Qatar Airways - not a pretty story

[Rebekkap]

I'm all for no fatties in airline uniform, but QR sounds horrendous. I'll definitely think twice before flying them - I've never flown them before but was considering it post-oneworld entry.

I'm all for airline staff who are well trained, competent and pleasant to deal with. I'm also all for them being paid and treated fairly by their employers. As their job is to keep us safe in the air and provide us with the food, beverages etc we have paid for as part of our airfare, and their job is not actually to be looked at, I'm all for them having their jobs on the basis of skills, not whether they're sufficiently skinny that blokes want to look at them.

 

[mannej]

I'm all for airline staff who are well trained, competent and pleasant to deal with. I'm also all for them being paid and treated fairly by their employers. As their job is to keep us safe in the air and provide us with the food, beverages etc we have paid for as part of our airfare, and their job is not actually to be looked at, I'm all for them having their jobs on the basis of skills, not whether they're sufficiently skinny that blokes want to look at them.

Don't SQ also profile on looks as well? I.e they must fit into the Singapore Girl image...

 

[Rebekkap]

Don't SQ also profile on looks as well? I.e they must fit into the Singapore Girl image...

Quite possibly. Emirates certainly have rules about weight (or did when my sister worked for them).

 

[anat0l]

Quite possibly. Emirates certainly have rules about weight (or did when my sister worked for them).

I wonder which Asian carrier doesn't have such provisions or doesn't use "discriminatory" criteria (so to speak).

Working as a FA in Asia is likely a very captive market. Given that labour is cheaper and they don't need all of those applicants, I suppose they can afford to be rather discriminatory when you run out of tangible criteria to thin out the recruit ranks.

 

[JohnK]

Methinks that people don't care. That's why they're still flying and "highly regarded".

You are right. People wouldn't know what happens behind the scenes.

Those working conditions sound very oppressive but they knew that before they started. The one that gets me is the freezing of bank accounts whenever they feel like. Slave labour?

My feelings towards Middle Eastern carriers has not changed. Avoid at all costs.

 

[Oneworldplus2]

Sad and unfortunate. That's how they can afford to purchase $200 billion worth of planes and and expand. It's just not a level playing field. Of course their lounges are better, their airports are better, staffing and building these places costs them next to nothing!

I was in DOH general terminal in November last year. It is not a really good airport. Not better than SYD

 

[Melburnian1]

anat01, you are incorrect to suggest that 'only the left' care about human rights. For the 'left', it's very selective.

Many conservative Australians care about human rights - starting at conception. However that would be to go off topic.

JohnK's sentiments to avoid Middle Eastern carriers at all costs is a view shared by many of us. True, as mannej points out, that SQ and other Asian airlines may have certain rules....the difference is that on balance, the Asian societies are freer (although it varies from vibrant democracies like Thailand, Philippines, South Korea and Japan to effectively one party states like Singapore, with a hint of Sharia law or marked differences from the West in parts of Indonesia and Malaysia), and by dint of climate Asia is not in a depressing desert as is arguably the Middle East.

 

[drewbles]

I took a QR flight MEL-BRU many years ago with a friend when they offered a launch special for round $800AUD.

Whilst I applaud the actual service (every meal, even the snacks, had a rubberised back plastic place 'mat'), the crew looked and behaved like automatons - they were expressionless and did not smile. I wonder if that's a result of the report in this article.

I certainly won't be going out of my way to fly on QR again any time soon based on this though. Likewise I actually have no desire to step on an EK flight either. I disagree with the way a lot of the middle eastern countries/emirates treat staff and their human rights in general.

 

[jetlagger]

There is a distinct 'pecking order" of labour content in ME countries.
I believe the report is justifiable of what realistically occurs inclusive of airlines.
Many employees would be scared/afraid to speak up for any fear of retribution to themselves &/or payment of wages.
I am aware of some sad situations of labour employment in several ME countries which IMO is nothing different to modern day slave labour.
Transparency of employment conditions for staff would benefit any prospective consumers decision making processes & rightfully so.

 

[yohy?!]

Quite possibly. Emirates certainly have rules about weight (or did when my sister worked for them).

they do - not sure if its documented but I have heard of FAs being told they must not eat hot meals until they fit into their uniforms better...

 

[yohy?!]

a timely article, I had heard about EK before being fairly authoritarian to work for but nothing like QR it seems.

Was just thinking of booking a QR flight to London as they are substantially cheaper now I worry where the savings come from.

Living in HKG gives you an insight into the slave-like conditions that go on with the domestic helpers here (nowhere near as bad as the Nepalese in Qatar but still enough to give one pause).

 

[Rebekkap]

they do - not sure if its documented but I have heard of FAs being told they must not eat hot meals until they fit into their uniforms better...

Yep, that's what I'm told.

 

[jetlagger]

a timely article, I had heard about EK before being fairly authoritarian to work for but nothing like QR it seems.

Was just thinking of booking a QR flight to London as they are substantially cheaper now I worry where the savings come from.

Living in HKG gives you an insight into the slave-like conditions that go on with the domestic helpers here (nowhere near as bad as the Nepalese in Qatar but still enough to give one pause).

Well slightly OT, the working conditions I have heard first hand about from Asia derived workers in many occupations in several ME countries is attuned to be slave like, particularly in the service industry, inclusive of airlines.
Once the 'shiny" facade is scratched of several well known international companies, the barbaric truth behind their ill treatment & exploitation of employees can often be revealed.
Sad, yet realistic.

 

[boomy]

I wonder which Asian carrier doesn't have such provisions or doesn't use "discriminatory" criteria (so to speak).

Working as a FA in Asia is likely a very captive market. Given that labour is cheaper and they don't need all of those applicants, I suppose they can afford to be rather discriminatory when you run out of tangible criteria to thin out the recruit ranks.

I guess some are worse then others. I know someone who used to work for both Asiana and Korean Air and I heard some real horror stories about the way they treat women there (especially at Korean Air). It has nothing to do with cheap labor, they are payed OK. It's has everything to do with the way women are treated in these countries, as pretty objects that must obey their (male) superiors and never complain about anything (or else they get fired).
Now, can we really expect people to stop flying with all Asian & ME carriers? Unfortunately it's not realistic.

 

[Melburnian1]

boomy, of the two clearly there is far less respect for women in the Middle Eastern countries (save for Israel). The Asian country with the most respect for women is Philippines, a largely Catholic nation.

 

[JohnK]

Whilst I applaud the actual service (every meal, even the snacks, had a rubberised back plastic place 'mat'), the crew looked and behaved like automatons - they were expressionless and did not smile. I wonder if that's a result of the report in this article.

Funny you mention behaving like automatons as that was etched into the memory bank from my only Emirates flight in business BKK-HKG many years ago.

At the time I thought it must have just been me but I have seen this mentioned many times since.

 

[boomy]

boomy, of the two clearly there is far less respect for women in the Middle Eastern countries (save for Israel). The Asian country with the most respect for women is Philippines, a largely Catholic nation.

No argument there. ME countries are definitely on the top of the list. My point is that some Asian countries are also on the "black" list, Malaysia probably the worst.

 

[eosphoros]

I took a QR flight MEL-BRU many years ago with a friend when they offered a launch special for round $800AUD.

Whilst I applaud the actual service (every meal, even the snacks, had a rubberised back plastic place 'mat'), the crew looked and behaved like automatons - they were expressionless and did not smile. I wonder if that's a result of the report in this article.

I certainly won't be going out of my way to fly on QR again any time soon based on this though. Likewise I actually have no desire to step on an EK flight either. I disagree with the way a lot of the middle eastern countries/emirates treat staff and their human rights in general.

I recently flew QR in J (the only carrier I would dare step on that flew into SYZ) and I found my experience to be quite similar. The crew serving was completely expressionless. I remember walking past the galley to the toilets and saw them all sitting there having their meals in complete silence, not saying a single word to one another. It was truly quite strange.

The article will certainly alter my flying patterns.

Funny you mention behaving like automatons as that was etched into the memory bank from my only Emirates flight in business BKK-HKG many years ago.

At the time I thought it must have just been me but I have seen this mentioned many times since.

I'm not sure if the conditions are similar at EK but the crew at EK seem to enjoy their jobs. They certainly smile and laugh.

 

[anat0l]

I guess an odd point arises - is the literal price we pay the necessity we need to bear to ensure that the people who serve us are employed under fair, equitable and just terms and rights?

 

[MH_fan]

Well, after reading that article, any chance of flying QR has just disappeared. ME carriers are usually my last choice (unless an American-based airline is involved).