How Qatar Airways Almost Screw Up My London/Barcelona holiday - Flight Delayed - Flight Cancelled

We are looking forward to our very first trip to London to visit my dear sister and a holiday in London and Barcelona. My daughter has booked the Qatar Airways as she was hoping to let us have an enjoyable long flight as her experience of Qatar was a pleasant experience and also regarded as a premium airline (awarded the Skytrak World Airlines 2018).

How Qatar Airways Almost Screw Up My London/Barcelona holiday - Flight Delayed - Flight Cancelled

Our flight was scheduled to depart at 2.25am and ETA to London at 130pm with a stopover transit at Doha. We did a web check-in and arrive at the airport at 12am and check in our luggage for flight number QR 853 codeshare with Malaysian Airlines and Iberia Airline after about 20 min.

QATAR Airways Flight Delayed

Proceeded to the terminal for boarding. At 2.00am an announcement was broadcast that the plane will be delayed to 3.00am due to some technical issue on the plane Airbus A330.

Then things go downhill from here. At 310am, an announcement was made that the plane is now delayed until 5am. Meals vouchers in the form of a burger king burger and a cup of tea were given to each of us.

QATAR Airways Flight Cancelled

Upon our reboarding at 550am, a broadcast that the flight QR 853 has been cancelled, arrangement for a hotel stay at Saujana Hotel Subang was broadcast, no mention on what time the flight will be.


We approach the boarding desk to ask for a replacement flight which the staff were not able to commit to. The staff keep keying in-flight option but no firm commitment was made and neither were there any re-issuance of flights on other airlines. Many attempts to talk to the person in charge fall in vain. The boarding counter staff were just checking alternate flights for some guests. We had the worry, lost anxiety, stress and above all not knowing when we will be able to fly to London.

At 7 am, it finally reaches my time at the boarding counter, after checking the staff said there are 2 flight out of KL, One is at 9.50am by MAS and another is Emirates, it was a slight relief as there was some hope. The staff say she can't do anything and ask to go to the ticketing counter at the check-in counter on level 5 which means we have to exit immigration and collect our baggage hopefully with the hope of getting these ticket. 

I have to run all the way to the train and pass immigration and proceed to level 5 Qatar Airways ticketing office at 7.20am. Upon my arrival at the ticketing counter on Level 5, one of the passengers got a ticket reissue to MH004 which is a direct flight to London and said there were around 43 seats left on this flight. A sudden relieve of hope enlighten my tired souls. Much to the chagrin, minutes after minutes the hope seems diminishing as they were none of the other passengers ahead of the queue got any reprieve from getting any tickets. My hope has now turn into agony and by now after waiting for more than an hour was totally dismayed by the inaction of the staff. 

By now I have been awake for more than 24 hours (another first in my life). I was getting anxious as the clock strikes 8.35am as boarding time will close in less than 60 minutes before flights. Worst is the counter staff being unresponsive and went missing. If they are at the counter they either use the computer to check heaven knows what or they are always on a phone talking to heaven knows who.

While feeling hopeless and chatting with others in the line of the queue, one of the passengers told me that some passenger got their ticket to other flights at the Qatar Airways Airline office in level 4. I decided to make a dash to the Qatar Airways Airline office. Upon reaching there, I could see 4 fellows stranded passenger there and a quick check with them was similar, the staff are looking at it. My patience by now has gone up to the roof. I decided to call out the staff and for once I have raised my voice of despair, agony and the lackadaisical attitude of the Qatar Airways ground staff and demanded that they get the 3 of us on board that MH004.

By that time it is already 8.50am, a senior staff came to see the commotion and I told him that I have to be on that MH004. For once, there was a light at the end of the rainbow moment. I was then told to wait as while the arrangement is made. After 5 minutes a staff named Aliff appear and ask me to follow him to the 5th floor, I was then rejoined by my wife and son which has collected all our luggage. He brought us to the Malaysian Airlines Standby counter where we manage to check in to MH004 at 910am and baggage check-in via Bulky Baggage check-in. You cannot believe the relief we felt at that very moment when hope shines on us and the joy we felt. 

Soon we were at the boarding gate C16. Upon finally check in, we were seated on the last row of the Boeing 350 row 40, the feeling was so surreal and our lost hope was enlightened. We will reach London Heathrow at 435pm, a final delay of 3.5 hours after all the hassle and stress. The question is do we really have to get to this level to get what we paid for. Airlines should be able to manage the contingency plan without letting the customer down. After all, we are full fare paying customers; we deserve better. Hope this will be your guide if you encounter the same issues.

Till today, there has not been a single call from Qatar Airways to us on this matter.

From QATAR AIRWAYS website  - What if my Qatar Airways flight is cancelled? Very disappointing as they did not do this automatically and we have to go thru those stress. What kind of promise is this?

We have filled a claim at https://www.airhelp.com/en/. Hope they can do something about it.

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