Qatar Airways ‘generally good’

I saw the subscriber’s letter “On the Tarmac with Qatar Airways” (April ’12, pg. 26), regarding this airline and the long waits she endured on the tarmac. My wife, Margaret, and I have had a generally good experience with Qatar Air, with one exception.

We flew business class from Houston to Doha, Qatar, on Feb. 2, 2012, connecting to another Qatar flight to Melbourne, Australia. We did sit on board at the gate for an hour while some “maintenance” problems were fixed, but we were constantly kept up to date from the flight deck, and drinks and snacks were served.

This delay didn’t worry us, since we had a 6-hour layover in Doha (to spend in the luxurious business lounge).

On both of these segments, the service and attention were incomparably better than that on any US airline we had flown internationally. The menu consisted of an à la carte main section and a substantial selection of snacks. All items were available at any time during the flight, even up to 20 minutes before landing.

We returned from Melbourne on Feb. 29, stopping in Doha for the nonstop connection to Houston.

On the Melbourne-Doha segment, the service was appalling. Similar menus were presented, but service was rushed, more like that of a fast-food restaurant, after which the attendants removed themselves to the galley and stayed there for the rest of the flight. Further requests for food, etc., seemed to be met grudgingly.

At Doha, we were subjected to repeated document checks for which no explanation was offered except that we were flying to the US. The police at the security screening point were quite bombastic, with one person yelling at me repeatedly to get my laptop out of my carry-on. He didn’t want to believe that I didn’t have one. The security personnel, by contrast, were very efficient.

Fortunately, the 16½-hour flight to Houston was back to the exceptionally good service we had experienced before.

Our business-class fare was $5,840 each, which we happened upon through an online sale. Compared to those of other airlines, this was a bargain. Our Australian visas were obtained very easily online.

BOB DEAR
The Woodlands, TX

ITN mailed and e-mailed copies of Mr. Dear’s letter to Qatar Airways (1201 Fannin St., Ste. 131, Houston, TX 77002; usacustomerrelations@us.qatarairways.com) and received an automatic e-mail acknowledgement on April 27.

Mr. Dear e-mailed ITN on May 19, “I have had a letter from Qatar Airways acknowledging my letter to you of March 29. They apologized for our experience on the Melbourne-Doha leg, enclosed a gift (2012 diary and address book) and said they have referred this to the Cabin Services Department. They also pointed out that the security at Doha is controlled by the government and not the airline, although they do meet with the authorities monthly to provide feedback such as ours.”