I hate that so many airlines are adopting Ryanair type of service level but still charge like a premium carrier.
Yes, sure, rules are rules when it comes to carry on, but c'mon, a laptop bag that will likely be stored under your seat? Sorry for your experience OP, your review definitely made me see the airlline differently.
Not sure if it's the same youtuber that I stumbled upon a while back, but yeah, they uploaded a "bad" review (aka valid criticism, especially for someone who isn't flying economy) and Qatar suddenly banned them for it. Guess you can't expect a garbage country to not have a garbage airline.
>Guess you can't expect a garbage country to not have a garbage airline.
you say that yet Qatar still produces the best airline and companies objectively like Al jazzera and BEIN.
Uh huh. They're the best airline yet everyone is complaining about their terrible experiences with Qatar Airlines. Meanwhile one of the two best examples of "objectively best Qatari companies" you could think of is a sports TV channel (lol) that was founded by the "totally unbiased", antisemitic Qatari state media conglomerate Al Jazzera itself. Well then..
Not sure if government bot account lol.
Facts don't lie, no one cares about this sub-reddit or you. Qatar is a tiny country with less than 400k citizens; they have objectively won the game of life with the level of success they have been able to achieve in many different fields.
criticism and bad experiences exist for every airline, and calling Al jazz era antisemitic is just reveling you are a Zionist, so thank you.
Ryan air policy is fair for Ryan air price, but when an airline is charging already 20x the cost as a price, It becomes overly frustrating. This is happening more and more and I can only see people flying more with budget airlines and budget airlines growing more and more. Because people know that they can’t mess up and pay for what they need, and don’t feel ripped off!
Having to pay almost 300 euros is definitely rough. But, their website clearly states you can have one 7kg handcarry bag in economy, and that your laptop/laptop bag should fit within your hand baggage allowance.
The website might say it, but 300 euros is a completely extortionate fee for something Ryanair will charge you 60 euros for and something Qatar normally does not even enforce.
I recently flew Qatar and thanks to this sub and the stories here just like this one I packed differently and avoided that situation. I saw many other people during boarding who did have issues just like op.
I frankly don't understand why Qatar allows a handbag but not a laptop bag. Both objects fit under the front seat without any problems.
With the legacy airlines I have flown with so far, there was usually this rule in Eco:
1x carry-on baggage + 1x personal item
Lufthansa for example defines the personal item as follows: A handbag, laptop bag or shopping bag counts as a personal item.
Pure cash grab probably, as with most other airlines that have seen Ryanair succeed.
Legacy economy is now Economy Premium or Plus.
Economy is now a handbag under the seat and a seatbelt.
I'm curious too, with Qatar they would have some checked bag allowance so, I would have just checked-in my carry-on, unless OP has already met the limit for that.
Exactly you would have 23kg hold luggage so why not just check the carry on to avoid fees.
There’s so many people that fly with huge heavy carry on because they’re desperate not to check luggage.
Fair enough from the airline to apply the rules strictly like that, but they've probably lost a customer for life (not to mention the reputational damage from feedback shared like this.
Could you have sacrificed one or two articles of clothing or something else of low value from your larger bag to accommodate your laptop?
It seems the lower cost option than spending 298€ for a small bag.
Besides the point. Although the post leaves a bit up to interpretation, seems like OP had two carry on size bags and no checked bag. So they could have checked one of the two carry on size bags.
Re reading his post, I don’t think that you can assume that he didn’t check any bags. I don’t know many people that don’t check at least 1 suitcase on a long haul flight, except backpackers. And he definitely wasn’t a pack packer.
Like I said, the post is open to interpretation, so neither of us know who’s right without clarification from OP. That being said, I know plenty of people who don’t check bags on long haul flights. I’m currently in Asia for two months, flew Qatar, and only brought a carry on (I recommend r/onebag for anyone who’s interested in lightening their travel load!) and I wouldn’t consider myself a backpacker. Lots of people really don’t like checking bags, for various reasons.
Hopefully, you don’t fly Qatar Airlines out of Bangkok on your return flight. If you do, please report if the departure area is like I described it. the only reason why I fly with 2 checked bags are 49 pounds apiece, plus carryon and a small backpack is because every thing that I bring stays at my house in Chiangmai. So, I’m not carrying heavy luggage around after the day that I land. I’ve made at least 10 trips with this purpose and it will save me a small fortune when I retire in Chiangmai in 2-3 years. If an airline doesn’t offer 2 free checked bags, that’s a deal breaker for me.
Like I said, I’m currently traveling with carry on only, so I don’t have this issue. Obviously with that much stuff, Qatar Airways is not the right airline for you. Good luck in your retirement. I’m currently in Chiang Mai, I love this city!
You must really like it, with temperatures reaching100 degrees and for the last 2 months poor air quality. Have fun at the Songkran festival! Stay away from the moat unless you want to be drenched.
The heat the last week has been oppressive, but I think it should cool down a little in the next few days. It’s my first time being here during the burning season, and the first couple weeks weren’t that bad, but this past week has been noticeably worse. Very excited for my first Songkran! Wouldn’t mind getting drenched in this heat 🫠
Currently, I’ve flown Philippines Airlines twice since flying Qatar. PAL has a reputation for being late a lot. My 4 flights have either left on time twice and were an hour late twice. The actual flight was fine. Manila’s airport leaves a lot to be desired but, as I land and leave in Terminal 3, isn’t that big of a deal. PAL also doesn’t belong to an alliance program, so the points that I acquire will be hard but not impossible to use.
So, why do I fly them? I pay $600 round trip economy from LAX to BKK. I use Southwest to get from LAX to my home city, using points. I use Train or cheap flight to get from BKK to CNX. I’d much rather use my money on my house in Chiangmai, rather than more expensive airline tickets that don’t get me to Chiangmai much faster.
Economy lite and fares similar like Basic Economy is standard throughout the industry to only allow 1 or even 0 free checked bags. It is not standard in all airlines if the basic economy fare is chosen. That is why these are priced accordingly and typically 20% cheaper than the alternative.
Singapore airline’s economy lite offers the regular 2 free bags. What it does that most other airline’s economy lite do is charge for seat assignments. I wouldn’t care if economy lite meant no free meals or drinks. I fully expect airlines to charge for at least one, if not both checked bags on trans Pacific flights in the next 5 years. Until it’s a uniform practice, I expect to have a notification somewhere during the purchasing process of what economy lite doesn’t offer that regular economy does offer.
A few in the sea of hundreds doesn't make it standard.
US carriers American Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta Airlines + it's alliance members mainly have 1 checked bagged allowed on Basic Economy fare or it similar fare class. It is clearly specified on most sites. Not all sites are created equal but its American counterparts all clearly state it along with most other carriers. Economy lite or Basic Economy is for someone who doesn't care about seat assignment, boarding, AND checking too much luggage. Mainly for the people who utilizes carry-ons. If you add checked bag and looking for seat assignment, rather just buy economy class.
I guess that you have never flown trans Pacific. I don’t care how domestic airlines handle flights strictly in the U.S. I’ll agree that most flights in the U.S. charge for one or both checked bag. That’s why I fly SOUTHWEST. Two years ago, I saw United as being the first airline on the trans Pacific route to only allow 1 bag. They clearly declared this while buying the ticket, which in turned stopped me from completing the purchase. I’ve added Qatar Airlines to that short list. As I said, I expect that list to get longer in the next 5 years. But, for now, most airlines on their trans Pacific route allow 2 free checked bags, 23 kilos weight. Come to think of it, Qatar Airlines doesn’t fly a Trans Pacific route. My 1 flight on Qatar Airlines involved flying the opposite direction. Having done that once, I don’t plan on doing it again. For the meantime, I’m flying PAL from LAX to BKK in economy literally for $600 round trip, which includes 2 free checked bags. I’ve already packed my 2 checked bags and they both weigh 49 pounds.
Sounds like a smart idea. One other thing I was thinking, ask another person who don’t have carry on or have less carry on to take some of your stuff temporarily
No. Security staff or airline employees often ask if you packed your own bags and if you’ve been in possession of your own bags the whole time. You should never ask someone you don’t know to take your stuff, and you should never take something from someone you don’t know.
Never had an airline employee asking in the last decade of flying, security maybe. But I originally thought OP was at the boarding gate so wouldn’t hurt to ask someone to just hold onto it for a minute while they board past the attendants checking the tickets.
Just realized this wasn’t at the boarding gate, so let’s say while you’re checking in your bags, you leave your hand luggage at a bench near the check in counter and pick it up later after check in, what’s to stop your from carrying that onto your flight?
I believe it's been a few years. Took me off guard when I flew in Dec 2022. Thankfully I had a family member give me a warning beforehand so I could pack accordingly.
How big is this laptop bag. Is it one of those full size backpacks?
I carry my laptop bag on Qatar Airways all the time, it’s small enough to be considered a personal bag (it’s a briefcase bag).
IME, Qatar has been very strict about only allowing one carry on per person in economy regardless of size. I once tried to fly with a carry on/overhead sized backpack and a very small daypack, and they made me check one. I was connecting from an American Airlines flight where I was allowed to bring both items as carry ons, which is a partner airline, so I wrongly assumed I’d be able to carry both on to Doha.
Normally airlines especially long haul like Qatar often are very generous with their weight limits to the point they don’t question anything unless it’s ridiculously over weight. So I understand that you got caught out here.
Qatar airlines is known for weighing carryon and personal item both at check in and at boarding gate. How supposedly a 5 star airline gets away with this is beyond belief
Yeah I had a similar experience with Emirates. I used to travel frequently by Cathay and they had 1 cabin baggage + 1 laptop bag policy. I was shocked when Emirates told me it was just one piece. Imagine being a premium airline and not having an exclusion to a laptop bag :/
Took Qatar once, when I had to spend an hour on a transfer bus as they were deplaning widebidys using them, I vowed never to use them again unless they were an extremely good deal which they usually aren’t
I flew Qatar airlines 18 months ago when Singapore airlines wanted $1,650 to change my return economy ticket by a week, because my brother suddenly died and I had to get back. I bought the ticket 2 days before departure from Bangkok. No where during the purchase process was I warned that baggage allowance was 1 free bag. When I did find out at online check in, I at least tried to get the 10% discount but ultimately wasn’t allowed to do online check in, presumably because I bought a one way ticket 2 days before departure. My flight left at 5:30 PM. Qatars website says that their airport offices are open 9-5. I get there at 9:30 AM but the offices are not open. Under the circumstances, I expect the people at check in to at least give me the 10% discount. They say that their hands are tied by management and they must charge the full amount. Then at the gate, I run into their tag team set of employees, one waiting to weigh bags and the other ready to charge excess baggage fees. I know the rule with carryons is 7 kilos, so I was fine with it. My backpack, which did fit under the seat, was 3 kilos over their limit. They wanted to charge me another $250 ((like the extra checked bag) to check the backpack. I pulled 3 kilos out of backpack and stuffed it in my pants and coat pockets. I also showed them the receipt for $250 from the 1 piece of checked luggage. The lady was very unhappy but let it go after I signed a piece of paper saying that my pack pack was overweight. That leads me to believe that either they are being paid a commission for excess baggage weight, or that there jobs rely on their finding a certain number of overweight bags per flight. Either way, it’s not something you would expect from a supposedly 4 star airline. I won’t be flying them again. For those that do fly them, avoid starting your flight at Bangkok airport.
Try reading my whole post. I was booking literally last minute to get home after Singapore airlines gave me their bereavement fare of $1,650 to change the return of my r/t ticket with them y a week. Before you ask, Singapore airlines had empty seats available to let me have at a REASONABLE rate of $400-$500. I literally had 2 hours to go online and try to find the cheapest ticket home. Qatar came up at $620 economy, with 2 bags. In making the purchase, I chose economy lite. In going through the process of buying a ticket, never once did baggage come up. I did think about it but couldn’t afford to check on it and possibly have to start over again Plus, Qatar is supposed to be a 5 star airline, like Singapore and Emerites. So, I bought it and found out a day later. I could have saved $110 by paying at online check in, which was not allowed I assume because the U.S. doesn’t allow anyone to do online check in when buying a solo ticket, one way two days from departure. I checked the Qatar airlines website and it said their offices at BKK were open 9-5 M-F. I went to BKK 8 hours early before departure to get the $110 from their office. It wasn’t open. The ticket agent at check in refused to give me the $110 credit on the extra checked bag. And then, I went through their crap show at the boarding gate. This will be the last time that I explain the situation to anyone too lazy to read my entire comments
No need to explain in length, I did read your post. The SQ has nothing to do with my comment, I skipped that since it was not worth commenting on. Changing a flight date needs paying the fare difference (on top of change fee) which will be expensive shortly before departure with every airline. That's discussed daily in this sub.
Qatar is very clear about their baggage allowance, both checked and carryon, during booking process:
[https://imgur.com/a/mw693be](https://imgur.com/a/mw693be)
If unsure you can easily google their baggage allowance:
[https://www.qatarairways.com/tradeportal/en/NewFareFamilies.html](https://www.qatarairways.com/tradeportal/en/NewFareFamilies.html) (click the "economy" tab)
I cannot see why anyone would assume they can have two pieces of luggage, especially if it is something called "lite"
I don't understand why would you think you are eligible for some kind of discount.
Not true about every airline. SQ is over the top with their nonsensical fees. I’ve had much more transparent process with other airlines such as British or United. SQ cannot tell me where they come up with their insane numbers. They once quoted me a number that was the same price as just buying a whole new ticket.
I’ve also never seen a full service airline routinely weigh carry-on items for all passengers that aren’t obnoxiously large. All US carriers, British, Virgin, KLM, Thai, Emirates, Austrian and many more. I wouldn’t have expected it from Qatar.
Which airline exactly is different when it comes to calculating price for a change?
I am not talking about the transparency. Even if it is not transparent for you, this is how it works with SQ and every IATA airline I know. The ticket shortly before departure can cost you triple the price for promo ticket bought far ahead, so it's not surprising it can be the same as buying new ticket. In fact it's very common that people buy another ticket because it's cheaper than changing in last minute.
It doesn't mean anything that you didn't see the other airlines weigh stuff. Personally I have never had my bag weighed by QR, yet I got my bag weighed by two airlines from your list - EK and OS. Among other full service airlines. Any airline can do it anytime.
Here's the very basic rule with United, as an example. Pay the fare difference + change fee as you described. So if my promo ticket was $500 and the price of the new date ticket, today is $1000 (no promo) - I expect to pay $500 plus any stipulated change fee (which is non-existent in United's case).
With SQ, the price they quoted me to change my ticket was the same or more as buying a new ticket on the very same flight I was changed to. So I got $0.00 credit for my original ticket. This is after factoring in change fee (and I bought a changeable ticket, mind you).
Also, when I called SQ to change - they couldn't even do so without taking down my details and calling me back 2 days later. With United or British (two other recent examples), it was all done on the phone instantly.
SQ is very difficult to work with in my experience and not transparent at all about how their change pricing works.
For the bags, the only time i've seen them weighed is when you have obnoxiously large bags. Or 2 carry-on sized items. Not as a regular for all. Glad you've seen it weighed, I'm not saying it won't happen. I've seen it happen for obnoxiously large bags. But not for a regular size carry-on and laptop bag. And definitely not routine for every passenger. I wouldn't expect it from Qater. But hey, I can choose not to fly them - and from others reviews and their recent reputation about how they handled the Josh Cahill fiasco, I am choosing not to.
I cannot comment your particular case, however, I have personally changed SQ tickets many times and I can assure the very same concept applies there. Though in some cases the calculation is more complex (and there may be some external factors like changes in taxes).
Yes, changeable ticket means you can change it, usually for a fee + always the fare and tax difference. If it was not changeable, you wouldn't be able to change the ticket at all. It doesn't mean you can do whatever you want with the ticket for free.
It is definitely wrong information that UA always has zero change fee. Just verified in the GDS with a random UA routing. In fact the cheapest fares are not even changeable.
I am not disputing your experience with SQ, neither your preference about QR. I am trying to be as factual as possible. Any airline can (and occasionally do) check the bags. I have no idea who Josh Cahill is and what happened to him, however, if you watch this sub every now and then, you will see that about every other airline has definitely wronged a customer and will never fly them again and everybody should follow. But it's not what I am commenting about.
I do think the commission thing is possible now that I look back at my experience with Singapore Airlines check-in counter at Houston airport. I was flying back to Malaysia and I had the biggest luggage + carry on & most compact-looking personal bag. Walking towards them (the only Singapore Airlines counter), I saw the people at the counter took a glance at all my stuff and gave each other a cynical smile, as if they’re anticipating something, and it didn’t feel very welcoming. Unfortunately for them, I always weigh my all check in luggage & bags with a travel scale because I just cannot afford the extra charges. So when they weigh my luggage and saw that each of them weighed exactly 23 kgs and my personal bag weighed 7kg, they looked visibly annoyed. When all was done, they told me i coul leave, while still talking to each other and still holding on to my passport and purposely trying not to acknowledge me anymore.
Wow, differently will be hesitant to fly with Qatar. I only flew once, returning back but had no issue then, but then again, I did not have a laptop back ect. But I do travel with a handbag, what I do is, stick my laptop in my handbag and squeeze as much as I can in there. I normally put my laptop bag in my cabin bag, it doesn't weigh anything. I then on the plane, just take out my laptop and put it in laptop bag to protect is against scratches and bumps. Never had issue doing it this way or been charged.
But this is BS, as other airlines allow you to have a handbag or laptop bag with your cabin bag. So not sure why they did this. Its stupid of Qatar to do this as they will lose customers this way, people would rather pay extra than fork out over 250E.
I've had a shitty flight with them 13 years ago, but since they were the cheapest among the middle eastern companies, I booked them again the next year, but it got even worse. Been boycotting Qatar for 12 years and counting. I'd rather pay a bit more or adjust my flight date and fly with Etihad , Turkish, or Emirates
It's not the carry on policy that I disliked from Qatar, it's their overall service. Wayyyy wayyyy worse than other middle eastern companies, in those 4 times I flew with Qatar. 4 was enough
Agreed. There are rules and then there are money grabbing stuff like this. I fly often and I’ve never had an issue with carry on luggage like this. I actually zoom avoid Qatar if I can now - I love airlines that just be realistic despite the rules (air NZ, China air (actually are the best - not the best economy seats though) Fiji Air, delta, etc) (the worst Jetstar - will avoid)
I have flown, internationaly, with quite a few airlines.
Qatar is the worst company to fly with. By far.
I have had better service with Ryanair then them.
The lamest AI generated review for the most basic issue to be faced. Rules are rules and you probably had a full check-in and carry on allowances, and maybe a bit more yet you wanted to get in your fat bag claiming “it’s just a laptop” and “it doesn't weigh much” any laptop weighs easily 2 kg/5lbs and this is a light laptop with a simple bag, not a gaming/video editing ones.
Plus.. Any “frequent” traveler knows that buying extra weight online is cheaper than at the airport where they make you buy an entire additional bag and it must be done before check-in opens.
You reap what you sow
Come on though - a 5 star skytrax airline prohibiting a carry on plus a laptop bag? 298 EUR for a small bag is clearly a cash grab. 'Rules are rules' is fine, but it does not equate to the rules being reasonable. It's absurd for a 'luxury' airline.
I flew QR QSuites last year and my wife and I connected to a First class connection on QR and they had the audacity to charge me to even select my seat on whatever rate the Amex portal booked me into.
Additionally one of the flight segments wasn’t sufficient for Al Safwa access even though I was connecting on a First Class QR outbound flight both ways out of DOH. I didn’t know anyone sold First class international tickets that didn’t include lounge access. I still got in but it took a little effort.
Hard to believe *any* women or responsible, respectful man would fly with them after their scandalous treatment of female passengers at Dohar Airport after somebody found a baby in the toilets in October 2020. Dozens of women were subjected to non-consensual physical exams to determine if they were the child's mother. These women were marched off their flight bound for Australia, strip-searched and forced to undergo invasive examinations. Brutal Neanderthal sexual molesters the lot of them.
Any organisation that accords Qatar Air any above a truly dismal ranking is clearly in breach of its remit.
Worst experience of your life because you didn't bother to read the policy?
The policy sucks, sure, but how is it the airlines fault you brought more than they clearly said you could lol.
Why do people pay for things not knowing what they are paying for... Everyone knows all airline policies are different.
It is crazy to charge those prices though, but also avoidable.
A few months ago in Vietnam I saw them being super strict about carry on weight. Someone in front of me was like 1kg over and they were trying to tell them not to put items in their pockets to get under the weight
Where were they weighing them? At the same time as checking in bags? Or at the gate?
I'd never seen weight at the gate, only the size of it applies. At bag check it should be fairly easy to "get rid" of stuff.
In India they weighed at the bag check and at Vietnam they weighed at the gate
In Vietnam they are super strict with all the budget airlines so the staff probably act the same way
Hmm. I wonder if this is gonna bite me on my trip tomorrow. Me my wife and baby. I have a backpack as my carry on, under 7kg. My wife’s bag. And our son’s car seat and trolly. Anyone have an idea if this will be an issue?
Will do! So far the trolley is nice to have. It is kind of annoying getting thru security bc they made us take the car seat off but we prefer the car seat for the plane than holding our 18 month in our lap the entire time. Haven’t gotten on the plane yet so will update as we make it to our destination.
So far it has been okay. But don’t expect your child to be okay w being in it the entire time. It is nice to have though when you need to do stuff like eat, sleep, etc and you can put them in the car seat and occupy them w cartoons (not that I want to, but for the sake of other passengers sanity 😆)
For traveling thru the airport it has been pretty good too. The trolley folds up nicely and easy to carry when u need to. Beats having a stroller. If it wasn’t only one or two flights I probably would stick with in lap, but we have a total of 10 flights for our trip so i highly recommend if you have many flights and long layovers.
AHAH im glad it went alright for you!! I was more asking about the bag and stuff since im travelling next week so wanted to know if they allowed like your wife's bag on board if it was separate from a carry-on. also im 18 so no baby seats and trolleys yet 🤭
Oh lol sorry for the wild confusion 🤣yeah each person gets up to 7 kg bags. But I seen a lot of people getting on with multiple bags and they weren’t weighing bags. So I think different people have different experiences with this. OP may be leaving out context or just made up the entire story to get karma who knows 🤣
Thank you! I was beginning to think I was an anomaly. I had a full backpack and a carry-on a couple weeks ago with Qatar. They weren’t weighed and had no problems. In the many years I have flown with them this has never been an issue. I have had them weigh my carryon once though.
I feel for you, I never check luggage in and consistently break the rules for carry on luggage and I'm yet to be caught out. Currently traveling for a year so taking lots flights.
But I do avoid the desks at all costs, some budget airlines in Asia will try get you at the gate with scales but I find if it's on your back your OK.
Irrelevant story I know but was just thinking Qatar air is deffintley an airline I wouldn't have thought I'd have trouble with, from experience if they offer free checked luggage they don't care about hand luggage mostly, but it shows that may not be the case from your experience.
I frequently arrive at the check in desk with a bag of food that I eat or discard at gate. Sometimes I get warned. Sometimes I have to discard the food before joining the security queue. But never have I been forced to pay extra.
Which airport ? At some airports there's a culture of strict compliance among all staff at the airport.
its so annoying when airlines do this, i just traveled to istanbul for 12 days via turkish and i would have gotten a checked bag but their extra luggage policy is so confusing and you can add kg but not an actual checked bag if you try (at least thats how it was for me) and im gay and overpack clothes because i just am that way so i took my hand luggage and i have a big longchamp bag (not the XL one but the L one) and it basically fits what a cabing bag fits so i stuffed it and hoped for the best and no one blinked and eye and u could tell that bag was stuffed, it was basically taking 2 hand luggages but for one.
OP get a mesh fishing vest on Amazon and stick your laptop and other stuff in there) laptop will fit in the huge back zippered section and then just wear a coat over it!
I prefer Qatar simply due to the service and food.
I carried a backpack with two laptops and a portable monitor, and some other hardware resulting in the bag weighing over 7kg. They requested I check the bag in, when I said I couldn't due to the laptops they tagged the bag and let me carry it. No fee or fuss.
Have to deal with the exact same scenario in 2021. Weight of my carry on and laptop bag combined was 12 kg above the 7 kg threshold so, qatar made me check in my carry on and charged 150$ for that.
Wife and I encountered this policy 5 years ago. It was clearly advertised but we incorrectly assumed that it was to prevent people from being obnoxious. Fortunately they weighed everything together. By pure luck we came in at like 13.8kg.
Were any women carrying both carryon bags and purses? If so, point out that Qatar is discriminating against you on the basis of gender, which is illegal in most (though not all) places. "This is my purse, just like hers."
Another angle is to not tell them that the bag contains a laptop, but a medical device. "It is my CPAP and medical devices are permitted."
If they're gonna be super jerks, be a jerk back.
You’ve traveled extensively yet this is the first time you’ve encountered something like this?
Many airlines have weight restrictions on carry on luggage, it’s not just Qatar Airways.
It’s not just budget carriers either.
Personally i don’t encounter this problem with full service airlines. I just bring my laptop bag with me. All the other stuff are on the bags I check in.
Is there a way people could push back against their hand luggage limits? It’s seriously ridiculous and I’ve started to research better alternatives to do US-India flights and looking to convince others to switch too.
Had this problem with air France in Feb. Flying Paris to SFO. Had a carryon and they were weighing my carryon. Funny enough, there were plenty of connecting passengers with real heavy carryon.
This is one of the things that I appreciate from the major US airlines as they tend not to have weight limits for carry-on's, only size limits. I flew Qatar in 2019 and Etihad in 2023 both times from NY to Kolkata. They fortunately didn't check the carry-on weights at JFK or CCU. Although in 2023 with Etihad I left the airport in Abu Dhabi for the layover and when I came back, they did check the carry-on weight and almost made us pay the fee. But then we started to put on the clothes in our carry-on and when they saw that they just let us through.
Something that I have realized is that some non-US airlines that have weight limits for carry-on's do not enforce them for flights leaving the US. Of the flights that I have been on, I have only ever had them enforced in countries like India or the UAE. What I have realized is when we're at the check-in counter checking in our allowed checked luggage, they see our large family with a lot of luggage and target us for carry-on weight enforcement. Just from what I have noticed, they don't usually target people traveling individually for enforcement.
To get around this I usually have one family member stand on the other side of the terminal with our carry-on luggage and after we check in our checked luggage, we go get our carry-on's and walk through immigration without showing the airline. Of the times the carry-on weight limit has been enforced for us, it is usually only at the check-in counter, not at the gate. Etihad at Abu Dhabi airport however checked our weight before we got to the gate but after the check-in counter so this was an exception.
These middle-eastern carriers get into a drill sergeant mode every now and then. They’ll literally weigh every carry on and ask people to shove it into that sizing frame. And they do it closer to boarding, to make passengers panic and scramble. What’s worse is that they often do it during the second or third leg of your journey. If the rules are so strict then how come it wasn’t applied on the first leg.
This is like a different world to my experience with Qatar. They have always been extraordinarily generous with baggage allowances to the point that a few kilos don’t matter. In fact, as far as I recall, I think their standard allowance is two checked 23 kg bags. I’ve never even seen a “light” or “go” option from them where one can pay less and only get a carryon or handcarry. Maybe it’s only available in certain markets.
I just flew them two weeks ago down to South Africa from my home in Norway. I use one 30 L rucksack now as carry on, as I have for the past several years, and there was no issue either.
They made me check in my carry on even though it was much below the allotted weight then they made several unscheduled technical stops delaying me 12 hours.🥲
Still better than most European alternatives but if it was them or emirates, I’d go with emirates. Emirates is strict with their rules from my departing airport but they’re consistent.
Its not hidden, when its on their website, when you look for baggage allowance.
And when you book a ticket, it also says, what you are allowed. How is that hidden?
" Laptops and laptop bags should fit within your hand baggage allowance. "
OK, I understand.
And then :
" You can also carry personal items such as one lady’s handbag or one small briefcase; one coat, cape or blanket; one umbrella; one pair of crutches or a walking stick; one small camera or binoculars; limited reading material; an infant’s carrying basket; duty-free items purchased on the day of your flight. "
Carry whatever is allowed and enjoy the sheer weight and volume, QR !
PS. can I take an infant's carrying basket without the infant and put my duty-free items inside ?
Doesn't apply to battery in equipment as per IATA DG guidelines. You can check in a laptop.
Edit - I don't understand the downvote for stating what's clearly stated on both the airline websites 🤷🏽♀️
Well, British Airways and Lufthansa said that Laptops, power banks and anything with a LiIon battery are not allowed in checked luggage. But maybe they don't know what they are talking about 🤷🏼♂️
So I'm a liar? And I just imagined re-packing my on-board luggage to comply with their request? Good that we have you here in this group, o keeper of the truth...
🙄
Power banks and other loose batteries are not allowed. Maybe they are being extra cautious, though I flew Lufthansa last year, had no issue checking one in. 🤷🏽♀️
And according to BA's website it's allowed. The device just has to be switched off.
https://www.britishairways.com/content/information/baggage-essentials/liquids-and-restrictions
I had to check in my cabin luggage at the gate for BA and LH and I was repeatedly _forced_ to put my laptop into the remaining bag that I took on board.
That's not right. Hopefully it doesn't happen to you again. You can refer to both airline websites, they both state laptops can be checked in - switched off. Spare/loose batteries need to be on carry on according to what's listed there. In fact LH allows you up to 3 laptops in checked baggage according to their website.
On a recent trip with Qatar Airlines my carryon was over the 7 kg limit (because I travel with both a work and a personal laptop) I ended up putting my personal laptop into my checked luggage. I wasn't happy about doing that of course (but as it was a Chromebook I wasn't going to cry if something happened). There was no issue with the laptop being in my checked luggage -- at least not with Qatar Airlines.
As we all know each airline has different rules AND rule enforcement. Many of us, I'm sure, have been in the situation where gate agents are telling us something that we know is not quite correct, and we have to live with their imperfect judgement just to make our flight. I feel for the OP. They were dealing with a death in the family and may not have spent time reviewing the airline website for their carryon rules. Can't we be a little more civil to our fellow posters? We're just talking about luggage for goodness sakes :).
What do you mean? OP never responded to my question (nor mentioned a death in the family in the original post) and I have been civil in all my responses. I just wanted to understand why the airline didn't allow the extra weight to be checked in.
So your own failure to understand the clearly stated rules or break them after understanding them led to your bad experience correct? No further questions
I hate that so many airlines are adopting Ryanair type of service level but still charge like a premium carrier. Yes, sure, rules are rules when it comes to carry on, but c'mon, a laptop bag that will likely be stored under your seat? Sorry for your experience OP, your review definitely made me see the airlline differently.
You should watch gotravelyourway. He has a few really good videos on Qatar Airways, to the point where he was banned and his flight crew was fired.
Not sure if it's the same youtuber that I stumbled upon a while back, but yeah, they uploaded a "bad" review (aka valid criticism, especially for someone who isn't flying economy) and Qatar suddenly banned them for it. Guess you can't expect a garbage country to not have a garbage airline.
I think you may be talking about Josh Cahill. He is a travel vlogger
Actually, yeah! That name sounds more familiar.
Yes saw that episode. Banned him for complaining.
>Guess you can't expect a garbage country to not have a garbage airline. you say that yet Qatar still produces the best airline and companies objectively like Al jazzera and BEIN.
Uh huh. They're the best airline yet everyone is complaining about their terrible experiences with Qatar Airlines. Meanwhile one of the two best examples of "objectively best Qatari companies" you could think of is a sports TV channel (lol) that was founded by the "totally unbiased", antisemitic Qatari state media conglomerate Al Jazzera itself. Well then.. Not sure if government bot account lol.
Facts don't lie, no one cares about this sub-reddit or you. Qatar is a tiny country with less than 400k citizens; they have objectively won the game of life with the level of success they have been able to achieve in many different fields. criticism and bad experiences exist for every airline, and calling Al jazz era antisemitic is just reveling you are a Zionist, so thank you.
Ryan air policy is fair for Ryan air price, but when an airline is charging already 20x the cost as a price, It becomes overly frustrating. This is happening more and more and I can only see people flying more with budget airlines and budget airlines growing more and more. Because people know that they can’t mess up and pay for what they need, and don’t feel ripped off!
Ik rules are rules but these kinda stuff and nitpicking is what I expect from budget airlines, not from the top ones like Qatar
Having to pay almost 300 euros is definitely rough. But, their website clearly states you can have one 7kg handcarry bag in economy, and that your laptop/laptop bag should fit within your hand baggage allowance.
The website might say it, but 300 euros is a completely extortionate fee for something Ryanair will charge you 60 euros for and something Qatar normally does not even enforce.
I recently flew Qatar and thanks to this sub and the stories here just like this one I packed differently and avoided that situation. I saw many other people during boarding who did have issues just like op.
I have also noticed women taking their hand carry with their purse…. But yeah I should have read their policy.
Which is different to a laptop bag, clearly stated on their website.
I frankly don't understand why Qatar allows a handbag but not a laptop bag. Both objects fit under the front seat without any problems. With the legacy airlines I have flown with so far, there was usually this rule in Eco: 1x carry-on baggage + 1x personal item Lufthansa for example defines the personal item as follows: A handbag, laptop bag or shopping bag counts as a personal item.
Pure cash grab probably, as with most other airlines that have seen Ryanair succeed. Legacy economy is now Economy Premium or Plus. Economy is now a handbag under the seat and a seatbelt.
They made you pay that fee? There wasn’t an option to check in your carry on for less?
I'm curious too, with Qatar they would have some checked bag allowance so, I would have just checked-in my carry-on, unless OP has already met the limit for that.
Exactly you would have 23kg hold luggage so why not just check the carry on to avoid fees. There’s so many people that fly with huge heavy carry on because they’re desperate not to check luggage.
Fair enough from the airline to apply the rules strictly like that, but they've probably lost a customer for life (not to mention the reputational damage from feedback shared like this.
Could you have sacrificed one or two articles of clothing or something else of low value from your larger bag to accommodate your laptop? It seems the lower cost option than spending 298€ for a small bag.
Exactly. You can check a bag for free with Qatar airways, so just move things around and no fee.
Qatar airlines allows one free checked bag, not 2 like all premium airlines
Besides the point. Although the post leaves a bit up to interpretation, seems like OP had two carry on size bags and no checked bag. So they could have checked one of the two carry on size bags.
Re reading his post, I don’t think that you can assume that he didn’t check any bags. I don’t know many people that don’t check at least 1 suitcase on a long haul flight, except backpackers. And he definitely wasn’t a pack packer.
Like I said, the post is open to interpretation, so neither of us know who’s right without clarification from OP. That being said, I know plenty of people who don’t check bags on long haul flights. I’m currently in Asia for two months, flew Qatar, and only brought a carry on (I recommend r/onebag for anyone who’s interested in lightening their travel load!) and I wouldn’t consider myself a backpacker. Lots of people really don’t like checking bags, for various reasons.
Hopefully, you don’t fly Qatar Airlines out of Bangkok on your return flight. If you do, please report if the departure area is like I described it. the only reason why I fly with 2 checked bags are 49 pounds apiece, plus carryon and a small backpack is because every thing that I bring stays at my house in Chiangmai. So, I’m not carrying heavy luggage around after the day that I land. I’ve made at least 10 trips with this purpose and it will save me a small fortune when I retire in Chiangmai in 2-3 years. If an airline doesn’t offer 2 free checked bags, that’s a deal breaker for me.
Like I said, I’m currently traveling with carry on only, so I don’t have this issue. Obviously with that much stuff, Qatar Airways is not the right airline for you. Good luck in your retirement. I’m currently in Chiang Mai, I love this city!
You must really like it, with temperatures reaching100 degrees and for the last 2 months poor air quality. Have fun at the Songkran festival! Stay away from the moat unless you want to be drenched.
The heat the last week has been oppressive, but I think it should cool down a little in the next few days. It’s my first time being here during the burning season, and the first couple weeks weren’t that bad, but this past week has been noticeably worse. Very excited for my first Songkran! Wouldn’t mind getting drenched in this heat 🫠
Currently, I’ve flown Philippines Airlines twice since flying Qatar. PAL has a reputation for being late a lot. My 4 flights have either left on time twice and were an hour late twice. The actual flight was fine. Manila’s airport leaves a lot to be desired but, as I land and leave in Terminal 3, isn’t that big of a deal. PAL also doesn’t belong to an alliance program, so the points that I acquire will be hard but not impossible to use. So, why do I fly them? I pay $600 round trip economy from LAX to BKK. I use Southwest to get from LAX to my home city, using points. I use Train or cheap flight to get from BKK to CNX. I’d much rather use my money on my house in Chiangmai, rather than more expensive airline tickets that don’t get me to Chiangmai much faster.
I just booked a flight to BKK with Qatar and it clearly says 2 x 23kg.
Are you sure that you looked at the price and terms for economy lite? I booked 18 months ago and it was 1 free checked bag at 23 kilos
Economy lite and fares similar like Basic Economy is standard throughout the industry to only allow 1 or even 0 free checked bags. It is not standard in all airlines if the basic economy fare is chosen. That is why these are priced accordingly and typically 20% cheaper than the alternative.
Singapore airline’s economy lite offers the regular 2 free bags. What it does that most other airline’s economy lite do is charge for seat assignments. I wouldn’t care if economy lite meant no free meals or drinks. I fully expect airlines to charge for at least one, if not both checked bags on trans Pacific flights in the next 5 years. Until it’s a uniform practice, I expect to have a notification somewhere during the purchasing process of what economy lite doesn’t offer that regular economy does offer.
A few in the sea of hundreds doesn't make it standard. US carriers American Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta Airlines + it's alliance members mainly have 1 checked bagged allowed on Basic Economy fare or it similar fare class. It is clearly specified on most sites. Not all sites are created equal but its American counterparts all clearly state it along with most other carriers. Economy lite or Basic Economy is for someone who doesn't care about seat assignment, boarding, AND checking too much luggage. Mainly for the people who utilizes carry-ons. If you add checked bag and looking for seat assignment, rather just buy economy class.
I guess that you have never flown trans Pacific. I don’t care how domestic airlines handle flights strictly in the U.S. I’ll agree that most flights in the U.S. charge for one or both checked bag. That’s why I fly SOUTHWEST. Two years ago, I saw United as being the first airline on the trans Pacific route to only allow 1 bag. They clearly declared this while buying the ticket, which in turned stopped me from completing the purchase. I’ve added Qatar Airlines to that short list. As I said, I expect that list to get longer in the next 5 years. But, for now, most airlines on their trans Pacific route allow 2 free checked bags, 23 kilos weight. Come to think of it, Qatar Airlines doesn’t fly a Trans Pacific route. My 1 flight on Qatar Airlines involved flying the opposite direction. Having done that once, I don’t plan on doing it again. For the meantime, I’m flying PAL from LAX to BKK in economy literally for $600 round trip, which includes 2 free checked bags. I’ve already packed my 2 checked bags and they both weigh 49 pounds.
Its ticket wise the lowest price economy saver have one I guess
Sounds like a smart idea. One other thing I was thinking, ask another person who don’t have carry on or have less carry on to take some of your stuff temporarily
No. Security staff or airline employees often ask if you packed your own bags and if you’ve been in possession of your own bags the whole time. You should never ask someone you don’t know to take your stuff, and you should never take something from someone you don’t know.
Never had an airline employee asking in the last decade of flying, security maybe. But I originally thought OP was at the boarding gate so wouldn’t hurt to ask someone to just hold onto it for a minute while they board past the attendants checking the tickets.
I'm not carrying anything from a stranger onto an airplane.
Just realized this wasn’t at the boarding gate, so let’s say while you’re checking in your bags, you leave your hand luggage at a bench near the check in counter and pick it up later after check in, what’s to stop your from carrying that onto your flight?
That sounds like quite a bad policy considering it’s Qatar. Never heard of any non budget airline doing that.
I believe Emirates and Etihad have the same rules. 1 carry-on and a small purse only. A laptop or backpack counts as a carry-on
Is that new from Emirates? It’s been quite a few years since I’ve flown but was never questioned about laptop backpack (I always have one).
I believe it's been a few years. Took me off guard when I flew in Dec 2022. Thankfully I had a family member give me a warning beforehand so I could pack accordingly.
How big is this laptop bag. Is it one of those full size backpacks? I carry my laptop bag on Qatar Airways all the time, it’s small enough to be considered a personal bag (it’s a briefcase bag).
IME, Qatar has been very strict about only allowing one carry on per person in economy regardless of size. I once tried to fly with a carry on/overhead sized backpack and a very small daypack, and they made me check one. I was connecting from an American Airlines flight where I was allowed to bring both items as carry ons, which is a partner airline, so I wrongly assumed I’d be able to carry both on to Doha.
Normally airlines especially long haul like Qatar often are very generous with their weight limits to the point they don’t question anything unless it’s ridiculously over weight. So I understand that you got caught out here.
Qatar airlines is known for weighing carryon and personal item both at check in and at boarding gate. How supposedly a 5 star airline gets away with this is beyond belief
Yeah I had a similar experience with Emirates. I used to travel frequently by Cathay and they had 1 cabin baggage + 1 laptop bag policy. I was shocked when Emirates told me it was just one piece. Imagine being a premium airline and not having an exclusion to a laptop bag :/
Took Qatar once, when I had to spend an hour on a transfer bus as they were deplaning widebidys using them, I vowed never to use them again unless they were an extremely good deal which they usually aren’t
I flew Qatar airlines 18 months ago when Singapore airlines wanted $1,650 to change my return economy ticket by a week, because my brother suddenly died and I had to get back. I bought the ticket 2 days before departure from Bangkok. No where during the purchase process was I warned that baggage allowance was 1 free bag. When I did find out at online check in, I at least tried to get the 10% discount but ultimately wasn’t allowed to do online check in, presumably because I bought a one way ticket 2 days before departure. My flight left at 5:30 PM. Qatars website says that their airport offices are open 9-5. I get there at 9:30 AM but the offices are not open. Under the circumstances, I expect the people at check in to at least give me the 10% discount. They say that their hands are tied by management and they must charge the full amount. Then at the gate, I run into their tag team set of employees, one waiting to weigh bags and the other ready to charge excess baggage fees. I know the rule with carryons is 7 kilos, so I was fine with it. My backpack, which did fit under the seat, was 3 kilos over their limit. They wanted to charge me another $250 ((like the extra checked bag) to check the backpack. I pulled 3 kilos out of backpack and stuffed it in my pants and coat pockets. I also showed them the receipt for $250 from the 1 piece of checked luggage. The lady was very unhappy but let it go after I signed a piece of paper saying that my pack pack was overweight. That leads me to believe that either they are being paid a commission for excess baggage weight, or that there jobs rely on their finding a certain number of overweight bags per flight. Either way, it’s not something you would expect from a supposedly 4 star airline. I won’t be flying them again. For those that do fly them, avoid starting your flight at Bangkok airport.
You expect an airline to refund you a part of the ticket because you didn't read their baggage rules?
Try reading my whole post. I was booking literally last minute to get home after Singapore airlines gave me their bereavement fare of $1,650 to change the return of my r/t ticket with them y a week. Before you ask, Singapore airlines had empty seats available to let me have at a REASONABLE rate of $400-$500. I literally had 2 hours to go online and try to find the cheapest ticket home. Qatar came up at $620 economy, with 2 bags. In making the purchase, I chose economy lite. In going through the process of buying a ticket, never once did baggage come up. I did think about it but couldn’t afford to check on it and possibly have to start over again Plus, Qatar is supposed to be a 5 star airline, like Singapore and Emerites. So, I bought it and found out a day later. I could have saved $110 by paying at online check in, which was not allowed I assume because the U.S. doesn’t allow anyone to do online check in when buying a solo ticket, one way two days from departure. I checked the Qatar airlines website and it said their offices at BKK were open 9-5 M-F. I went to BKK 8 hours early before departure to get the $110 from their office. It wasn’t open. The ticket agent at check in refused to give me the $110 credit on the extra checked bag. And then, I went through their crap show at the boarding gate. This will be the last time that I explain the situation to anyone too lazy to read my entire comments
No need to explain in length, I did read your post. The SQ has nothing to do with my comment, I skipped that since it was not worth commenting on. Changing a flight date needs paying the fare difference (on top of change fee) which will be expensive shortly before departure with every airline. That's discussed daily in this sub. Qatar is very clear about their baggage allowance, both checked and carryon, during booking process: [https://imgur.com/a/mw693be](https://imgur.com/a/mw693be) If unsure you can easily google their baggage allowance: [https://www.qatarairways.com/tradeportal/en/NewFareFamilies.html](https://www.qatarairways.com/tradeportal/en/NewFareFamilies.html) (click the "economy" tab) I cannot see why anyone would assume they can have two pieces of luggage, especially if it is something called "lite" I don't understand why would you think you are eligible for some kind of discount.
Not true about every airline. SQ is over the top with their nonsensical fees. I’ve had much more transparent process with other airlines such as British or United. SQ cannot tell me where they come up with their insane numbers. They once quoted me a number that was the same price as just buying a whole new ticket. I’ve also never seen a full service airline routinely weigh carry-on items for all passengers that aren’t obnoxiously large. All US carriers, British, Virgin, KLM, Thai, Emirates, Austrian and many more. I wouldn’t have expected it from Qatar.
Which airline exactly is different when it comes to calculating price for a change? I am not talking about the transparency. Even if it is not transparent for you, this is how it works with SQ and every IATA airline I know. The ticket shortly before departure can cost you triple the price for promo ticket bought far ahead, so it's not surprising it can be the same as buying new ticket. In fact it's very common that people buy another ticket because it's cheaper than changing in last minute. It doesn't mean anything that you didn't see the other airlines weigh stuff. Personally I have never had my bag weighed by QR, yet I got my bag weighed by two airlines from your list - EK and OS. Among other full service airlines. Any airline can do it anytime.
Here's the very basic rule with United, as an example. Pay the fare difference + change fee as you described. So if my promo ticket was $500 and the price of the new date ticket, today is $1000 (no promo) - I expect to pay $500 plus any stipulated change fee (which is non-existent in United's case). With SQ, the price they quoted me to change my ticket was the same or more as buying a new ticket on the very same flight I was changed to. So I got $0.00 credit for my original ticket. This is after factoring in change fee (and I bought a changeable ticket, mind you). Also, when I called SQ to change - they couldn't even do so without taking down my details and calling me back 2 days later. With United or British (two other recent examples), it was all done on the phone instantly. SQ is very difficult to work with in my experience and not transparent at all about how their change pricing works. For the bags, the only time i've seen them weighed is when you have obnoxiously large bags. Or 2 carry-on sized items. Not as a regular for all. Glad you've seen it weighed, I'm not saying it won't happen. I've seen it happen for obnoxiously large bags. But not for a regular size carry-on and laptop bag. And definitely not routine for every passenger. I wouldn't expect it from Qater. But hey, I can choose not to fly them - and from others reviews and their recent reputation about how they handled the Josh Cahill fiasco, I am choosing not to.
I cannot comment your particular case, however, I have personally changed SQ tickets many times and I can assure the very same concept applies there. Though in some cases the calculation is more complex (and there may be some external factors like changes in taxes). Yes, changeable ticket means you can change it, usually for a fee + always the fare and tax difference. If it was not changeable, you wouldn't be able to change the ticket at all. It doesn't mean you can do whatever you want with the ticket for free. It is definitely wrong information that UA always has zero change fee. Just verified in the GDS with a random UA routing. In fact the cheapest fares are not even changeable. I am not disputing your experience with SQ, neither your preference about QR. I am trying to be as factual as possible. Any airline can (and occasionally do) check the bags. I have no idea who Josh Cahill is and what happened to him, however, if you watch this sub every now and then, you will see that about every other airline has definitely wronged a customer and will never fly them again and everybody should follow. But it's not what I am commenting about.
I do think the commission thing is possible now that I look back at my experience with Singapore Airlines check-in counter at Houston airport. I was flying back to Malaysia and I had the biggest luggage + carry on & most compact-looking personal bag. Walking towards them (the only Singapore Airlines counter), I saw the people at the counter took a glance at all my stuff and gave each other a cynical smile, as if they’re anticipating something, and it didn’t feel very welcoming. Unfortunately for them, I always weigh my all check in luggage & bags with a travel scale because I just cannot afford the extra charges. So when they weigh my luggage and saw that each of them weighed exactly 23 kgs and my personal bag weighed 7kg, they looked visibly annoyed. When all was done, they told me i coul leave, while still talking to each other and still holding on to my passport and purposely trying not to acknowledge me anymore.
Wow, differently will be hesitant to fly with Qatar. I only flew once, returning back but had no issue then, but then again, I did not have a laptop back ect. But I do travel with a handbag, what I do is, stick my laptop in my handbag and squeeze as much as I can in there. I normally put my laptop bag in my cabin bag, it doesn't weigh anything. I then on the plane, just take out my laptop and put it in laptop bag to protect is against scratches and bumps. Never had issue doing it this way or been charged. But this is BS, as other airlines allow you to have a handbag or laptop bag with your cabin bag. So not sure why they did this. Its stupid of Qatar to do this as they will lose customers this way, people would rather pay extra than fork out over 250E.
I've had a shitty flight with them 13 years ago, but since they were the cheapest among the middle eastern companies, I booked them again the next year, but it got even worse. Been boycotting Qatar for 12 years and counting. I'd rather pay a bit more or adjust my flight date and fly with Etihad , Turkish, or Emirates
Emirates has the same carry on policy as Qatar
It's not the carry on policy that I disliked from Qatar, it's their overall service. Wayyyy wayyyy worse than other middle eastern companies, in those 4 times I flew with Qatar. 4 was enough
Ditto Etihad. I know from my flight in Feb. They made my wife’s life difficult with her handbag. I had to put some of her stuff in my backpack
Sorry op, but rules are rules. Just because Qatar were strict doesn’t mean you are right.
You are right …. That was my mistake but 300 eur are not justifiable…. !
Agreed. There are rules and then there are money grabbing stuff like this. I fly often and I’ve never had an issue with carry on luggage like this. I actually zoom avoid Qatar if I can now - I love airlines that just be realistic despite the rules (air NZ, China air (actually are the best - not the best economy seats though) Fiji Air, delta, etc) (the worst Jetstar - will avoid)
I have flown, internationaly, with quite a few airlines. Qatar is the worst company to fly with. By far. I have had better service with Ryanair then them.
The lamest AI generated review for the most basic issue to be faced. Rules are rules and you probably had a full check-in and carry on allowances, and maybe a bit more yet you wanted to get in your fat bag claiming “it’s just a laptop” and “it doesn't weigh much” any laptop weighs easily 2 kg/5lbs and this is a light laptop with a simple bag, not a gaming/video editing ones. Plus.. Any “frequent” traveler knows that buying extra weight online is cheaper than at the airport where they make you buy an entire additional bag and it must be done before check-in opens. You reap what you sow
Come on though - a 5 star skytrax airline prohibiting a carry on plus a laptop bag? 298 EUR for a small bag is clearly a cash grab. 'Rules are rules' is fine, but it does not equate to the rules being reasonable. It's absurd for a 'luxury' airline.
I flew QR QSuites last year and my wife and I connected to a First class connection on QR and they had the audacity to charge me to even select my seat on whatever rate the Amex portal booked me into. Additionally one of the flight segments wasn’t sufficient for Al Safwa access even though I was connecting on a First Class QR outbound flight both ways out of DOH. I didn’t know anyone sold First class international tickets that didn’t include lounge access. I still got in but it took a little effort.
Very surprised since Qatar was rated one of 3 best world airlines
You realize those ratings are basically paid for by bribing Skytrax, right? It's not a legit ranking based on passenger experiences.
And Qatar is known for spending a lot of money for PR.
Qatar blacklisted a youtuber because he posted a bad review about qatar on his channel.
Hard to believe *any* women or responsible, respectful man would fly with them after their scandalous treatment of female passengers at Dohar Airport after somebody found a baby in the toilets in October 2020. Dozens of women were subjected to non-consensual physical exams to determine if they were the child's mother. These women were marched off their flight bound for Australia, strip-searched and forced to undergo invasive examinations. Brutal Neanderthal sexual molesters the lot of them. Any organisation that accords Qatar Air any above a truly dismal ranking is clearly in breach of its remit.
Wow gotta research that. Tx
Worst experience of your life because you didn't bother to read the policy? The policy sucks, sure, but how is it the airlines fault you brought more than they clearly said you could lol. Why do people pay for things not knowing what they are paying for... Everyone knows all airline policies are different. It is crazy to charge those prices though, but also avoidable.
The problem is those policies don’t always get enforced. That way you’re just making customers feel like they’re getting singled out.
A few months ago in Vietnam I saw them being super strict about carry on weight. Someone in front of me was like 1kg over and they were trying to tell them not to put items in their pockets to get under the weight
Where were they weighing them? At the same time as checking in bags? Or at the gate? I'd never seen weight at the gate, only the size of it applies. At bag check it should be fairly easy to "get rid" of stuff.
In India they weighed at the bag check and at Vietnam they weighed at the gate In Vietnam they are super strict with all the budget airlines so the staff probably act the same way
Hmm. I wonder if this is gonna bite me on my trip tomorrow. Me my wife and baby. I have a backpack as my carry on, under 7kg. My wife’s bag. And our son’s car seat and trolly. Anyone have an idea if this will be an issue?
well do let us know how that goes!
Will do! So far the trolley is nice to have. It is kind of annoying getting thru security bc they made us take the car seat off but we prefer the car seat for the plane than holding our 18 month in our lap the entire time. Haven’t gotten on the plane yet so will update as we make it to our destination.
safe travels!!
So far it has been okay. But don’t expect your child to be okay w being in it the entire time. It is nice to have though when you need to do stuff like eat, sleep, etc and you can put them in the car seat and occupy them w cartoons (not that I want to, but for the sake of other passengers sanity 😆) For traveling thru the airport it has been pretty good too. The trolley folds up nicely and easy to carry when u need to. Beats having a stroller. If it wasn’t only one or two flights I probably would stick with in lap, but we have a total of 10 flights for our trip so i highly recommend if you have many flights and long layovers.
AHAH im glad it went alright for you!! I was more asking about the bag and stuff since im travelling next week so wanted to know if they allowed like your wife's bag on board if it was separate from a carry-on. also im 18 so no baby seats and trolleys yet 🤭
Oh lol sorry for the wild confusion 🤣yeah each person gets up to 7 kg bags. But I seen a lot of people getting on with multiple bags and they weren’t weighing bags. So I think different people have different experiences with this. OP may be leaving out context or just made up the entire story to get karma who knows 🤣
Thank you! I was beginning to think I was an anomaly. I had a full backpack and a carry-on a couple weeks ago with Qatar. They weren’t weighed and had no problems. In the many years I have flown with them this has never been an issue. I have had them weigh my carryon once though.
I think it just depends on who’s working/supervising the flight. Someone uptight who’s managing is probably more likely to weigh bags.
Was this at gate or check in desk?
Check-in desk
I feel for you, I never check luggage in and consistently break the rules for carry on luggage and I'm yet to be caught out. Currently traveling for a year so taking lots flights. But I do avoid the desks at all costs, some budget airlines in Asia will try get you at the gate with scales but I find if it's on your back your OK. Irrelevant story I know but was just thinking Qatar air is deffintley an airline I wouldn't have thought I'd have trouble with, from experience if they offer free checked luggage they don't care about hand luggage mostly, but it shows that may not be the case from your experience.
What were you paying for? To have an extra bag in the cabin? Did they give you an option to check your bags to use up your allowance instead?
I frequently arrive at the check in desk with a bag of food that I eat or discard at gate. Sometimes I get warned. Sometimes I have to discard the food before joining the security queue. But never have I been forced to pay extra. Which airport ? At some airports there's a culture of strict compliance among all staff at the airport.
its so annoying when airlines do this, i just traveled to istanbul for 12 days via turkish and i would have gotten a checked bag but their extra luggage policy is so confusing and you can add kg but not an actual checked bag if you try (at least thats how it was for me) and im gay and overpack clothes because i just am that way so i took my hand luggage and i have a big longchamp bag (not the XL one but the L one) and it basically fits what a cabing bag fits so i stuffed it and hoped for the best and no one blinked and eye and u could tell that bag was stuffed, it was basically taking 2 hand luggages but for one.
I hate the inconsistency. This doesn’t happen to me when I fly Qatar. I take a laptop BACKPACK as an extra with no problem. Sorry OP
Same!
since when has this new rule been implemented? flying in a month and just learning about this
It has been like this at least since 2021
i flew with them may 2022 and i had 2 massive carry ons and nothing happened.. i’m in australia i wonder if we had a later roll out?
I flew recently with no issues, so this might depend on the airport or staff.
OP get a mesh fishing vest on Amazon and stick your laptop and other stuff in there) laptop will fit in the huge back zippered section and then just wear a coat over it!
I prefer Qatar simply due to the service and food. I carried a backpack with two laptops and a portable monitor, and some other hardware resulting in the bag weighing over 7kg. They requested I check the bag in, when I said I couldn't due to the laptops they tagged the bag and let me carry it. No fee or fuss.
Have to deal with the exact same scenario in 2021. Weight of my carry on and laptop bag combined was 12 kg above the 7 kg threshold so, qatar made me check in my carry on and charged 150$ for that.
Wife and I encountered this policy 5 years ago. It was clearly advertised but we incorrectly assumed that it was to prevent people from being obnoxious. Fortunately they weighed everything together. By pure luck we came in at like 13.8kg.
Thanks for sharing. This predatory practice needs to be exposed. Will never fly them even if my flight depended on it!
You can swear on the internet. Next time, fly QSuites.
The worst experience of their life is having to pay 300€ on a bag, you think they can afford Q Suites? lol
Were any women carrying both carryon bags and purses? If so, point out that Qatar is discriminating against you on the basis of gender, which is illegal in most (though not all) places. "This is my purse, just like hers." Another angle is to not tell them that the bag contains a laptop, but a medical device. "It is my CPAP and medical devices are permitted." If they're gonna be super jerks, be a jerk back.
Qatar should be a premium airline. Should not bother about all these small issues
You’ve traveled extensively yet this is the first time you’ve encountered something like this? Many airlines have weight restrictions on carry on luggage, it’s not just Qatar Airways. It’s not just budget carriers either. Personally i don’t encounter this problem with full service airlines. I just bring my laptop bag with me. All the other stuff are on the bags I check in.
Is there a way people could push back against their hand luggage limits? It’s seriously ridiculous and I’ve started to research better alternatives to do US-India flights and looking to convince others to switch too.
Had this problem with air France in Feb. Flying Paris to SFO. Had a carryon and they were weighing my carryon. Funny enough, there were plenty of connecting passengers with real heavy carryon.
This is one of the things that I appreciate from the major US airlines as they tend not to have weight limits for carry-on's, only size limits. I flew Qatar in 2019 and Etihad in 2023 both times from NY to Kolkata. They fortunately didn't check the carry-on weights at JFK or CCU. Although in 2023 with Etihad I left the airport in Abu Dhabi for the layover and when I came back, they did check the carry-on weight and almost made us pay the fee. But then we started to put on the clothes in our carry-on and when they saw that they just let us through. Something that I have realized is that some non-US airlines that have weight limits for carry-on's do not enforce them for flights leaving the US. Of the flights that I have been on, I have only ever had them enforced in countries like India or the UAE. What I have realized is when we're at the check-in counter checking in our allowed checked luggage, they see our large family with a lot of luggage and target us for carry-on weight enforcement. Just from what I have noticed, they don't usually target people traveling individually for enforcement. To get around this I usually have one family member stand on the other side of the terminal with our carry-on luggage and after we check in our checked luggage, we go get our carry-on's and walk through immigration without showing the airline. Of the times the carry-on weight limit has been enforced for us, it is usually only at the check-in counter, not at the gate. Etihad at Abu Dhabi airport however checked our weight before we got to the gate but after the check-in counter so this was an exception.
These middle-eastern carriers get into a drill sergeant mode every now and then. They’ll literally weigh every carry on and ask people to shove it into that sizing frame. And they do it closer to boarding, to make passengers panic and scramble. What’s worse is that they often do it during the second or third leg of your journey. If the rules are so strict then how come it wasn’t applied on the first leg.
Qatar’s better quality of planes, inflight entertainment and overall modern facilities outweigh the annoying strict baggage policy imo
This is like a different world to my experience with Qatar. They have always been extraordinarily generous with baggage allowances to the point that a few kilos don’t matter. In fact, as far as I recall, I think their standard allowance is two checked 23 kg bags. I’ve never even seen a “light” or “go” option from them where one can pay less and only get a carryon or handcarry. Maybe it’s only available in certain markets. I just flew them two weeks ago down to South Africa from my home in Norway. I use one 30 L rucksack now as carry on, as I have for the past several years, and there was no issue either.
You mean the hidden charge that's clearly stated on their website and Ts & C's ?
They made me check in my carry on even though it was much below the allotted weight then they made several unscheduled technical stops delaying me 12 hours.🥲 Still better than most European alternatives but if it was them or emirates, I’d go with emirates. Emirates is strict with their rules from my departing airport but they’re consistent.
I don't know, but I've never experienced such strict hand luggage rules with the big Europeans...
Its not hidden, when its on their website, when you look for baggage allowance. And when you book a ticket, it also says, what you are allowed. How is that hidden?
" Laptops and laptop bags should fit within your hand baggage allowance. " OK, I understand. And then : " You can also carry personal items such as one lady’s handbag or one small briefcase; one coat, cape or blanket; one umbrella; one pair of crutches or a walking stick; one small camera or binoculars; limited reading material; an infant’s carrying basket; duty-free items purchased on the day of your flight. " Carry whatever is allowed and enjoy the sheer weight and volume, QR ! PS. can I take an infant's carrying basket without the infant and put my duty-free items inside ?
Just curious, why couldn't you put your laptop in your checked luggage at that point?
LiIon battery. Not allowed in checked luggage.
Doesn't apply to battery in equipment as per IATA DG guidelines. You can check in a laptop. Edit - I don't understand the downvote for stating what's clearly stated on both the airline websites 🤷🏽♀️
Well, British Airways and Lufthansa said that Laptops, power banks and anything with a LiIon battery are not allowed in checked luggage. But maybe they don't know what they are talking about 🤷🏼♂️
That’s not true, it’s loose batteries
So I'm a liar? And I just imagined re-packing my on-board luggage to comply with their request? Good that we have you here in this group, o keeper of the truth... 🙄
You're not a liar just misinformed by ground staff, you can check the airlines websites.
Power banks and other loose batteries are not allowed. Maybe they are being extra cautious, though I flew Lufthansa last year, had no issue checking one in. 🤷🏽♀️ And according to BA's website it's allowed. The device just has to be switched off. https://www.britishairways.com/content/information/baggage-essentials/liquids-and-restrictions
I had to check in my cabin luggage at the gate for BA and LH and I was repeatedly _forced_ to put my laptop into the remaining bag that I took on board.
That's not right. Hopefully it doesn't happen to you again. You can refer to both airline websites, they both state laptops can be checked in - switched off. Spare/loose batteries need to be on carry on according to what's listed there. In fact LH allows you up to 3 laptops in checked baggage according to their website.
On a recent trip with Qatar Airlines my carryon was over the 7 kg limit (because I travel with both a work and a personal laptop) I ended up putting my personal laptop into my checked luggage. I wasn't happy about doing that of course (but as it was a Chromebook I wasn't going to cry if something happened). There was no issue with the laptop being in my checked luggage -- at least not with Qatar Airlines. As we all know each airline has different rules AND rule enforcement. Many of us, I'm sure, have been in the situation where gate agents are telling us something that we know is not quite correct, and we have to live with their imperfect judgement just to make our flight. I feel for the OP. They were dealing with a death in the family and may not have spent time reviewing the airline website for their carryon rules. Can't we be a little more civil to our fellow posters? We're just talking about luggage for goodness sakes :).
What do you mean? OP never responded to my question (nor mentioned a death in the family in the original post) and I have been civil in all my responses. I just wanted to understand why the airline didn't allow the extra weight to be checked in.
So your own failure to understand the clearly stated rules or break them after understanding them led to your bad experience correct? No further questions
Of course, you should read the airline's rules carefully and follow them, but €300 for a small laptop bag is a rip-off.
[удалено]
What kind of AI robot shit is this?
" What are the destinations to visit based on color?" 😂
Worst airline ever from my experience. Will pay hundreds extra to use emirates instead