Qatar Airways v Swiss
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Qatar Airways v Swiss
I need to buy a budget ticket London -Hong Kong return
my options are Qatar Airways or Swiss
I hear crappy reports on both of them. does anyone have any experience of either.
QR is a stop to change aircraft in Doha both ways 50 mins on way out, 3hrs 55 on way back
Swiss is a stop in Zurich 1hr 15 on way out, 50 mins on way back
My 2 key concerns are:
1) missing a connection
2) my baggage missing a connection (or being lost entirely)
Not TOO bothered about comfort, food etc
I am currently erring on the side of Swiss on the Swiss nation being "efficient" and the stopovers being shorter, but does anyone have any tips or views as to which might be best
thanks
my options are Qatar Airways or Swiss
I hear crappy reports on both of them. does anyone have any experience of either.
QR is a stop to change aircraft in Doha both ways 50 mins on way out, 3hrs 55 on way back
Swiss is a stop in Zurich 1hr 15 on way out, 50 mins on way back
My 2 key concerns are:
1) missing a connection
2) my baggage missing a connection (or being lost entirely)
Not TOO bothered about comfort, food etc
I am currently erring on the side of Swiss on the Swiss nation being "efficient" and the stopovers being shorter, but does anyone have any tips or views as to which might be best
thanks
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Nothing wrong with Swiss, I use them a great deal for short haul european flights and their product is fine and they have extremely competetive fares. Never had a problem with baggage though most of my flights are just two sectors swapping with other Star Alliance partners.
Cabin crew fairly attentive with excellent language skills (minimum three languages) without the prima donna attitude of BA or AF crew.
Swiss have reinvented themselves as a lo-co airline and if you're flying Y short haul you won't get much more than a bar of chocolate and it isn't possible to buy food on board. I'm assuming they feed you properly on long haul
Cabin crew fairly attentive with excellent language skills (minimum three languages) without the prima donna attitude of BA or AF crew.
Swiss have reinvented themselves as a lo-co airline and if you're flying Y short haul you won't get much more than a bar of chocolate and it isn't possible to buy food on board. I'm assuming they feed you properly on long haul
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thanks all
As I said my main concern really is not missing my connection and not losing any baggage on route.
I have also heard good things about Qatar airways but a search on pprune found a thread called "Qatar Airways customer service", which was less than encouraging saying the staff were extremely rude (i can deal with that), but more importantly that there flights are always delayed and that transfers in Doha are a nightmare (more of a problem).
Who to believe....
I think it seems that I am more likely to make it on time with Swiss, if not so comfortably
thanks again
As I said my main concern really is not missing my connection and not losing any baggage on route.
I have also heard good things about Qatar airways but a search on pprune found a thread called "Qatar Airways customer service", which was less than encouraging saying the staff were extremely rude (i can deal with that), but more importantly that there flights are always delayed and that transfers in Doha are a nightmare (more of a problem).
Who to believe....
I think it seems that I am more likely to make it on time with Swiss, if not so comfortably
thanks again
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QATAR vs SWISS
Never used Qatar so can't comment. Use Swiss regularly BHX to ZUR with no problems. Service is OK but basic. Flew ZUR to HK with Swiss a couple of years back on one of the last MD-11 services & they were fine - mind you, they did give me an upgrade to First which was very nice.
Re connections & baggage, I've always found ZUR fine - it's CH so everything is efficient & no drama. I reckon you'll find that the connect times will be exactly as they promise & your bags will turn up in HK on the same a/c as you.
Bon voyage!
Re connections & baggage, I've always found ZUR fine - it's CH so everything is efficient & no drama. I reckon you'll find that the connect times will be exactly as they promise & your bags will turn up in HK on the same a/c as you.
Bon voyage!
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I flew for Qatar as crew...onboard service you will not better anywhere else because the crew are so afraid of being reported for putting a foot out of place but yes, the ground experience in Doha is the closest thing to Hell on Earth!!!!
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Well since i posted this....
I found a super cheap BA flight - wahey
which when i tried to book it suddenly went up a £100
Swiss has also gone up
Qatar it is
supercheap, but from what i have been hearing my 4hr (way out) and 6 hour (gulp - way back) stopover experiences are going to be something akin to Hades
I'll let you know how i get on if I make it...
I found a super cheap BA flight - wahey
which when i tried to book it suddenly went up a £100
Swiss has also gone up
Qatar it is
supercheap, but from what i have been hearing my 4hr (way out) and 6 hour (gulp - way back) stopover experiences are going to be something akin to Hades
I'll let you know how i get on if I make it...
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QR experience
I've travelled as pax a few times now with QR....in fact just back from the sandpit yesterday 
Onboard, as paddy says, is exemplary. Partially coz yes the crews are sometimes crapping themselves @ being reported....but take time to have a chinwag with them and you'll find such a diverse bunch that there will always be an interesting story to listen to
I've never had to transit DOH - speaking to other pax who have it seems to be OK if your connection is under 2 hours, anything over that and you'll go stir-crazy in that wee terminal. Although they're nearly done extending it & also building a separate one for the J&F pax, so that will remove a few more bodies
I know the original poster wasn't interested in onboard comfort but that plays a lot for me on longhauls.....oodles of legroom in Y & great AVOD IFE inc LiveTV too
However is it not going a bit out your way to transit via DOH instead of some Swissland place, to get to HKG
cheers
FF
Onboard, as paddy says, is exemplary. Partially coz yes the crews are sometimes crapping themselves @ being reported....but take time to have a chinwag with them and you'll find such a diverse bunch that there will always be an interesting story to listen to
I've never had to transit DOH - speaking to other pax who have it seems to be OK if your connection is under 2 hours, anything over that and you'll go stir-crazy in that wee terminal. Although they're nearly done extending it & also building a separate one for the J&F pax, so that will remove a few more bodies
I know the original poster wasn't interested in onboard comfort but that plays a lot for me on longhauls.....oodles of legroom in Y & great AVOD IFE inc LiveTV too
However is it not going a bit out your way to transit via DOH instead of some Swissland place, to get to HKG
cheers
FF
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Originally Posted by ManfredvonRichthofen
I need to buy a budget ticket London -Hong Kong return
my options are Qatar Airways or Swiss
I hear crappy reports on both of them. does anyone have any experience of either.
QR is a stop to change aircraft in Doha both ways 50 mins on way out, 3hrs 55 on way back
Swiss is a stop in Zurich 1hr 15 on way out, 50 mins on way back
My 2 key concerns are:
1) missing a connection
2) my baggage missing a connection (or being lost entirely)
Not TOO bothered about comfort, food etc
I am currently erring on the side of Swiss on the Swiss nation being "efficient" and the stopovers being shorter, but does anyone have any tips or views as to which might be best
thanks
my options are Qatar Airways or Swiss
I hear crappy reports on both of them. does anyone have any experience of either.
QR is a stop to change aircraft in Doha both ways 50 mins on way out, 3hrs 55 on way back
Swiss is a stop in Zurich 1hr 15 on way out, 50 mins on way back
My 2 key concerns are:
1) missing a connection
2) my baggage missing a connection (or being lost entirely)
Not TOO bothered about comfort, food etc
I am currently erring on the side of Swiss on the Swiss nation being "efficient" and the stopovers being shorter, but does anyone have any tips or views as to which might be best
thanks
In Doha, I met a couple of lads from Manchester who were also flying to Dhaka. They'd missed their connection the previous day, and Qatar Airways had put them up overnight in a 5-star hotel in Doha, with all food thrown in. They were clearly delighted with the way they'd been treated, and commented that they were hoping they missed their connection on the way home!
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i flew MAN-HKG last year on CH and everything was fine, we were delayed out of MAN but the A340 was waiting for people apart from me! in the end however, we got to HKG ontime so nothing wrong with CH.
although going through ZRH security was quite embrassing in that they thought my scanner was a bomb detonator!! they actually pulled me aside and going around their team asking if it is ok. in the end i dont know why, they just let me go, i thought they was going to take it apart
although going through ZRH security was quite embrassing in that they thought my scanner was a bomb detonator!! they actually pulled me aside and going around their team asking if it is ok. in the end i dont know why, they just let me go, i thought they was going to take it apart
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At the end of the day you can only narrow it down to ONE thing....CHOCOLATE!!!!!
Swiss provides the real thing...why fly anyone else???
Qatar Airways have awful rubbish which tastes like feet...even the mars bars dont taste right!!!
Swiss provides the real thing...why fly anyone else???
Qatar Airways have awful rubbish which tastes like feet...even the mars bars dont taste right!!!
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I would like to add another important consideration, and that is the airline's flexibility in changes made to your itinerary.
Swiss is absolute cr@p in that respect. Even as a member of their Qualiflyer program, you were not shielded against their rigid and (I must assume) discriminatory rules.
Some two years ago I checked in for a BOM-ZRH flight and was told to pay an additional SFrs. 200 on the spot. When I queried this, I was told that having re-scheduled my flight by 2 days and with the ticket I was holding, this was a necessary upcharge. The re-booking of my flight had, in fact, been handled by my Swiss-based travel agent ten days earlier, and no mention of any penalty had been made.
With 100+ flights a year, this had never happened to me before on any other airline.
I subsequently asked to see the Swiss duty manager at Bombay. In response, an Indian lady (displaying no name badge and not introducing herself) who refused to speak either German, French or Italian insisted I pay the SFrs. 200 penalty, but also conceded I may pay Rs 7,200 instead (as this was in line with the official exchange rate, I to this day am unable to understand what this option was supposed to mean).
Finally, I offered her the choice of checking me in without the payment of SFrs. 200 and securing my future business with LX, or on insisting on this payment and losing my patronage for good.
She insisted on taking the money, and I have never flown with LX again since.
Whilst all of the above was taking place, the locals were happily being checked in with piles of luggage (clearly in excess of their 20 kg allowances) - probably also flying on cheap tickets not available to non-Indian nationals.
You will get far better flexibility with any airline based in ME.
Swiss is absolute cr@p in that respect. Even as a member of their Qualiflyer program, you were not shielded against their rigid and (I must assume) discriminatory rules.
Some two years ago I checked in for a BOM-ZRH flight and was told to pay an additional SFrs. 200 on the spot. When I queried this, I was told that having re-scheduled my flight by 2 days and with the ticket I was holding, this was a necessary upcharge. The re-booking of my flight had, in fact, been handled by my Swiss-based travel agent ten days earlier, and no mention of any penalty had been made.
With 100+ flights a year, this had never happened to me before on any other airline.
I subsequently asked to see the Swiss duty manager at Bombay. In response, an Indian lady (displaying no name badge and not introducing herself) who refused to speak either German, French or Italian insisted I pay the SFrs. 200 penalty, but also conceded I may pay Rs 7,200 instead (as this was in line with the official exchange rate, I to this day am unable to understand what this option was supposed to mean).
Finally, I offered her the choice of checking me in without the payment of SFrs. 200 and securing my future business with LX, or on insisting on this payment and losing my patronage for good.
She insisted on taking the money, and I have never flown with LX again since.
Whilst all of the above was taking place, the locals were happily being checked in with piles of luggage (clearly in excess of their 20 kg allowances) - probably also flying on cheap tickets not available to non-Indian nationals.
You will get far better flexibility with any airline based in ME.
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Ok, not to worry - just thought it might have been more the local staff than the airline in general, and maybe you could have got your money back. Go on - tell me, that's a pipe dream, isn't it? 
Go on - tell me, that's a pipe dream, isn't it?
