Zurich couple in Dubai Qatar Airways demands 2000 francs for baggage reclaim
A couple from Zurich book another flight to Dubai at short notice for medical reasons. The luggage is already checked in. But at their destination, Qatar Airways demands 2,000 francs to hand over their suitcases.
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- A couple from Zurich had to stay longer in Doha after their pregnant wife had health problems, but Qatar Airways refused to change their booking and demanded new tickets for their onward journey to Dubai.
- In Dubai, the airline is demanding around 2,000 francs for the return of the luggage, which is, however, in Doha.
- The couple is back in Zurich and the luggage has been in Doha for over a month. Qatar Airways does not back down from its demand and the couple refuses to pay.
One more vacation for two before the baby arrives - that was the plan of a couple from Zurich. And they leave little out: First Nice, then Dubai is the destination for the man and his pregnant wife.
On the way to the second destination, the couple have a 20-hour stopover in Doha. There, the pregnant woman fell ill and, according to her husband, vomited several times and was so weak that she could barely stand up, they told 20 Minuten.
The couple called the gynecologist in Switzerland who was accompanying them during the pregnancy. She advises them not to fly on to Dubai yet, but to take a rest first.
Rebooking refused
The man contacts Qatar Airways and asks for a rebooking. The airline refused and said they would have to buy new flights.
The airline representative promised that they would receive the baggage they had already checked in in Dubai. A few days later, the parents-to-be fly from Doha to Dubai.
Once there, however, they did not receive their suitcases. Qatar Airways demanded around 2,000 francs before handing over the luggage. Thanks to an airtag in one of the suitcases, they also know that it is not yet in Dubai, but still in Doha.
The airline's representatives did not explain to them why they were being charged the fee. They accuse them of not having taken the original flight - which can be interpreted as an explanation for the fee.
This fee is almost three times as much as they would have paid for the original flight tickets, the man complains.
Vacations in Dubai without luggage
Unwilling to pay, the couple from Zurich stocked up on clothes and other items so that they could enjoy their beach vacation in Dubai.
It was particularly unpleasant that one of the suitcases contained the pregnant woman's medication, such as thrombosis injections.
They are now back in Zurich, but their luggage is still in the Qatari capital Doha.
The airline is sticking to its demand of 2,000 francs for the return of the luggage, while the couple are refusing to comply. The man emphasizes that he is a frequent flyer with the appropriate status. He had never experienced a situation like this before.
Holding passengers until they pay
Qatar Airways told them in Switzerland that they should be happy that they were able to leave the country at all. It is common practice for this airline to hold passengers until they pay.
The couple also informed the Swiss embassy in Doha about their problem. The representation had taken note of it, but could not do anything about it.
The 34-year-old frequent flyer from Zurich describes it as coercion that Qatar Airways has been withholding his and his wife's luggage for over a month in order to enforce their claim.
They would continue to try to get their property back without paying 2,000 francs for it. And they wanted to warn others against such machinations. They are certain that they will never travel with this airline again.
The editor wrote this article with the help of AI.