Interesting Read About Working For Qatar Airways

Interesting Read About Working For Qatar Airways

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Expressen.se has an interesting article entitled “The truth about the luxury of Qatar Airways.” The article tells the stories of a few Qatar Airways employees that were sacked for a variety of reasons, and gives some interesting insight into how Qatar Airways management generally views employees.

I wouldn’t take everything written as fact, but there’s certainly a lot of truth to it. For what it’s worth I know some flight attendants that work for Emirates and Etihad, and based on what I’ve heard it’s not quite as bad as what the article suggests, though on the other hand I know someone that used to work for Saudia, and that sounded ten times worse.

On the whole nothing in the article really surprises me, though. It’s kind of in line with the post I wrote in late-2012, entitled “Is the UAE the most depressing place in the world?”

Do stories like this impact your desire to fly top airlines like Qatar Airways?

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  1. Maliziosa Guest

    I have friends and family working for Qatar Airways for years and family members working for Emirates for years. I worked for an European airline myself (headquarters) so I have an insight on the airline industry from all angles. You cannot compare the Ethics in an European airline with the one in Middle Eastern airlines. In the Gulf there is only one law - the law of jungle - dramas, plots and bullshit. It looks...

    I have friends and family working for Qatar Airways for years and family members working for Emirates for years. I worked for an European airline myself (headquarters) so I have an insight on the airline industry from all angles. You cannot compare the Ethics in an European airline with the one in Middle Eastern airlines. In the Gulf there is only one law - the law of jungle - dramas, plots and bullshit. It looks like that soap opera with Sultan Soliman (killed his own sons because of stupid plots at the palace). The problem is essentially the same: it does not matter what you know and how highly qualified you are, all that matters is who you know well and are close friends with. It's a gang party in both companies and every time the company "shakes the boat", people are fired for no reason! Emirates is more decent in this respect and offers job options to their employees. Qatar doesn't. Emirates shakes the boat less often, creating a kind of stability. Qatar does it every year/2 years and there is a high uncertainty for your job, especially if you are in a Managerial position, no matter how good your performance is. The pay in QR is lower than EK and in certain countries lower than what local companies pay. I could write a book about the bullshit employees go through in Qatar Airways: bullying, discrimination, exhaustion, unfair treatment, etc. I have heard stories with top managers being escorted out of their office & country for no real reason other than new Vice president/Manager doesn't like his face or someone else wants his position. I also heard stories about cabin crew and the way they are mistreated and terminated without even being allowed to collect their own money from local banks. It's disgusting and mind blowing. This is Qatar Airways, a company with messed-up top management who wants 7* results but treats their loyal and skilled employees like rubbish. All the stories are from witnesses inside the company and are not invented or exaggerated by a tabloid. Their BS spreads from Doha across countries and continents and nobody in the company is safe! If there were an International HR Commission to look into the way this company treats its employees...then they would cease to exist due to the amount of compensations they should pay.

  2. AAE Guest

    You know someone that works within a Middle Eastern Airline and they are depressed but won’t admit it as you know they will lose their job. They have left their wife and children in a different country and wants a divorce, knowingly there wasn't any issues until he left and has admitted he has communication issues and broken his family. He had indicated previously he was depressed to a friend but won’t work with his...

    You know someone that works within a Middle Eastern Airline and they are depressed but won’t admit it as you know they will lose their job. They have left their wife and children in a different country and wants a divorce, knowingly there wasn't any issues until he left and has admitted he has communication issues and broken his family. He had indicated previously he was depressed to a friend but won’t work with his wife and children to get help or keep their marriage together (His parents have influenced him to leave his own family after all the support his wife and children have given him over the years to get an airline job in the middle east (Now his family is struggling to pay bills and live and he thinks this is acceptable) and there is a trend of mental health issues in his family. How do you report it even through you don't want to wreck there career. Is this a mentality of being treated like a king in a superior job in the middle east?

  3. AAS Guest

    You know someone that works within an Airline and they are depressed but wont admit it as they know they will lose their job. They have left their wife and children in a different country and wants a divorce, knowingly there wasn't any issues until he left and has admitted he has communication issues and broken his family. He had indicated previously he was depressed to a friend but wont work with his wife and...

    You know someone that works within an Airline and they are depressed but wont admit it as they know they will lose their job. They have left their wife and children in a different country and wants a divorce, knowingly there wasn't any issues until he left and has admitted he has communication issues and broken his family. He had indicated previously he was depressed to a friend but wont work with his wife and children to get help or keep their marriage together (His parents have influenced him to leave his own family after all the support his wife and children have given him over the years to get an airline job in the middle east (Now his family is struggling to pay bills and live and he thinks this is acceptable) and there is a trend of mental health issues in his family. How do you report it even through you don't want to wreak there career.

  4. AAB Guest

    Wow. Where do I start.
    The aircraft itself are A+. The Steward/Stewardess are for the most part pretty good but definitely not 5 Star.
    I too have personally talked to them as a passenger and they feel "trapped" "scared to leave" "cannot leave" "do not like it", were only some of the nicer things said… <-- their words not mine.
    There are issues all over internally at Qatar Airways. I thank God...

    Wow. Where do I start.
    The aircraft itself are A+. The Steward/Stewardess are for the most part pretty good but definitely not 5 Star.
    I too have personally talked to them as a passenger and they feel "trapped" "scared to leave" "cannot leave" "do not like it", were only some of the nicer things said… <-- their words not mine.
    There are issues all over internally at Qatar Airways. I thank God every day I got out of there, SAFELY.
    Qatar Airways is not run by who you think it might be. Its worse.
    It starts at the top. Then you have a CTO (joker who doesn't like "white" people.)
    VP's, Managers, etc. I hope that in your lifetime that money never becomes an issue for you that you NEED to take a job on at this airline. You will lose your integrity, dignity and self respect. By far in my 35 years of working experience have I EVER come across a more disorganized organization. EVER.

  5. Laurensia Guest

    Hi all,

    I am expecting an offer from QR within a few weeks. I will let you know how things go once I am over there. Wish me luck and if I was not so lucky, wish me strength and perseverance, please. Thanks all

    Best,
    Laurensia

  6. abdenour Guest

    I worked for Qatar Airways for 2 years and it was the worse experience of my life. the very worse time of the whole of my life i spent it in this company. please if anyone want to go to Doha and work for Qatar airways, i would advise him to think twice before taking this move. after months of applying and waiting for this dream to come true, i arrived to Doha and this...

    I worked for Qatar Airways for 2 years and it was the worse experience of my life. the very worse time of the whole of my life i spent it in this company. please if anyone want to go to Doha and work for Qatar airways, i would advise him to think twice before taking this move. after months of applying and waiting for this dream to come true, i arrived to Doha and this first shock was in the accommodation. in the offer they told me i will have a single room, but they put i shared one. when i asked why, they told me that's all what they can give and if i don't like it i can leave. but they knew I cant go back to my country once i quit my job there and said good buy to my family and friends.
    Anyway, the second shock: in our accommodation was a swimming pool and gym but they advise us to not even think about using it as it was reserved to some managers and grades. you can imagine how you can feel when you are in so hot country and you can see the swimming pool from your window but you can't use it !!!
    then we started working and step by step we start knowing the rules and restrictions that start make feel you become a slave without even know it. the NOC (no objection) nightmare!! you need the NOC to change the position, to apply for another position, to get driven license, to open account, to get marry, to do almost anything you have to ask your supervisor for no objection.
    the supervisor is a monster, a heartless person who do all what he can do to make our lives miserable.
    except your salary, you don't have benefits.. no insurance, no loan, no training, no salary increase, no opportunity for promotion.. nothing at all.. and when you are oing to your owen country for vacation, you will need an exit permit from your supervisor who will sometimes make you beg him for the exit.

    I didn't even resign from this company, after all what i experienced, i just go back to my country for vacation and never go back. and it was the best decision in my life so far..

    My advise to everyone who wants to go to Doha and work for qatar airways: please DO NOT! any situation you are in now, is far better than what you will see with them.

  7. aamir Guest

    waleed i do agree with you its not your fault .it is always the responsibilty of the airline to board the passenger after checking thier documents and visas.it was a big mistake of an airline staff to board a passenger without proper checking of visa requirements.now a days airlines use DCS (departure control system) and they can easily get the visa information from (TIM) travel information manual.you should ask them to pay the plenty because it is not your fault

  8. Waled Ahmed Guest

    Terrible Experience (Lack of professionalism + Arrogance in reply by customer service = QATAR AIRWAY)

    In brief, wrong information given by both check in counters in Dubai and Baku that i can obtain my visa upon arrival in Georgia with my current Shcengen visa.
    Airport staff in both cities allowed my to board to plane in 2 flights
    in Tbilisi, they informed me that rules been changed few month ago. This means that...

    Terrible Experience (Lack of professionalism + Arrogance in reply by customer service = QATAR AIRWAY)

    In brief, wrong information given by both check in counters in Dubai and Baku that i can obtain my visa upon arrival in Georgia with my current Shcengen visa.
    Airport staff in both cities allowed my to board to plane in 2 flights
    in Tbilisi, they informed me that rules been changed few month ago. This means that internal communication between QR station in Tbilisi and the company is ZERO.
    due to that BIG mistake, i have to be deported by Authorities back to Dubai.
    After submitting a complaint to refund me my tickets from Dubai to Tbilisi AT LEAST then to compensate me on hotel Non-Refundable charges as well as cancelled meetings.. the reply from TELL US team was (Sorry it is your Mistake)..
    It is very well known in travel industry that airline DOES NOT allow passengers to board any flight without eligible documents, otherwise passengers are rejected!! and due to this mistake i go a free deportation ticket back to Dubai!!!
    This definitely shows the level customer service offered by Qatar Airways!!!
    My complaint number was # 2268930

  9. Aryan Guest

    First and foremost, Qatar Airways doesn't force any of its staff to work for it. Secondly, all those people spreading shit about this airline needs to know that this company is not short of employees and not all it's staff are running away from their job or are stressed about it. They are staying with the company, which makes it clear that there is something good about this company.

  10. Didik Seu Guest

    I did not go through all the comments. I see all the negatives on Qatar Airways and the others.

    I am wondering where are the people who commented are from?

    Most countries like criticizing just to put a bad image on a company and promoting theirs...

  11. kikali Guest

    This is the way of distortion and deception where a few unhappy and fired staff are made to look like the norm and the thousands of staff who continue to work on their own free will are portrayed as slaves.

  12. kikali Guest

    No matter that thousands of words could be written until the ink runs dry, when we do not want to see the reality then they will not. My comments were based on an unfair and false news report.The article stated that:

    1.How employees are FORCED to sign contracts that prevent them from governing their own life choices
    Not one comment has been able to deny this. In other words the article was based on...

    No matter that thousands of words could be written until the ink runs dry, when we do not want to see the reality then they will not. My comments were based on an unfair and false news report.The article stated that:

    1.How employees are FORCED to sign contracts that prevent them from governing their own life choices
    Not one comment has been able to deny this. In other words the article was based on lies. Let us acknowledge this.

    2. Complaining about where the accommodation is, lack of swimming pools etc like a beggar biting the hand that feeds it. Nearly every western airline does NOT provide accommodation for their crew at the base. Go work for BA, be based at Heathrow and pay for your own accommodation. Then complain about the lack of a swimming pool and the fact that rental eats up a fair chunk of the salary.

    Qatar Airways provides accommodation, security, prevention of extra marital affairs of their staff as per the norms and values of their country (which incidentally are also Christian values but have been forgotten). And armchair critics complain! Why go work in a country if you are not happy with the free accommodation, tax free salary and no sex outside marriage.

    Stay single, live in your country pay for your own accommodation, pay 25% in taxes and another 21% VAT, then pay more for your pension and medical aid and be left with about 30% of real income to spend on accommodation, food , transport to work, car installments for the transport to work, parking etc.

    The comments and the article attempt to portray that Qatar Airways staff are prisoners, that they cannot leave their jobs (for a paltry low 1700 dollar training bond). That they are kept like communist era prisoners whilst on flights, etc…..yet with ALL of this the MAJORITY of the cabin crew dread being fired.and yet with free and open media and information, thousands STILL queue to join weekly.

    The difference is there are those who sit in the comfort of their homes whilst others leave their countries to go to work for Emirates, Eithad, QR etc that makes the difference between those who are working there and happy to do so, and those who are not and remain as armchair critics.

    Interestingly not ONE person has given their names after leaving or fleeing the slave countries and interestingly the majority who choose to work for these airlines are prorated as slaves who are unhappy.

    What a distortion of the truth!

  13. Bill O Guest

    Finally someone from Al Jazeera has provided us a fair assessment of this article, thanks kikali for providing the view from Al Jazeera, Qatar and QR!

    Just wish Al Jazeera would provide an rebuttal to the claims regarding the world cup.

    Thank you for schooling us western folk on what fair & balance reporting should be. HOw could we even consider the fact that skytrax ratings are bought, that Qatar condones modern slavery, that...

    Finally someone from Al Jazeera has provided us a fair assessment of this article, thanks kikali for providing the view from Al Jazeera, Qatar and QR!

    Just wish Al Jazeera would provide an rebuttal to the claims regarding the world cup.

    Thank you for schooling us western folk on what fair & balance reporting should be. HOw could we even consider the fact that skytrax ratings are bought, that Qatar condones modern slavery, that QR posts a employment bond which is why some will not leave as true or QR's non-disclosure agreement which holds employee's accountable for expense related to court hearing ext for anything they may disclose.

    I witnessed this stuff first hand, the slavery in Qatar and QR FA telling me she had 4 months until her bond was paid off and she was leaving. That QR banded her from any European flights, she was from Spain, because QR had got notice of her wanting to leave and didn't want her to jump ship.

    kikali because of you post I realize I haven't been fair and balance in my assessment and I shouldn't consider my personal experience in condemning QR. Thank you for teaching me the true western values.

  14. Ivan Y Diamond

    Also, this is a very, very detailed post about all aspects of working for QR: http://www.cabincrew.com/forums/before-applying-for-qatar-airways/175463/1

  15. Ivan Y Diamond

    It's amazing to see so many QR apologists here -- just because things may be same/worse elsewhere, isn't an excuse. Kikali's missive is so out of line, it makes Soviet propaganda sound like PBS (and I know a thing or two about life in USSR).

    While it's an undisputable fact that there's quite a bit of bias, spin, and half-truths in coverage of certain countries by "western" media (for a most recent example, see coverage...

    It's amazing to see so many QR apologists here -- just because things may be same/worse elsewhere, isn't an excuse. Kikali's missive is so out of line, it makes Soviet propaganda sound like PBS (and I know a thing or two about life in USSR).

    While it's an undisputable fact that there's quite a bit of bias, spin, and half-truths in coverage of certain countries by "western" media (for a most recent example, see coverage of events in Ukraine), there are certain facts about Qatar and Qatar Airlines that are hard to dismiss.

    After the publication of the article, I am not aware of any stories that refuted it and there were a ton of comments & forum posts by people with first-hand experience that supported main ideas outlined in the story. Nobody thinks of Emirates and Etihad as bastions of anything-goes airlines, but all crew members from EY & EK seem to agree that QR is much worse.

    I highly suggest reading the relevant topic on Airliners(dot)net (Swedish Newspaper Reveals "the Truth About QR") as it includes some fun facts, including stories of many crew members leaving during layovers/stopovers (one flight had to be cancelled due to not having enough crew, if I recall).

    In general, though, QR crew is better off than most other foreign workers in Qatar. Just read any of the stories about mistreatment of migrant workers working construction, including World Cup-related sites -- more than a 1,000 deaths have been confirmed and that's just Indian & Nepalese laborers. And workers can't just leave because their documents are usually confiscated and they are often not paid which makes it impossible to pay off debts their families took on to pay "agencies" to find them work in Qatar.

  16. kikali Guest

    WORKING FOR QATAR AIRWAYS. THE TRUTH.

    The wrieter of the above article, as a journalist living in a 'free' country as opposed to Qatar, we would expect her to write about both sides of the story with honesty and fairness, a salient characteristic that should be found in 'free' countries.

    The journalist extolled the virtues of the 'free' culture of her country and its citizens. Whilst this is true to a limited extent, she fails...

    WORKING FOR QATAR AIRWAYS. THE TRUTH.

    The wrieter of the above article, as a journalist living in a 'free' country as opposed to Qatar, we would expect her to write about both sides of the story with honesty and fairness, a salient characteristic that should be found in 'free' countries.

    The journalist extolled the virtues of the 'free' culture of her country and its citizens. Whilst this is true to a limited extent, she fails to extol the 'virtues' of its unemployment, lack of productivity and unwillingness of companies to hire their own citizens and labour force. A pattern that is prevalent in Europe for the past few years. Perhaps she should have looked deeper into this and ponder why single females are prepared to give up their 'freedom' and leave 'free' countries and jump ship to Qatar and to Qatar Airways. An article introspecting her own country's failure to provide employment would be more productive to its citizens. Or is it that negative and scandalous news regarding another country is better for getting a larger readership?

    To unfairly and unilaterally criticize the national airline of a country, and further criticize the country itself, with regard to its labour practices is something that oversteps the mark of balanced and fair journalism.

    A few of her patently glaring 'omissions' which have either conveniently or naively been forgotten to be included in the article.

    1. It is a fact that Qatar Airways is and open, honest and transparent airline in its labour employment practices. This should have been stated in the article. Sh has not been able to deny this, in fact the article itself indirectly confirms this. Never have any employee been forced, compelled or coerced into joining Qatar Airlines. All staff are aware of the rules and can either accept to abide by them or not take up employment with Qatar Airways, or resign. Why agree to rules and a code of conduct that you will dishonestly break? Would she be writing negatively about any airline that serves alcohol and a religiously observant Christian, Jew or Muslim took up employment with that airline and thereafter complained that they had to serve alcohol in conflict with their religious beliefs? Just as nobody compelled any religiously observant person to take up employment with an alcohol serving airline, so too Qatar Airways does not compel any prospective employee to take up employment with one of the best voted airlines in the world.

    2. The journalist needs to present the evidence to show where any employee has been forced to sign such a contract, as reported in her article, quote:
    "How employees are FORCED to sign contracts that prevent them from governing their own life choices."
    Frankly this remark is libelous and could open herself and her newspaper to a huge damages claim if the airline chooses to pursue this. The negative image that this distortion of the truth, nay lie, creates in the public's mind is indeed deserving of a public apology in the font page of the newspaper at the least. The article attempts to undo years of effort of an airline in trying to cultivate and portray a good image. Nobody forced any free citizen of her country or any free country to sign any contract.

    3. It is a fact that Qatar Airways continues to grow, unlike the airlines in the journalist's country. There are always far more job seekers than there are vacancies for the so called 'open wound in the airline industry' airline.

    The weekly job recruitment interviews that she mentions itself is sufficient proof of this. Proof that people form all over the world including her country's citizens and many other 'free' western countries' citizens aspire to work for Qatar Airways. And they aspire to live in Qatar too. If the airline from the staff perspective was as bad as she falsely and inaccurately portrayed it to be, then certainly there would be mass resignations and no 'firings' as she wrote.

    On the contrary the article proves that Qatar Airways staff value their jobs so highly that they dread being fired. Yet even after they have been fired, the two female attendants she writes about, aspired returning to Qatar. If the country and its labour practices were so harsh and the airline staff were treated as slaves, surely they would not want to return to Qatar after being fired? And surely in this age of mass media information the word would have spread from the cabin attendants 'unhappiness' to others warning them against joining Qatar Airways.

    4. Further proof of the hypocrisy of the article:
    All stewardesses have signed a non disclosure agreement that is in force even after we have been fired and I run the risk that there are people who will understand that I have been talking and who will get upset. Others might think that I should drop what happened and move on. But I think of all the people in Doha who have been worse and more unfairly treated than me, but don't have the opportunity to speak out or stand up for themselves. It is for their sake that it is important that I tell you this."

    Really? Herr informant is fired for breaking the rules that she was aware of when she joined the airline. Yet she chose not to speak out against the country or its airline only until her dishonesty was exposed, and finally when she had no hope of returning to Qatar. Suddenly she undergoes pangs of guilt and sympathy for all the 'slaves' who are stranded in Qatar? Really? Why did she not willingly leave her job, resign, go back home and then expose this? Why does she wait to get dismissed for her repeated dishonesty and then only decide to 'expose' the shorticomgs of a country that she desired to return to? Why did she want to know for how long would she be blacklisted and for what reason? To any intelligent reader it it obvious she decided to speak out to your newspaper because of her inability to return to Qatar. a case of sour grapes and vindictiveness.

    5. And lastly you cannot force an employess to give good sevice. Good service something that is given from the hart, and felt by the one receiving it. If Qatart Airways staff were unhappy then they would not be voted ones of the best airlines in the wolrd. Ask any passenger what comes first on their list of prioroties and good service will be in the top 3.

    Surely a fair, unbiased, honest and experienced journalist would have observed all of the above.

    To all those out there who have pisted comments especially againts the ailine, look again at the facts above. Then look agian at China where the sweat shops fopr many fee countires are. Then look again at the povety pf many countires whose wealth is taken away from them by other powerful countires.

    Then begin to look at true investigative articles that give the tuth and both sides of a story.

    That is what we living in the 'free' world should be trying to uphold and believe in. The truth. Not swalloing any lies that are fed to us my any media source.

  17. Agnese Guest

    Dear all,

    All that is written in the article is true. There is not even one thing that is a lie or exaggeration.
    The company thinks that is entitled to know everything about the personal life of their employees. Especially females.
    Let's hope that in the new future someone or something will make pressure over the company to change policy over their employees.

  18. Ivan Y Diamond

    @ SunnySandy - Baby J is totally adorable! Most of your posts are in English still and are very educational. I learned how to NOT pronounce "Coke" and that EY/EK doesn't stock enough chicken ;)

    @ concorde02 - FWIW, I don't think Asian airlines treat their crew like QR but just was curious about how working for an Asian airline is different from US/European ones.

  19. GUWonder Guest

    Expressen is a tabloid, but that doesn't mean the article is devoid of facts and political spin.

  20. concorde02 Guest

    Don't know why both on FT and here, there are some comments asking if SQ or CX or other East Asian carriers would also be the same??

    I know each country has culture different, but those are not the gulf countries, many are Buddhist, and they live in a free world (if not, sometimes more free than the US on a few topics). Many of these Asian carriers may not have Unions and use...

    Don't know why both on FT and here, there are some comments asking if SQ or CX or other East Asian carriers would also be the same??

    I know each country has culture different, but those are not the gulf countries, many are Buddhist, and they live in a free world (if not, sometimes more free than the US on a few topics). Many of these Asian carriers may not have Unions and use common sense that the service job should be done by pretty looking and "physically healthy" girls. But these carriers do not control the employees' lives out of work!

    If you fly enough, you will see that the only Asian carriers that seem to select the girls are SQ, OZ, and KE (or maybe MH). The rest, if you fly TG, JL, NH, etc, there are all mixed between young, old, pretty, not-so-pretty, skinny, a bit overweight, etc., just like the US, just not that they will let you work til you are 90 years old. And the services are just better.

    So do not mix Asian carriers with the Gulf's in the same box.

  21. SunnySandy Guest

    Hey Ivan!
    Ye sorry you had to use Goggle translate, I used write in English and Swedish, but once a lill baby princess came into my life I just can't find the time! :)

    Engine fire on the dooms day sure was crazy! (And just before I went on the flight I had sent text messages to my loved once just in case... So maye I jinxed the flight!)

  22. Ivan Y Diamond

    @ SunnySandy - thank you for your post and the link to another newspaper article! Admittedly, I had to use Google Translate but it works pretty good.

    P.S. Having an engine fire on a day when the world was supposed to end is crazy! http://sunnysandy.se/2014/01/30/things-i-used-to-hate-about-flying-7/

  23. Sunnysandy Guest

    I myself have worked for two large carriers in the Middle East, and it's not a picnic in the park. Reg to the Qatar airways article in Expressen:
    http://sunnysandy.se/2014/02/02/sanningen-bakom-qatar-airways/

  24. Joe Guest

    @ Mark - I'm with you. I won't set foot in their country or their airplanes. Or Texas, for that matter.

  25. TN Guest

    I was sitting with 7 QR pilots at breakfast one morning a few months back at the Marriott HKG airport. They all had nothing good to say about QR. This was not the normal, I really don't like my job stuff. This was a natural hate for the company and no respect for any pilot. Never flown them and will probably just stick to EK.

  26. Sean M. Diamond

    @wwk5d - The reason QR gets the worst publicity relative to Emirates and Etihad is quite simply that they treat their staff far and away worse than EK/EY do.

    I have friends and former colleagues who fly for all three of these airlines. I have visited my female Emirates friends in their housing many times and even stayed till well past 3am on occasion. As long as I fill in the guest book downstairs, there...

    @wwk5d - The reason QR gets the worst publicity relative to Emirates and Etihad is quite simply that they treat their staff far and away worse than EK/EY do.

    I have friends and former colleagues who fly for all three of these airlines. I have visited my female Emirates friends in their housing many times and even stayed till well past 3am on occasion. As long as I fill in the guest book downstairs, there is never an issue. Overnight guests must be approved in advance and have the consent of any flat-mates. Most of the rules are pretty common sense and not any different from what you might find at most university residences (and lets face it, the resident demographic is virtually identical).

    Contrast that to Qatar Airways. Not only could I not visit my friends at their accommodation (their nationality did not permit visitation - others in the same building from Europe were allowed limited visitors), but I couldn't even pick them up to go to dinner elsewhere. If a male even drove up to the building and said he was there to pick them up, they would be warned for the first "offense" and summarily terminated the next time. Even on layovers, they are limited in their freedom - it is common that their hotel rooms are telephoned at "curfew" time to ensure they are where they are supposed to be. As for the uniform regulations - there is nothing short of paranoia if they are photographed in uniform - even if it happens without their knowledge.

  27. wwk5d Guest

    While all the Gulf carriers get a bad rap...QR does seem to get the most talk about how badly it treats it's employees. You don't hear as many stories about Emirates or Etihad or Oman Air, for example. Even though I am sure the rest do treat their employees badly, I think QR alone gets what, 50% of all the negative stories?

    "me to compromise my American values (and dollars) perpetuating their corrupt, paternalistic, theocratic...

    While all the Gulf carriers get a bad rap...QR does seem to get the most talk about how badly it treats it's employees. You don't hear as many stories about Emirates or Etihad or Oman Air, for example. Even though I am sure the rest do treat their employees badly, I think QR alone gets what, 50% of all the negative stories?

    "me to compromise my American values (and dollars) perpetuating their corrupt, paternalistic, theocratic system"

    Try to not twist your ankle while dismounting off of that high horse of yours. If that is your logic, the rest of the world should boycott American based carriers due to your broken down corrupt system of government that has institutionalized misogyny and racism embedded into the very fabric of your society, and let us not begin on your hypocritical self-serving foreign policy. I mean, not saying the Arab world is better, but at least recognize when your poop stinks also.

  28. Mark New Member

    As a gay person I'm not so inclined to fly to or transit through any country that has a death penalty for being gay. And then there is the ludicrous "Gay Test" being developed in Kuwait which is supported by all the Gulf countries to try and ban LGBT people. Article 354 of the Federal Penal Code (of the Gulf states including Dubai) states: "Whoever commits rape on a female or sodomy with a male...

    As a gay person I'm not so inclined to fly to or transit through any country that has a death penalty for being gay. And then there is the ludicrous "Gay Test" being developed in Kuwait which is supported by all the Gulf countries to try and ban LGBT people. Article 354 of the Federal Penal Code (of the Gulf states including Dubai) states: "Whoever commits rape on a female or sodomy with a male shall be punished by death." While English translations of the Arabic text are in some dispute, it is generally felt that this is a prohibition against rape, and possibly consensual sodomy.

    The Federal Penal Code does not replace the legal system of each emirate, unless it is contrary to the federal law, and thus Sharia law remains in place. Hence a person could be charged on this federal penal code, or under a local (emirate) penal code.

    In 2013, it was announced that all the Gulf Cooperative Countries had agreed to establish some form of, yet unknown, testing in order to ban and deport gay foreigners.[1]

    So fuck them and fuck their airlines. Just my gay opinion.

    Here read for yourself:

    http://www.newsweek.com/kuwait-plans-medical-test-identify-and-ban-gays-569

  29. Keith Guest

    SO a couple of points, which may have already been discussed, as I lived in Qatar for two years.

    They do run a modern day slave labor. Most workers must post a bond to work in Qatar and then must work to pay it off. Passports are collected when they enter the country and must require your sponsors permission to leave Doha. I would get a text on my phone every time my wife was...

    SO a couple of points, which may have already been discussed, as I lived in Qatar for two years.

    They do run a modern day slave labor. Most workers must post a bond to work in Qatar and then must work to pay it off. Passports are collected when they enter the country and must require your sponsors permission to leave Doha. I would get a text on my phone every time my wife was leaving on a flight asking if "I consent to her leaving, please reply yes or no". The workers live in shacks near the airport to remind them how quickly they can be kicked out. If you a group of males from Indian continent then you will not be allowed to walk in the malls.

    My maid was sponsored by a Qatari family and they would not allow her to leave Qatar to attend her mother’s funeral. I ended up "buying" her sponsorship from the Qatari's but the law states transferring sponsorship should only require payment of transfer fee and nothing else. She later told me she had to pay half of her salary to her sponsors or they would deport her. She could not complain because the sponsor told her that they would cancel her visa and deport her. Not a big deal right, she should just leave. Well the same Qatari also sponsored her 2 Aunts, a sister and her brother. So if any of them messed up then the whole family would be deported.

    This is only my first hand experience but I have heard even worse. Qatari's will only travel with their maids to gulf countries because if the maid try's to run all gulf countries will deport the maid back to Qatar.

    QR is just a façade; great product and young flight attendants. But if you have flown them enough at some point you have dealt with the inadequate ground staff and a lack of empathy if you have to suffer for anything that is their fault. QR is fully backed by the Qatar government, no one person (especially one as incompetent as Akabr) or group of people could fund the growth of an airline like QR. Their lack of management and competence is evident in the continued delayed opening of the new international airport in Doha. They had planned to open the airport in April 2012, which was already three years late, to only cancel it 2 hours before opening it! It is almost two years later and it is still not open. How can you be prepared to open a airport then opps can’t open it yet we need another 2 years?

  30. bong Guest

    QR deserves to be screwed at each and every opportunity. Not only for the way they treat their employees but also their customers (not taking any responsibility for their own mistakes).

  31. Bob Mapundo Guest

    sounds like Orwell's 1984...

  32. Ivan Y Diamond

    The article was very eye-opening to me -- I realize there are certain things that some foreign carriers do that wouldn't be allowed in the US but the whole sponsorship system and, basically, being kicked out of the country on a 30-minute notice and losing your possessions is pretty insane. Signing a contract to stay single for 5 years and needing a permission from a freaking CEO to get married is way over the top.

    ...

    The article was very eye-opening to me -- I realize there are certain things that some foreign carriers do that wouldn't be allowed in the US but the whole sponsorship system and, basically, being kicked out of the country on a 30-minute notice and losing your possessions is pretty insane. Signing a contract to stay single for 5 years and needing a permission from a freaking CEO to get married is way over the top.

    Any idea how things are at top Asian airlines like Singapore or Cathay?

  33. ordfreqflyer Guest

    @ Lucky -

    Having read this article, I am wondering how you feel about flying another flight on Qatar Airlines? More than ever, now that they are are partner with AA, what would you recommend to others? Personally, while there may be some fact and fiction in the article, it does cause me some pause to consider flying on Qatar.

  34. No Fly Zone Member

    Each to his/her own I guess, but I would NOT fly Quatar (or Saudi) under any circumstances.

  35. SAN Greg Guest

    Clarification - the spotlight will revert on to them in 4 years after the World Cup is held in Russia in 2018.

  36. SAN Greg Guest

    Most of us Americans would classify these work restrictions as harsh. Sponsorship appears to be very much a form of indentured servitude. It's quite similar to what my grandfather did to leave Okinawa decades ago in order to seek a better life - one that entailed working the sugar cane fields in Hawaii.

    As long as extreme poverty exists in the world, there will be people desperate to find an avenue out, and Qatar Airways...

    Most of us Americans would classify these work restrictions as harsh. Sponsorship appears to be very much a form of indentured servitude. It's quite similar to what my grandfather did to leave Okinawa decades ago in order to seek a better life - one that entailed working the sugar cane fields in Hawaii.

    As long as extreme poverty exists in the world, there will be people desperate to find an avenue out, and Qatar Airways is one path to a better life. Unfortunately the trade off appears to be to surrender your soul and dignity in the process. For most of us in economically viable societies this is unacceptable.

    So although it may be easy for us to say 'just quit and walk away' if employees are not happy, it's not that easy. Don't forget that it's not them, but the Sponsor who is now controlling their lives.

    The deep pocket riches of Qatar have great influence. Look how they pulled off getting FIFA to award them hosting the World Cup there (oh, wait, Qatar must have been selected because of their rich soccer history).
    Personally, I have no desire to support a company that treats their employees this way. Hopefully things will improve in a few years as the World Cup spotlight will be on them in 4 years.

  37. Sam Guest

    Makes you wonder why anyone would fly Middle East airlines or go there or even work for them.

  38. Steve Guest

    @Sean M., you took the words out of my mouth! Westerners are treated 10x better by Qataris, Emiratis, etc than the Nepalis and ither SE Asians working in the region... But SE Asians working in sweatshop conditions doesn't capture the eyeballs like this sort of story.

  39. Sean M. Diamond

    With all due respect to the author, she has only scratched the surface of what really goes on at Qatar Airways. The stories featured are those of European employees who are infinitely better treated than their fellow crewmembers who hail from various third world countries.

  40. Matt Guest

    Disturbing, and hardly the first time that allegations like this have been alleged. I would never fly any of the gulfs for this reason and many others...good champagne and a lie-flat bed aren't incentive enough for me to compromise my American values (and dollars) perpetuating their corrupt, paternalistic, theocratic system. Oil money can buy you many things-- an airline, an airport, etc., but any citizen of a free nation should hopefully agree that it shouldn't...

    Disturbing, and hardly the first time that allegations like this have been alleged. I would never fly any of the gulfs for this reason and many others...good champagne and a lie-flat bed aren't incentive enough for me to compromise my American values (and dollars) perpetuating their corrupt, paternalistic, theocratic system. Oil money can buy you many things-- an airline, an airport, etc., but any citizen of a free nation should hopefully agree that it shouldn't afford you the ability to yank someone's visa, freeze their bank accounts or abuse them otherwise.

    @ Bk - Please disregard my above response and enjoy your future travels to Doha, Riyadh and Dubai, or just relaxing with a mint julep on your cotton plantation. Oh, and I heard there's a new restaurant nearby that serves the delicious baby seal steaks you love so much. It's expensive but hey, with the money you save stiffing your waitress, that shouldn't keep you from giving it a try.

  41. eds Guest

    @Justin

    And I wonder how many co-employment laws & tax laws you are breaking every single day. And how much tax evasion is going on among the people you paying.

    You show me a small business person, odds are I can show you a tax cheat.

  42. Storm Guest

    Santastico -- The link appears to be a computer-generated translation from the original article in Swedish:

    http://www.expressen.se/nyheter/sanningen-bakom-lyxen-pa-qatar-air/

    The computer-generated translation seems to be the issue . . . it doesn't catch idioms, grammatical inconsistences between Swedish and English, etc.

  43. Jeff R Guest

    This doesn't affect my desire to fly the Gulf airlines. Like @Brian L., I've never considered doing so and never would.

  44. Santastico Diamond

    Very poorly written article. Not talking about the content but the article itself is terrible.

  45. Storm Guest

    Antipode -- Expressen is similar to the NY Post or NY Daily News.

  46. Robert Hanson Diamond

    @BK Thanks to that unique insight into your personal character, I now feel the same way about you. ;)

    In despotic states it is often wise to remain anonymous, lest you end up in jail, or perhaps disappeared.

    From Wikipedia:

    "Under the provisions of Qatar's sponsorship law, sponsors have the unilateral power to cancel workers' residency permits, deny workers' ability to change employers, report a worker as "absconded" to police authorities, and deny permission...

    @BK Thanks to that unique insight into your personal character, I now feel the same way about you. ;)

    In despotic states it is often wise to remain anonymous, lest you end up in jail, or perhaps disappeared.

    From Wikipedia:

    "Under the provisions of Qatar's sponsorship law, sponsors have the unilateral power to cancel workers' residency permits, deny workers' ability to change employers, report a worker as "absconded" to police authorities, and deny permission to leave the country.

    As a result, sponsors may restrict workers’ movements and workers may be afraid to report abuses or claim their rights. According to the ITUC, the visa sponsorship system allows the exaction of forced labour by making it difficult for a migrant worker to leave an abusive employer or travel overseas without permission. Qatar also does not maintain wage standards for its immigrant labor.

    Many cases of ill-treatment of immigrant labour have been observed. The Nepalese ambassador to Qatar, Maya Kumari Sharma, described the emirate as an "open jail". Qatar does not have national occupational health standards or guidelines, and workplace injuries are the third highest cause of accidental deaths."

  47. Joe Guest

    @ Robert Hanson - I never though I'd agree with you, but there's always a first!

  48. Lantean Diamond

    all of this is obviously awful but doens't Singapore fire flight attendants for getting pregnant as well?

  49. asar Guest

    not surprising, given how they are constructing World Cup stadium with the blood of Nepalese migrant workers.

  50. Bk Guest

    Weak, whiny, too long article written by bitter anonymous bitches. If anything, it made me love Qatar Airways even more.

  51. Robert Hanson Diamond

    @ Justin According to Wikipedia, Qatar is a state owned airline. I doubt the state of Qatar risked financial ruin in starting it.

    Also this: "Qatar Airways' standard hiring contract requires that women obtain permission from the company if they choose to marry. The contract also stipulates that employees must notify Qatar Airways at once if they become pregnant and allows the employer to dismiss those employees upon discovery."

    Of course, no one is...

    @ Justin According to Wikipedia, Qatar is a state owned airline. I doubt the state of Qatar risked financial ruin in starting it.

    Also this: "Qatar Airways' standard hiring contract requires that women obtain permission from the company if they choose to marry. The contract also stipulates that employees must notify Qatar Airways at once if they become pregnant and allows the employer to dismiss those employees upon discovery."

    Of course, no one is saying they have a "right...to tell somebody how to operate their business". But we do have a right to decide which businesses we patronize based at least in part on their business practices.

  52. anon Guest

    I didn't suggest anything. I simply pointed out that it shouldn't come as a shock that employers can terminate for any reason.

  53. Chase Guest

    It is widely known throughout the aviation circles that both EK and EY are far superior employers to QR. The CEO of QR is a royal DB in his dealings with everyone from employees, to vendors (read about his endless whining on the 787 delays), to partners. Take the article at face value, it really is that awful for employees. QR is a great '5-star' carrier with a very, very shady reputation behind-the-scenes.

  54. Eric W. Guest

    Eye-opening stuff. I'd have liked to hear Qatar Airways' side of things, but since they couldn't be bothered to reply except to demand the real names of the article subjects -- obviously to dole out additional punitive measures in any way they could -- the piece stands on its own.

  55. miquel Guest

    well if you are silly girl, you are silly girl, why on earth after 2 months of this shit you just leave the company, why stay there 2 years if it's so awful

  56. Steve New Member

    wow... the part where she feared not for her job, but for her friend's.... that's what takes it over the top vs. America

  57. Justin Guest

    @Anon

    Are you suggesting that somebody who wholly owns their business (after likely risking financial ruin to start it) should be forced to pay somebody a salary against their will? What right do you have to tell somebody how to operate their business?

    And people wonder why I only hire 1099 contractors...

  58. Brian L. Gold

    It will be a cold day in hell before I EVER willingly set foot on one of the Gulf carriers. For the reasons in the article, and a few others.

  59. Antipode Guest

    Sad, but anyone know how reliable Expressen is? A quick google search suggests they're a tabloid.

  60. anon Guest

    "Also, Qatar Airways reserves the right to fire an employee without having to give a reason."

    that shouldn't be unfamiliar to americans

  61. Andy Guest

    Wow that is nothing short of awful...It definitely makes me think twice before flying Qatar.

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Maliziosa Guest

I have friends and family working for Qatar Airways for years and family members working for Emirates for years. I worked for an European airline myself (headquarters) so I have an insight on the airline industry from all angles. You cannot compare the Ethics in an European airline with the one in Middle Eastern airlines. In the Gulf there is only one law - the law of jungle - dramas, plots and bullshit. It looks like that soap opera with Sultan Soliman (killed his own sons because of stupid plots at the palace). The problem is essentially the same: it does not matter what you know and how highly qualified you are, all that matters is who you know well and are close friends with. It's a gang party in both companies and every time the company "shakes the boat", people are fired for no reason! Emirates is more decent in this respect and offers job options to their employees. Qatar doesn't. Emirates shakes the boat less often, creating a kind of stability. Qatar does it every year/2 years and there is a high uncertainty for your job, especially if you are in a Managerial position, no matter how good your performance is. The pay in QR is lower than EK and in certain countries lower than what local companies pay. I could write a book about the bullshit employees go through in Qatar Airways: bullying, discrimination, exhaustion, unfair treatment, etc. I have heard stories with top managers being escorted out of their office & country for no real reason other than new Vice president/Manager doesn't like his face or someone else wants his position. I also heard stories about cabin crew and the way they are mistreated and terminated without even being allowed to collect their own money from local banks. It's disgusting and mind blowing. This is Qatar Airways, a company with messed-up top management who wants 7* results but treats their loyal and skilled employees like rubbish. All the stories are from witnesses inside the company and are not invented or exaggerated by a tabloid. Their BS spreads from Doha across countries and continents and nobody in the company is safe! If there were an International HR Commission to look into the way this company treats its employees...then they would cease to exist due to the amount of compensations they should pay.

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AAE Guest

You know someone that works within a Middle Eastern Airline and they are depressed but won’t admit it as you know they will lose their job. They have left their wife and children in a different country and wants a divorce, knowingly there wasn't any issues until he left and has admitted he has communication issues and broken his family. He had indicated previously he was depressed to a friend but won’t work with his wife and children to get help or keep their marriage together (His parents have influenced him to leave his own family after all the support his wife and children have given him over the years to get an airline job in the middle east (Now his family is struggling to pay bills and live and he thinks this is acceptable) and there is a trend of mental health issues in his family. How do you report it even through you don't want to wreck there career. Is this a mentality of being treated like a king in a superior job in the middle east?

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AAS Guest

You know someone that works within an Airline and they are depressed but wont admit it as they know they will lose their job. They have left their wife and children in a different country and wants a divorce, knowingly there wasn't any issues until he left and has admitted he has communication issues and broken his family. He had indicated previously he was depressed to a friend but wont work with his wife and children to get help or keep their marriage together (His parents have influenced him to leave his own family after all the support his wife and children have given him over the years to get an airline job in the middle east (Now his family is struggling to pay bills and live and he thinks this is acceptable) and there is a trend of mental health issues in his family. How do you report it even through you don't want to wreak there career.

0
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