I have been patient with this company for long enough. I am tired of hearing the same stories from new people every time I try to get into contact with them. It is just a continuous loop and I can take it no longer.
On the 28th of February 2020, I requested a refund from Qatar Airways for our flight to China in March 2020. I first phoned them to ask what the correct procedure is for the refund process. They told me to go online and submit a refund request on their website. I do not remember the name of the lady that I spoke with, but she was very friendly and very helpful. I asked her if it was possible to change the banking details into which we will receive the refund to which she replied that it should be possible but I should just make a note to ask this question when submitting the refund request online.
Thereafter, I did exactly as she said, I even wrote a note asking if it were possible to change the banking details. I did not expect an immediate response because I knew that the airlines would probably be very busy figuring everything out due to COVID-19. On the same day, I received an automated email saying that they have registered my request and that it will take a few days to process the request. I had nothing but time, so it did not bother me. By the 12th of March, I sent a follow up email because I had not heard back from them. No response again, no problem.
By the 25th of March 2020, I sent another email to follow up as I had still not yet heard back from the Qatar “support” team.
Eventually on the 6th of April 2020, they contacted me via email saying that they apologize for the delay in response and to inform us that our case is under review, they will revert to me as soon as the refund is processed. After this email I thought “great, at least they are working on our case”.
On the 18th of April 2020, I received an email “apologize for the delay …” basically informing me about the amount of the refund and whether or not I accept it so that they can proceed with the refund to the original form of payment. Plus, the ticket numbers in the email did not coincide with ours. But really…
Did they not read any of my emails???? Can I change the banking details or not!?
So, I reply to this email starting with the ticket numbers. Then I mention that we need to change the banking details (as per my previous emails and phone calls). I even attached my banking details for them. I then moved to the last point; that the amount they had given me was incorrect, so I gave them the amount that it should be (fair enough I made a mistake because I didn’t take the updated ticket into account because we had changed the date of our first flight so the fare changed. But even with that in consideration, their amount was incorrect).
On the 20th of April, they sent another email only addressing the ticket number difference and basically ignoring everything else that I mentioned in the previous email to them. I replied on the 21st of April and explained that I spoke with a consultant who helped me figure out what the correct amount should be after our ticket change. I again asked about the banking details situation. So now I’m starting to get more and more frustrated.
On the 24th of April 2020, they replied to my email where they confirmed that the amount should be as I stated and explained in the previous email. But they mentioned that I need to accept the amount to be refunded to the original form of payment (with no reply to my banking details question). But hey, at least we are getting somewhere right?

On the 4th of May, I replied to their email to accept the amount but to ask once again for the change in banking details. I even attached the new banking details, again.
On the 17th of May 2020, I submitted an email online asking for someone that I could speak with telephonically to answer my questions and sort out my refund request because I had been waiting patiently for long enough. They replied on the 30th of June 2020, only to have attached a link to their website where we can find a list of their offices (where the JHB and CPT offices have the same number) as if I did not know I can find this information on the website and knowing that the offices are obviously closed during this time due to COVID-19. To put icing on the cake they ended the email with “looking forward to welcoming you on-board one of our flights soon” as if they completely forgot that they are busy with my refund request.
On the 18th of May I received an email from Qatar Airways Support apologizing for their delay in response, stating that if I have requested the refund at least 72 hours before scheduled departure that the refund will be accepted. It will take up to 8 weeks to get the money into the account. They also mentioned that they are processing an unprecedented number of requests, but despite the challenges are processing refunds as quickly as they can. To this email I replied that I understand and that I have been waiting patiently, but that my question regarding the change of banking details still needs to be addressed. On the 31st of May I received the exact same email as the one on the 18th of May 2020 (probably after I phoned the offices- but let me get to that later.)
I sent a complaint email on the 26th of June to the email address advised. They replied on the 28th of June to answer the banking details situation. So, I asked why they could not have told me this earlier and how we can resolve the fact that I have been in contact with the support team to no avail. They reply to this on the 29th of June only to tell me that they have escalated the matter to their support team. And then… nothing more.
On the 10th of July I sent another email to accept the refund amount (apparently after a phone call I did not do this). In the phone call they also mentioned (after I asked) that it is impossible to change the banking details. I was very upset that they could not simply communicate this to me. I then gave up on the changing the banking details thing and said that they must send the refund to the original form of payment. I then received another automated email saying that they have registered my request.
On the 15th of July 2020, they replied to my email saying that my refund has been processed, and that it will take up to 28 days for the money to show in the account.
Hooray! We are finally getting somewhere!!!

NOT!!!

On the 13th of August, I emailed them saying that the money does not show in my account. I sent this same email again on the 15th of August 2020.
On the 29th of August 2020, I received the same email as the one on the 18th of May 2020 about the “unprecedented volume of requests”. It was at this point where I gave up on communicating via email with Qatar Airways “support”.
But all of the above was just the email trail (which I had to go into each one by one to be able to write the above- so sorry about the mess and length), not to mention my various phone calls to Qatar (both locally and internationally).
I have contacted numerous consultants at Qatar Airways, and each time I ask for the previous consultant, but they are “not available”. Meaning that I must explain this whole situation to a new person every time. And each time I fall into the exact same loop where I must wait for them to either email me or contact me back directly (which did not happen). I spoke with so many different people and they all assured me that they will sort this out and that they understand my frustration. The names that I wrote down or remembered were Omar, Vikram, Vakif and Agila.
They either told me that they will personally phone me back within a certain number of days or they will just get them to speed up the process. They said that my refund was processed on the 15th of July. I even spoke to a lady who said that they will request a reference number that I can give to the bank to check where the money is.
After some time, I decided to go to the Qatar Airways offices in JHB. The consultant there, Bongani was as helpful as he could be. He tried to help us contact the people and they mentioned that they will speed up the process – that was after the first visit to the office. A couple of weeks later we went back to the offices. We spoke to Bongani again and he contacted the people again. The lady he spoke with mentioned that we must submit a request to receive a reference number to contact the bank because the refund was processed on the 15th of July 2020. Bongani then asked the lady to speak with me directly to explain this. He then gave me the headset and I spoke with the lady directly (I could not get her name). She was very rude to me over the phone while she explained the same thing again.
I then decided that we are not getting anywhere and that it would just be best to submit the request for the reference number. They said that we must come back to the offices after one week.
Upon my return to the office on the 26th of October 2020, Bongani once again contacted the people only to find out that the reference number for our form of payment (Alipay) does not exist. We basically just wasted this week. So, at this point I do not understand how they could not tell us this before. SO, my frustration levels with this company are ridiculously high. Bongani then mentioned that he will take it to higher levels if they cannot sort this out within the next week.
My next visit to the offices was on the 3rd of November 2020. This is where we came to speak with the manager/ supervisor on site. This is when we spoke with Fatima. We explain our situation again and she takes our booking number and disappears to the back to contact whomever. She returns only to explain everything that we have already heard a million times and she tells us that we must submit a request for a reference number!!! Seriously!? So, we explain that it is not possible so what do we do next. She then disappears again to contact whomever. When she returns, she mentioned that she did speak with her manager and they said that they are in contact with the Alipay team to see what is happening. She said that she will contact me by the end of day 4th of November 2020. So, I accept (saying that if I do not hear back that I will see her on Thursday the 5th of November 2020) and wait patiently. It started well because that same day she phoned to let me know that they have not received feedback yet and that she will phone back tomorrow (4th Nov). This did not happen.
On the 5th of November, we take another trip to the offices only to arrive to closed doors.
I am very sorry, but this is not the last straw. They did not even have the decency to tell us that the offices are closed!!! Just a note saying something down the line of “closed due to contamination”.
So, now I am very angry and even more frustrated, so I once again phone the contact number- and guess what? It does not work.
So, I phone the international number. I spoke with a lady called Agila who would not give me her last name. Wow. It is disgusting. She was extremely rude, and even placed my call on hold while I was busy speaking. Granted I was ranting but still, it is extremely unprofessional. She told me that I must submit a request to receive a reference number and phone back after 5 days to get the number because now my refund was processed on the 29th of September 2020. So, she has different information apparently. She would not even listen to the fact that I told her I have already submitted a request several times. I even told her directly that she was being rude, but she did not even apologize. So, I have now written this 4-page essay to see whether something comes from it. Because I have literally tried everything, and I do not know what to do with this company going forward. Five-star Airline??? I THINK NOT!!!