Qatar FAIL on gluten free meal request

[AdelaideFF]

I flew Auckland to Adelaide on QR915 on the evening of Friday 13 January 2023 (booked economy using Qantas website using QFF points). I suffer from Coeliac Disease so had requested a gluten free meal when booking; and I checked the special meal request was showing up when I logged into the Qatar Airways website a week before the flight (when requesting and paying for specific seats).

When the the flight attendant came along with the meals she had no record of the special meal request, nor any gluten free meal available. She did not accept my statement that I had requested a special meal, and seemed uninterested in finding something for me to eat. She just went on to serving other passengers their meals and did not even offer me a drink. At least when flying Qantas last year when their post-COVID kitchen issues meant there were many flights with no special meals, the Qantas flight attendants had gone out of their way to try to find me something I could eat (one even offering me her own flight meal (a GF salad)).

I was able to bring up on my phone my booking on the Qatar Airways website, where it clearly showed "Gluten-free Meal" under Meal preference. On presenting this to the flight attendant she consulted another staff member. At least then they seemed to accept that I had requested a special meal - but that started a variety of excuses:
. I was only flying AKL-ADL and not on to Doha, so no special meals were available just for the leg to Adelaide (if that is true, it is totally unacceptable for Qatar Airways to not provide somebody with Coeliac Disease (who has no option but to eat gluten free) with any food on a flight of over 4 hours):
. secondly they said I should have registered my meal request more than 24 hours before the flight (when I had, in fact, registered my meal request in September when making the booking!).

Eventually a small Alfoil tray of fruit was provided well after meal service had been concluded and other passengers' meal trays had been cleared away, with no apology given.

This was my first experience of Qatar Airways and I was not at all impressed: it wasn't just that there was no gluten-free meal, it was the lack of understanding, with no apology and no interest from the staff in trying to find me something I could eat - until I proved to them that I had registered a special meal request. This was not the standard of service I expected from "Airline of the Year"! This was not an isolated, Friday 13th incident! my daughter (who is also Coeliac) flew on the same flight a few days earlier, and her gluten free meal request was not recorded. At least for her the flight attendant did find her a gluten free meal.

Not good enough Qatar! Beware if you make a special meal request on AKL-ADL.

 

[rigram]

Qatar have an "exceptional" product - except when something goes wrong, even the tiniest thing can "derail-the-train".

I've had reservation issues which were difficult to resolve (call centre in India), and sloppy lounge policy - was entitled to entry, but refused.

I too am Coeliac, and I find all airlines get this wrong at some stage - even premium Qantas classes....

 

[Samss]

I am also coeliac and have flown Qatar many times. Mostly prior to my diagnosis. The last flight, from Europe to Adelaide, I was given a normal bread roll with my gluten free meal… and when I questioned if it was the right one was assured that it was fine. I was very ill. But I have developed a strong suspicion that flight attendants at Qatar are not well trained or very well paid. It’s hard to be upset at the attendants themselves, it’s not their fault that training is sub par, but it’s a pretty poor reflection of the management at Qatar.

 

[p--and--t]

Sad and disappointing.

Qatar "can" be great and often are, but just like any airline they can be hit and miss.

I have experienced stellar service and also below par. There seems to be a culture of not admitting or acknowledging they may have made a mistake.

Similarly with their hard product. QSuites are excellent but some of their older jets still have seats that remind me of the oldest of the original QF A380 J seats.

 

[jase05]

Not good enough Qatar! Beware if you make a special meal request on AKL-ADL.

That service has now ended unfortunately.
Experience sounds horrible and not good enough