Qatar Airways…A European view for those thinking about joining…
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Qatar Airways…A European view for those thinking about joining…
In light of the recent recruitment drive by Qatar Airways you may be interested in the following. I’m sure some of you are thinking about the move from Europe to Qatar. The current situation at the airline and in Doha as I see it…
Firstly an important reason for going to work in the first place, money. Captain’s salary at Qatar Airways is between 27000 and 28000 Qatari Riyals per month including housing, transport, and flight duty pay, First Officer’s pay 21000 – 22000 Qatari Riyals per month all-inclusive. 1 USD = 3.65 Qatari Riyals fixed rate
Housing allowance is 4400 Qatari Riyals per month. If your moving to Doha with your family expect to pay at least 5000 – 6000 Qatari Riyals per month for a decent villa in a compound with pool, clubhouse, some trees, grass, etc… and at least anything from 20000 Qatari Riyals upwards if your going to furnish it from scratch. There is absolutely no support from the airline as regards assistance with finding housing, so while your busy with all your initial CRM, SEP, Simulator courses, living and working in a new culture etc…during your first month here you’ll also be totally on your own in your dealings with real estate agents, an industry in Qatar which requires no licence and is 100 per cent unregulated. A lot of crews are living in very average accommodation by European standards because of the high costs of housing. Water, Electricity and Telephone are all more expensive than Europe plus the national telephone company Q-Tel is without doubt one of the most disorganised, inefficient, incompetent companies you will ever have the misfortune to deal with.
Lifestyle in Doha is quiet, very safe with low crime rates, supermarkets are abundant and well stocked with prices pretty much the same as Europe. Education for the kids is to a good standard but again very expensive and not adequately provided for by the airline. Socially there are no dedicated nightclubs or pubs, most socialising is done in people’s homes or at the handful of hotel bars dotted around the city. Restaurants are varied and good value although alcohol is not permitted for sale or consumption at any of these. Sporting facilities are adequate with water sports, golf, and tennis being especially well catered for, but if you come here expecting Dubai FORGET IT!
Flight operations management has seen some personnel changes in the past 8 months. This department is now headed by Captain David Fleming formerly British Airways and since his arrival ETOPS and LVP operations have been put in place with crew training currently taking place for both, there has also been a very positive upgrading of senior First Officers to Captains. There has been some reluctance in accepting the changes brought in by Fleming and his team with resignations and a particularly nasty anonymous newsletter circulated throughout the department criticising the changes and personally insulting some of the new management. An uneasy feeling pervades the Flight Operations department at the moment wondering how long Fleming and his European style of management will stay in place, how long he is prepared to stay in place or how long he will be let stay in place…
The airlines CEO Akbar Al Baker continues to sack and demote staff at will particularly in the cabin crew department, one of his latest high profile terminations has been the sacking of the airlines Chief of Crewing, a man held in very high regard by most who worked with him and who wasn’t allowed to leave the country on a Qatar Airways aircraft. A recent Lufthansa audit of the airline has blamed Al Baker’s interference and style of management to be the root cause of a lot of the airlines problems and has led to Lufthansa terminating its code share agreement with the airline.
Expect a lot of night flying particularly short haul on the A320. All flights to the Indian subcontinent depart between 2145 and 0240 with the normal 1-hour turnaround, arriving back to Doha between 0600 and 1040. This type of flying is also mixed with day and evening flights around the Gulf and Middle East in any single roster period (1 month), tiredness and fatigue are a common complaint among particularly A320 crews.
These are just some facts hope it helps. Doha is most defiantly not the worst place in the world, there is however a lot of talk about further development of both the country and the airline, at the moment it’s all on paper and again Dubai is defiantly isn’t. Being married with kids and coming to Doha from Europe with the current salary and conditions available at the moment… well it’s just not worth it… unless you’re stuck…
Firstly an important reason for going to work in the first place, money. Captain’s salary at Qatar Airways is between 27000 and 28000 Qatari Riyals per month including housing, transport, and flight duty pay, First Officer’s pay 21000 – 22000 Qatari Riyals per month all-inclusive. 1 USD = 3.65 Qatari Riyals fixed rate
Housing allowance is 4400 Qatari Riyals per month. If your moving to Doha with your family expect to pay at least 5000 – 6000 Qatari Riyals per month for a decent villa in a compound with pool, clubhouse, some trees, grass, etc… and at least anything from 20000 Qatari Riyals upwards if your going to furnish it from scratch. There is absolutely no support from the airline as regards assistance with finding housing, so while your busy with all your initial CRM, SEP, Simulator courses, living and working in a new culture etc…during your first month here you’ll also be totally on your own in your dealings with real estate agents, an industry in Qatar which requires no licence and is 100 per cent unregulated. A lot of crews are living in very average accommodation by European standards because of the high costs of housing. Water, Electricity and Telephone are all more expensive than Europe plus the national telephone company Q-Tel is without doubt one of the most disorganised, inefficient, incompetent companies you will ever have the misfortune to deal with.
Lifestyle in Doha is quiet, very safe with low crime rates, supermarkets are abundant and well stocked with prices pretty much the same as Europe. Education for the kids is to a good standard but again very expensive and not adequately provided for by the airline. Socially there are no dedicated nightclubs or pubs, most socialising is done in people’s homes or at the handful of hotel bars dotted around the city. Restaurants are varied and good value although alcohol is not permitted for sale or consumption at any of these. Sporting facilities are adequate with water sports, golf, and tennis being especially well catered for, but if you come here expecting Dubai FORGET IT!
Flight operations management has seen some personnel changes in the past 8 months. This department is now headed by Captain David Fleming formerly British Airways and since his arrival ETOPS and LVP operations have been put in place with crew training currently taking place for both, there has also been a very positive upgrading of senior First Officers to Captains. There has been some reluctance in accepting the changes brought in by Fleming and his team with resignations and a particularly nasty anonymous newsletter circulated throughout the department criticising the changes and personally insulting some of the new management. An uneasy feeling pervades the Flight Operations department at the moment wondering how long Fleming and his European style of management will stay in place, how long he is prepared to stay in place or how long he will be let stay in place…
The airlines CEO Akbar Al Baker continues to sack and demote staff at will particularly in the cabin crew department, one of his latest high profile terminations has been the sacking of the airlines Chief of Crewing, a man held in very high regard by most who worked with him and who wasn’t allowed to leave the country on a Qatar Airways aircraft. A recent Lufthansa audit of the airline has blamed Al Baker’s interference and style of management to be the root cause of a lot of the airlines problems and has led to Lufthansa terminating its code share agreement with the airline.
Expect a lot of night flying particularly short haul on the A320. All flights to the Indian subcontinent depart between 2145 and 0240 with the normal 1-hour turnaround, arriving back to Doha between 0600 and 1040. This type of flying is also mixed with day and evening flights around the Gulf and Middle East in any single roster period (1 month), tiredness and fatigue are a common complaint among particularly A320 crews.
These are just some facts hope it helps. Doha is most defiantly not the worst place in the world, there is however a lot of talk about further development of both the country and the airline, at the moment it’s all on paper and again Dubai is defiantly isn’t. Being married with kids and coming to Doha from Europe with the current salary and conditions available at the moment… well it’s just not worth it… unless you’re stuck…
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Ivan, I'm sure loggedon is only telling you half the story, in an attempt to be fair. I suspect he is telling it as it is, not the way it was portrayed when they enticed him to join.
If Qatar want to join the International arena as an International airline, then they are going to have to start by acting like one. that means saying what you are doing and doing what you say! ...standard QA stuff. Until then they will remain as they are...
If Qatar want to join the International arena as an International airline, then they are going to have to start by acting like one. that means saying what you are doing and doing what you say! ...standard QA stuff. Until then they will remain as they are...
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Would have to admit that the salary and benifits package is "to gulf standard" the living is a bit below par with the other gulf states....most of them......but yes...besides a few abberations in asia...this is the expat world....
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Dear Loggedon...!!!
did you work for the "Propaganda Staffel" before moving to qatar...Ach du lieber mensch !
was sagts du denn !!!!
qatar is a pit and always will be, that handfull of goatkeeper have a long way to reach any indjavascript: x()
Roll Eyesustry standard, poor capt. Flemming ...
how long do you give him !?!? before he resign or get deported for just telling "snack -bar the baker " the truth ....
well buddy loggedon until that little garden gnome dress in night gown get sacked from the Airline qatar Airways will never take off !!!
But in other hand..... is there sufficient traffic to generate profit in that part of the world !?!? How many well established Professional worldwide recognized outfit flies across the gulf !?!?
Ho yes , you 'll still be flying to Colojavascript: x()
Razzmbo or trivendrum or Madras like we did in 94' when we started the Airline, flying truckload of housemaids & gardeners back to their home-town
Thats all the developement I can see in the immediat futur of that Airline.
where as for the life style in qatar....it wouldn't for those ******s of qatari bothering the western woman moreover if they're blonde and pretty, in the shopping mall ....unless you re bonejavascript: x()
Cool iddle there is absolutly nothing to do...
I'll make sure no one make the same mistake we made at the early start of that Airline.
Pilots....qatar is not even an option !!!
javascript: x()
Eek!
Pax vobiscum !
did you work for the "Propaganda Staffel" before moving to qatar...Ach du lieber mensch !
was sagts du denn !!!!
qatar is a pit and always will be, that handfull of goatkeeper have a long way to reach any indjavascript: x()
Roll Eyesustry standard, poor capt. Flemming ...
how long do you give him !?!? before he resign or get deported for just telling "snack -bar the baker " the truth ....
well buddy loggedon until that little garden gnome dress in night gown get sacked from the Airline qatar Airways will never take off !!!
But in other hand..... is there sufficient traffic to generate profit in that part of the world !?!? How many well established Professional worldwide recognized outfit flies across the gulf !?!?
Ho yes , you 'll still be flying to Colojavascript: x()
Razzmbo or trivendrum or Madras like we did in 94' when we started the Airline, flying truckload of housemaids & gardeners back to their home-town
Thats all the developement I can see in the immediat futur of that Airline.
where as for the life style in qatar....it wouldn't for those ******s of qatari bothering the western woman moreover if they're blonde and pretty, in the shopping mall ....unless you re bonejavascript: x()
Cool iddle there is absolutly nothing to do...
I'll make sure no one make the same mistake we made at the early start of that Airline.
Pilots....qatar is not even an option !!!
javascript: x()
Eek!
Pax vobiscum !
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There are worse places in the world to live than Qatar! Yes it will take time to settle in and it is probably not a smart idea to expect to find the right home, car, friends etc while on the course. I suspect the same might apply to moving LGW to EMA?
3000psi what are you on?...and before you climb out of your pram..yes I have lived there!!
3000psi what are you on?...and before you climb out of your pram..yes I have lived there!!
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Doha.........
No way man who the hell could think of going there and working. Yes this can be considered only by the people who are starving and have no other place to go an work...
After all Qatar is not the last bad place to be in...
I wish David all the best in his efforts to put the airline back on the rails.......
No way man who the hell could think of going there and working. Yes this can be considered only by the people who are starving and have no other place to go an work...
After all Qatar is not the last bad place to be in...
I wish David all the best in his efforts to put the airline back on the rails.......
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3000 psi
The "flying truckload of housemaids & gardeners back to their home-town" may not be fashionable to you but be rest assured these folks sweat it out as hard if not more for a living than you do.Not all expats in the gulf are well heeled (as you are very well aware) and they get treated much worse
especially if the colour of your skin is of a
darker shade.
Some of these gardeners and housemaids you were flying back to their hometowns would have been going there after two or even three years from home.
A little politeness in the language you use will not do any harm buddy!
TK
The "flying truckload of housemaids & gardeners back to their home-town" may not be fashionable to you but be rest assured these folks sweat it out as hard if not more for a living than you do.Not all expats in the gulf are well heeled (as you are very well aware) and they get treated much worse
especially if the colour of your skin is of a
darker shade.
Some of these gardeners and housemaids you were flying back to their hometowns would have been going there after two or even three years from home.
A little politeness in the language you use will not do any harm buddy!
TK
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Loggedon,
Very diplomatically said! Not sure how long Flemming will stay...it's the age old story. These people couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery. They will always employ westeners to "manage" the airline uder the watchful eye of a Qatari (probably someone who's 20yrs old who's daddy is an Al-Thani) but lets not be sarcastic!
I remember the days when they had 747's flying the DOH-LHR/LGW-DOH run half empty offering BUY ONE ticket get ONE free. Good business ethics there and then they wonder why they aren't making huge profits!!! Then they bring in the europeans to sort it only to bag their ideas and reduce the airline back to it's beginnings.
Their real saving grace is the age of their fleet with most a/c relitively young some brand new!
The real problem lies in the difference of culture and way of doing business between the locals and the westeners. Something I think will not change.
If QR resorts back to Qatari management, with the Baker, it may take off, but definately won't reach it's cruising altitude.
Besides I was told Al-Baker only holds a PPL.
I will reserve comment on Q-tel.
Very diplomatically said! Not sure how long Flemming will stay...it's the age old story. These people couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery. They will always employ westeners to "manage" the airline uder the watchful eye of a Qatari (probably someone who's 20yrs old who's daddy is an Al-Thani) but lets not be sarcastic!
I remember the days when they had 747's flying the DOH-LHR/LGW-DOH run half empty offering BUY ONE ticket get ONE free. Good business ethics there and then they wonder why they aren't making huge profits!!! Then they bring in the europeans to sort it only to bag their ideas and reduce the airline back to it's beginnings.
Their real saving grace is the age of their fleet with most a/c relitively young some brand new!
The real problem lies in the difference of culture and way of doing business between the locals and the westeners. Something I think will not change.
If QR resorts back to Qatari management, with the Baker, it may take off, but definately won't reach it's cruising altitude.
Besides I was told Al-Baker only holds a PPL.
I will reserve comment on Q-tel.
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Been their done it and well, would never recommend it to anyone either flight deck or cabin crew.
I wish david all the best, he only wanted to help the crew and got shafted in the process.
Anyone thinking of going over their give it a pass and carry on.
I wish david all the best, he only wanted to help the crew and got shafted in the process.
Anyone thinking of going over their give it a pass and carry on.
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Yes,sad to hear what happened to the Crewing Manager...good luck mate!
The inhumane treatment from The Mother Superior is dispicable...AND it is still going on.
The old days with the 747s and crappy service were much more fun...at least the CEO then was always in a good mood,let his managers do their job and was nice to all the crew...
Casper is currently CEO of the airport as well,which is apparently not allowed!You can't be CEO of two companies...but it appears the pastryman is!?
The quicker he leaves the better for all concerned.
You would not believe the pressure that the Cabin Crew work under...
Great Place shame about the poisoned dwarf!
The inhumane treatment from The Mother Superior is dispicable...AND it is still going on.
The old days with the 747s and crappy service were much more fun...at least the CEO then was always in a good mood,let his managers do their job and was nice to all the crew...
Casper is currently CEO of the airport as well,which is apparently not allowed!You can't be CEO of two companies...but it appears the pastryman is!?
The quicker he leaves the better for all concerned.
You would not believe the pressure that the Cabin Crew work under...
Great Place shame about the poisoned dwarf!
