no issues even though the chat was disabled and couldn't get through by calling.

 

[Harrison_133]

Qatar have released their limited flight schedule through to March 17.

Includes some Melbourne and Perth sectors.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2031821822694735923