I'm having a nightmare with Qatar Airways.
12/09/12 - I booked flights to Dubai via Doha
Later the same day I decided to cancel this booking and put through a refund request online (you can't cancel flights on the phone!)
13/09/12 I found flights with far better transfer times so I made another booking.
I arrived at Heathrow and gave the checkin desk my passport and paperwork for reference for the second booking.
When I arrived at Doha, I went to the transfer desk and was told that I had been checked in on my original booking. This was a mistake made by the check-in clerk, she had obviously not read my reference number.
I explained to the transfer desk in Doha I did not want this flight as I had requested a refund because the transfer times were too long. I was informed that it was impossible to transfer me on to second booking as my luggage was already routed.
16/09/12 - I was sent an email from Qatar airways inviting me to checkin online under my second booking. I was delighted that I had been sent this communication meaning I wouldn't have to take the booking with the longer transfer time and I therefore thought there was no problem with cancelling my previous booking as I had not been sent an email to checkin for that flight.
Now I'm back they are offering me just £113 refund from my original £600 flight as it was partially used. I've explained that I didn't want this flight and it was the mistake of the check-in clerk but they're not budging!
I appreciate that to the letter of their policy I have 'partially used' 2 flights, but I didn't want to take the first flight and it was an error made by their staff.
How can they call themselves a 5* airline when you can't even properly cancel a booking made online??
