Airline Found Guilty Of Sexual Discrimination, CEO Says He Doesn't Give A Damn

So you're going to stop flying them?

Both ILO findings and Al Baker's reaction are not very surprising, unfortunately. While his rants may be amusing, his policies and behavior are not.

AAB rejects our reality and substitutes his own.

$5 says you fly them again

I agree that the contract points are not tolerable.
But I am wondering, if the conditions on the contract are so bad, why are people still signing them and becoming their employees? If they know about these policies upfront, I am wondering if you can really blame the airlines?
I am also of what are their termination clauses if someone wants to resign.

So then, I guess how much does this matter to you (or whomever)? We all know that the only way to efficiently get a company to change their policies is to speak with our money. Innovative premium cabins or not, if the treatment of their female employees matter to you, your only choice is to stop giving them your money. The voice doesn't matter--protests don't matter--strongly worded internet posts do not matter. The only thing that matters is the money. I mean, do it or don't...I'm not going to judge anyone; you can't however post on one hand about the great experience they provide while on the other hand sympathize with the struggles that face their female employees.

Assuming all these ridiculous rules that Qatar imposes to their employees are true, why would any woman work for them?

@John: That is my point. Are these rules kept secret before anyone signs a contract with Qatar and once you are in you get the booklet with all the rules you never knew before hand? There is no doubt these rules are ridiculous but if you sign up a contract knowing those rules then I don't think there is much for you to complain about it. It is similar to accepting a job that you have to work the night shift and you start complaining on your first week that you don't like to work at night. As long as people have a choice I don't think anyone that agreed with those rules should complain. As people say: Rules are rules. Like it or not, you have to follow them.

As long as it's a free country (perhaps debatable in Qatar) and there isn't slavery (and even the most ridiculous commentators don't seriously allege that for Qatar), then people don't have to work for them and it's really not up to people from a different culture and continent to make too harsh a judgment.

After all, the USA has the most ridiculous, out-dated and draconian rules forbidding young adults from buying a beer or a glass of wine. I personally think it's outrageous that people should be considered responsible enough to vote, or fight and die for their country, but are not permitted a glass of beer. I could try to argue that everywhere else should boycott the USA over this outrage, but, hey, it's the USA's own country - America has made its bed and has to sleep on it. Oh! and lots of young adults enjoy visiting the place of their own free will (although I've not yet met one who hasn't been appalled by the USA's policy on this matter).

@NB. The US is also the only country other than Papua New Guinea and Oman that does not provide paid time off after child birth to women. Maybe a better point of comparison than drinking age.

But Lucky, will you be trying them on their new routes which start soon? What are your intentions with this post and future flying with Qatar?

I'm not sure what to think of these things involving labor in other countries. The other day I saw Singapore Airlines recruitment was seeking male and female cabin crew from Singapore and Malaysia. But from other countries such as China, India, Japan, Korea, Thailand, and Indonesia, etc. they were seeking applications for FEMALE cabin crew only. Is this ok?

https://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/careers/cabin-crew-appointments/

How long until His Excellency bans you from his planes?

And Qatar just named the best airline 2015 by skytrax...

With regard to the questions about why women would continue to work for the company if they have such draconian policies, I think the answer to that question is the same as the response to why people work in sweatshops or in other highly unfavorable conditions. The solution isn't as simple as "just don't work there then."

I do have a couple of flights booked on QR. I have no plans to cancel them, but may be hesitant to book in the future. I wonder about a company led by a CEO who consistently outright lies about things (e.g. whether they're joining OW, whether they have certain labor practices). If he generally lives in a constant state of denial about reality, how he would react if a safety problem developed/was discovered at the airline?

@luckys reader, what is the problem with that? They do that because they mostly only hire Singaporean males who have completed National Service, there is no lack of males from Singapore applying for positions. If you are a Singaporean male wanting to fly with SQ you are required to be physically fit and completed national Service favourably, they use male attendants kinda like security on flights.

And with regards to gulf airlines, I refuse to fly them. There's no benefit for me to fly gulf airlines, I have to stop in the middle east, what is the point of that? I rather fly to europe direct.

I don't know if this is still true but I remember employment classifieds for jobs in the UAE always saying "Muslims preferred". That just struck me as funny considering many of their customers are non-Muslims.

@Andrew B regarding the "outright lies," what are your thoughts about the recent things the Delta CEO has said? I bristled when I heard them and lost respect for him. It also leads to a sense of disappointment and disbelief regarding how someone like that could get to such a high position. It gives me a bad taste, but honestly, if Delta had the lowest price and a good itinerary for what I needed, I would probably fly them again.

@Jay my point was simply that Singapore does not appear to be accepting applications for male cabin crew in the other countries they recruit from outside of their home base.

Lucky - I recall (and I apologize if I am incorrect) you mentioned that the in-flight manager sets the tone for a flight. Would the same be true for the CEO setting the tone for the airline? Say, if Qatar had a Tim Clark or James Hogan running the show, the employees may be treated differently (better)?

Neil S, mrredskin: haha 😀

And yet you still fly them. I love your posts, Ben, but It's hard to really think that you care about your friends who work for Qatar when you still fly them.

Excuse me, but what is wrong with sexual discrimination?

@ Ben -- Please boycott this a**hole.

@ John:

People choose to work for them for the same reasons that guest workers subject themselves to all kinds of human rights abuses (and in Qatar, at least, a rapidly increasing death toll) in the Gulf States, because they have very few other options in their home countries and are willing to risk their lives to provide for their families. Just because people are willing to work in horrible conditions, doesn't mean we as a global community should allow employers to subject people to those conditions.

@ chasgoose -- Very well said!

@ Garrett @ John Doe -- I'll be the first to admit it's something I struggle with, and something I've asked on the blog before:
https://onemileatatime.com/ethics-flying-qatar-airways/

So at the very least I do think about it, if that makes a difference.

@ mangoceviche -- I'd absolutely say so. Qatar Airways is *very* much Al Baker's baby, both in terms of the good traits and the bad ones.

@ Andrew B -- Very well said!

This moron needs to be euthanised.

People can blame Qatar Airways all they like, but it's the outdated, but very much alive and kicking assumption, that flight attendants should be pretty, young women that's the root cause of sexual discrimination. For all those disgusted by "old" and "fat" American "stewardesses" (they're flight attendants--get with the times) then book yourselves exclusively on Asian and Middle Eastern airlines where you can ogle attractive young things to your heart's content. Just keep in mind that those female flight attendants can so easily suffer discrimination at the hands of their employers precisely because they are all females and employers know that double standards in their countries will let them get away with it.

@ Chancer

I have less of an issue with the appearance requirements of the Gulf carriers, because as you said, that's a problem for many airlines. Last time I checked, however, I can't think of any other carrier that essentially holds their employees hostage the way Qatar does.

@chancer: Well said. The moral standards in the Arab world are very different from ours. I will not fly with Middle Eastern airlines, even though their product might offer a lot of luxury for a low price, because I feel mostly that I prefer a bit less luxury in c-class in a European or US carrier with direct connections preferable to a stopover in Doha, Abu Dhabi or Dubai. Even if you can spend a couple of hours in a nice lounge. I prefer to spend these hours at my destination. And yes, the U.S. airline executives have a valid point when they speak of unfair trade practices. Middle Easetern airlines are heavily supported by their governments, who are looking at life after oil. Our airlines have to abide by strict competition and cartel rules, they don't.

@chasgoose: +1. Well put. If you know anyone in the Phils for example who struggles to survive and provide for their families, it's easy to understand why they put up with such conditions.

@Robbie: Not euthanized. Too violent. Neutered would be better.

Lucky, as u love to talk about Mr. Al Baker, I might figure out I'd like to be him!

All this talk of Qatar Airways holding their flight attendants "hostage" makes me chuckle. I was a flight attendant for 30 years, for several international carriers, and the reality is that ALL airlines hold their cabin crewmembers 'hostage' in various ways. (I flew for Libyan Arab Airlines, under Muammar Gaddafi, and could tell you some REAL 'hostage' stories!) Having served in the military prior to my airline career, I always felt the airlines I worked for were far stricter than the Navy!

I've flown Qatar Airways roundtrip a number of times between South Africa and both Europe and the U.S. During quiet times inflight I've chatted and traded stories with lots of QR flight attendants and I've rarely encountered such friendly, gracious and seemingly happy airline employees. (They certainly put to shame the sour-puss senior attendants I worked alongside at the Big-3 U.S. airline I retired from!) Most of the ME3 carriers' crewmembers know what they're getting into when they apply, and they don't plan to make flying a career.

My brother-in-law is an Inflight Service Director with British Airways and he's told me about BA's difficulty in recruiting new flight attendants because would-be applicants are put-off by both the low salary and the poor working conditions. Really, very few airlines are a dream to work for these days.

If The conditions are so bad nobody force them to work there also flight attendants working for QR for over 20 years should be masoquist then ?? On the A350 inaugural the average years of service was 10 !! Why don't we stop considering one law fits all ??? Like " democracy " in Irak ? ???
Gulf airlines set up their rules take it or leave it , if you don't like quit or find a job somewhere else

Why dont we complaint how Unions are getting the airline industry a total shit like allowing FA doing what ever they want

@Lucky's Reader - is your impression of SQ built from 1 recruitment invite?

SQ cabin crew is 40% men. Here's a 3rd party verification: http://thedesignair.net/2015/06/08/we-take-you-behind-the-scenes-at-singapore-airlines/. Much more of these men than the ladies stay on for life. Therefore, as the turnover for the ladies are much higher, the recruitment for female flight attendants are obviously necessary & much more frequent.

And I was once an SQ crew.

@chasgoose: I completely agree with you! I travel to India a lot and I totally understand what you are talking about. But when I said so, I just had a doubt if all the cabin crew workers actually came from such a family background. If that's the case, its just sad they airlines like these are willingly, with no shame, taking advantage of them

Ben, I love you, but between visiting dictatorships that survive on tourist cash flow (Maldives) and calling out airlines based out of homophobic countries that censor gay websites (Korean Air), maybe you should avoid these touchy subjects to keep some the crazy commenters at bay

Oh Kenneth, your comment reminds me of the time I talked to a guy who had visited a brothel in Vegas. He was so impressed that the prostitute who serviced him was so nice and friendly. He didn't want to hear the reason, that she wanted a bigger tip.

I think the horror stories about how QR treats its staff are really overdone by the media. My partner works for QR and while some of the rumoured rules are in fact correct, it's nowhere as near as outrageous as people make it sound. For example, while it is true that the CC have a curfew, people who discuss this topic probably do not know that:

1.It is only between the really late hours (3am~7am, not too sure on the exact hours but it is close to that range)
2. It only applies to crew where QR provides housing to (i.e. if you do not stay in the company provided accommodation, then there's no curfew).

So looking at the above, if I'm providing housing to my staff as the employer, is it so unreasonable for me to require that my staff do not leave or enter my house between set hours?

Note that the curfew only applies in Doha as well. If you really are sick of it and you have a 4 day off in your roster, you can apply for an exit permit (this is not a QR requirement but a government requirement for all employer sponsored workers) and head to any other country where there's no curfew.

While it is definitely inconvenient, none of the people I know that works at QR sees this as a 'prison'...