Qatar Airways: cancellation and incomplete rescheduling

Indeed, the situation is becoming urgent given the dates. Maybe you’ll actually get a faster response at the counter.

I can understand that with the current situation, it’s not easy for the airlines involved, but here we’re facing a "no response," which is really frustrating...

Yeah, I think we’ll head to Madrid as early as Friday, and the only way to resolve this will be by going to the QA counter.

Thanks again for renaming the post’s subject—it’s definitely clearer now.

Hi there,

Reading here about Qatar Airways and the decisions by authorities:

https://www.air-journal.fr/2026-03-13-qatar-airways-gulf-air-oman-air-comment-ces-transporteurs-du-golfe-gerent-la-tempete-au-moyen-orient-5273718.html

My advice: accept the refund. Check via Ethiopian Airlines or Scandinavian Airlines. Good luck with your trip!

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Under no circumstances will we request a refund, because we’d end up paying MUCH more for our new tickets. If I’m not mistaken, we’re not obliged to accept the refund.

However, they *are* obliged to get us to Seoul, according to the T&Cs (I’ve got them right here—cancellation within 15 days of departure).

We found a flight on March 21st at 10:45 PM from Madrid, with a 2-hour layover in Doha, then departure from Doha at 9:40 AM. These flights are bookable right now, but we can’t make the change on the QA dashboard.

It really feels like they’re trying to refund customers just to make them pay more afterward....

Hello and welcome,

huge Asia enthusiast, currently in the process of moving to Japan with my family in 2028.

You’ll see there are quite a few Asia lovers here. Awesome plan for 2028! 👍

with 2 different bookings.

Could you clarify, please? One booking for the outbound and one for the return? Or two bookings for two people?

Also very important info: Did you buy the tickets directly from Qatar or through an intermediary agency?

Our initial itinerary was: Madrid → Doha → Seoul (March 23-24)

The issue is that our entire outbound flight was canceled, and the airline simply rescheduled the Madrid → Doha leg. We’re now left with an incomplete journey, with no solution to reach our final destination (Seoul).

Currently, Qatar isn’t guaranteeing connections in Doha given the very complicated and risky situation.

Since then:

Impossible to modify flights online (technical error with every attempt)

Impossible to get help via chat or WhatsApp

Phone support is unreachable, and the usual French number isn’t working at all right now

I messaged them on Messenger, and it was quick. I first got this automatic reply: "Greetings, and thank you for your message. To assist you further, we kindly ask you to provide the following booking details: -Your booking reference or e-ticket number -The full name of the passenger on the booking -The registered mobile number and email address on the booking. -The date the ticket was purchased Once we receive these details, we will be able to support you accordingly. Thank you."

You should get a response within 24h 🤓

We don’t want a refund.

We just want to be rerouted to Seoul, as our original ticket promised.

Have you ever faced this situation?

Do you know how to unlock a booking in this case or get a rerouting?

Reroutings are nearly impossible—very rare and, from what I’ve read, only happen at the very last minute. Their priority is evacuating people stranded in Doha and trying to repatriate those scattered around the world. And that’s a *lot* of people 😔

I had a Qatar ticket Barcelona/Sydney for March 21 and asked for a refund. The risk was too high to hope for a hypothetical rerouting—maybe with a 40-hour trip instead of 24 and incompatible dates. I booked a new ticket, tweaked the dates a bit, added a domestic flight, and now I’m leaving from Marseille via Shanghai at a great price—actually cheaper than the Qatar ticket, even including the domestic flight (booked last week).

Also, late March is a busy period in South Korea, and flights are often fully booked.

I totally get that you’d prefer a rerouting. But you can’t force the impossible. If this trip is essential, you’re risking ending up with nothing. Plus, they’ve grounded many planes, especially in the USA and Australia. Crews are also still scattered worldwide. It’ll take time to restart the Doha hub.

We’re considering going directly to the airport to resolve the situation at the QA counter...

The only staff there are for flight check-ins. And if there’s no flight... I think it’s a lost cause.

Hi, thanks for your message and for taking the time to reply so thoroughly!

In response to your questions:

- We have two bookings for two adults (so two references) - We bought the tickets directly from the QA website

You mentioned that QA no longer handles connections in Doha, and I can understand my surprise right after (I’m not questioning what you’re saying at all).

Here’s the situation (since the return flight isn’t affected yet, I’ll only talk about the outbound):

- Original ticket: Madrid > Doha > Seoul / Departure from Madrid on March 23 at 3:20 PM / Layover in Doha / Departure for Seoul on March 24 at 2:30 AM - The entire outbound ticket was canceled - A new Madrid > Doha flight was rescheduled and appears in my dashboard (March 23 at 10:45 PM). We received an email to change our flights, but it’s impossible to do so in the account space - No Doha > Seoul flight is currently scheduled in the dashboard

Given this situation, I checked the canceled and maintained flights, and we’d like:

- March 21 at 10:45 PM / Madrid > Doha (see photo) - March 22 at 9:40 AM / Doha > Seoul (see photo)

These two flights are currently bookable, and we just want to switch to them.

I also received the same message as you after sending a DM on X and Messenger. The X agent asked for my number to call me, so I’m waiting for that now.

A refund isn’t an option because I checked, and buying new tickets would cost us double the price of our original ones. We’re hoping for a call now and keeping our fingers crossed!

Hi Jérôme,

First off, great news that you booked your tickets directly with QA. Otherwise, it would’ve been up to the agency to handle everything. If it’s a "traditional" brick-and-mortar agency, that’s fine, but when it’s an online agency—good luck with that! 🤑

Okay, so for two files (two people), you’ll need to duplicate the request with all the required details.

QA is managing this crisis by clearly communicating the dates for refunds and repatriation flights. But there’s nothing about rerouting options 😤. At the same time, they’re still selling flights and connections with near-term departures without any idea if they’ll actually operate them. The day before my cancellation request, I even got a bid offer for an upgrade 🤑. They’ll do anything to make money—and on that note, 😤. I won’t go too hard on them, but it does make you think, and in the coming months, a lot of people will remember this.

Kuwait Airways abandons its passengers in Asia: total radio silence, zero communication, zero solution | Air Journal

Again, I get why you’d prefer a flight change with QA over a refund. But right now, it’s a gamble until the last minute. And even if you manage to get the outbound flight, you’ll be in the same situation for the return. With potential professional and family consequences to deal with. Do you think it’s wise to go through Doha given the current situation, if QA resumes connections and actually operates your two flights? Because all of this is purely theoretical. The slightest drone or attack, and the airspace shuts down immediately. And there you are, stuck in a very complicated situation, hoping not to get stranded in Doha. Personally—but this is just my opinion—it seems safer and more secure to avoid that area right now. Since QA is part of the One World alliance, you can look for a Madrid/Seoul round-trip around your dates with another One World member airline, which makes rerouting easier.

oneworld members: Airlines of the oneworld alliance | oneworld

That way, you can submit what you find to QA and see how they respond 🤷‍♂️

Thanks for your reply! I think things are finally moving on their end, because I managed to get through to the French hotline.

Just got off the phone—they’ve offered us a departure the next day: Madrid > Istanbul > Doha.

We’ll lose one night in Seoul because of this change (and the hotel’s already paid for), but it looks like we’ll make it to our destination after all ;)

Thanks again for all the advice you’ve given me!

Okay, so rerouting on Turkish Airlines is gonna cost them an arm and a leg 😅 What about your return? Still planned on QA?

For the hotel, check if you can cancel it for free, get a refund, and rebook it for the right dates at a rate that works for you. Worst case, switch hotels. Otherwise, make sure to send them a message so they don’t cancel your whole stay and you lose a night.

Yeah, for now the return flight is still scheduled with QA, and I think we'll decide what to do when the time comes—whether to change it or confirm it, depending on the situation.

For the hotel, I can try to handle it directly with them, and if not, oh well, we'll have lost one night, but at least we'll be there in person.

Hi Jérôme

Another proof, if one were needed, that you should ALWAYS book your tickets directly rather than through an agency, and I’m glad you found a solution for you. Have a great trip! I’ve been following this because I have two tickets to Amman (Jordan) via Istanbul on 04/25, and I’m still waiting for news from them…

Hi, Given the offer you’ve received, you should ask for a full, free refund—you’re eligible, and your entire round-trip ticket will be canceled. After that, it’s up to you to look for another flight with an airline that doesn’t stop over in the Gulf to make sure you can leave and return if needed.

And pay three times what I originally paid? Uh, no thanks really ^^ With 15 days left before departure, the T&Cs are clear: I’m fully entitled to refuse the refund offered, and they’re obligated to get me to my destination.

It’s not me saying it—it’s the nice lady on the phone ^^

Yeah, for now the return is still planned with QA, and I think we'll decide when the time comes whether to change or confirm it, depending on the situation.

It'll all depend on when your return is scheduled. Between the security situation in that whole area and QA needing to restart their flight plans, it might take some time. Worst case, you'll have to do the same in Seoul hoping for a rerouting that works for you.

Yeah, sure, but you’ll be waiting forever—well, actually, Qatar will eventually process an automatic refund. You’ll get a refund email. There are thousands and thousands of people in the same boat. I’m following other forums live, and some have been waiting for two weeks before receiving that automatic refund email. When you check your booking on the site, it no longer exists. I read about this every day from travelers all over the world right now. The same goes for Etihad and Emirates. The worst is Kuwait Airways, which just abandoned its customers mid-journey. All that’s left to do is wait.

Hi Jérôme

Yet another proof, if one were needed, that you should ALWAYS book your tickets directly rather than through an agency, and I’m happy for you that a solution was found. Have a great trip! I was following this because I have two tickets to Amman (Jordan) via Istanbul on 25/04, and I’m still waiting for their news...

Hello, thanks for your message! I only book through airline websites out of habit because the prices aren’t always more expensive than on well-known travel sites ^^ In this case, it worked to my advantage since I had no idea it was such a hassle going through those operators

Hey Bruno,

Another proof, if one were needed, that you should ALWAYS book your tickets directly rather than through an agency, and glad for you that a solution was found.

Absolutely right about online agencies—they should be avoided. We all remember the issues during COVID 😢. With physical agencies, sure, there are booking fees like with online ones, but at least you have someone in front of you who’s there to help and sort out problems. Huge difference 😊.

I’ve been following this because I have two tickets to Amman (Jordan) via Istanbul on 25/04, and I’m waiting for news from them...

Your trip to Jordan and your flights, as things stand now, shouldn’t be affected. Sure, Jordan is geographically close to a war zone, but the country has always been safe and isn’t involved in nearby conflicts. You might just want to adjust your plans and itinerary to avoid seeing any unwanted objects flying overhead 👀.

You’re not taking any risk by asking Turkish Airlines if they offer a refund or a change of destination, with or without an additional fee.

Yeah, sure, but you’ll be waiting forever—well, actually, Qatar will eventually process an automatic refund. You’ll get a refund email, but there are thousands and thousands of people in the same boat. I’m following other forums live, and some have been waiting two weeks before receiving that automatic refund email. After that, if you check your booking on the site, it’ll be gone. I read about this every day from travelers worldwide right now—same thing with Etihad and Emirates. The worst is Kuwait Airways, who just left their customers stranded. All that’s left to do is wait.

Looks like a solution was found thanks to Qatar Airways being part of the Oneworld alliance, so they’re rerouting through other hubs—in my case, Istanbul!

Important info: Some partner airlines only have 48-hour visibility. For example, I was offered a flight on the 20th with Air China. If I want to leave on the 21st, I have to wait until the 19th to request it.

So everything’s good for you, you’re leaving on the 23rd with Turkish! !

Apparently the solution was found thanks to the fact that QA belongs to the One World fleet, so they’re rerouting through other hubs—in my case, Istanbul!

Important info: for some partner airlines, they only have 48-hour visibility. For example, I was offered a flight on the 20th with Air China. And if I want to leave on the 21st, I have to wait until the 19th to ask.

Turkish Airlines and Air China are part of Star Alliance and have nothing to do with One World. Hence the cost of Madrid/Istanbul/Seoul 😵 But that’s not your problem—you’re just doing the outbound. For the return 🤪🤪🤪

Yeah, tickets are super expensive because you’re looking last-minute to leave in a few days. Plus, it’s a busy time in South Korea with the start of spring and cherry blossom season. Not to mention all the people who had tickets with Gulf airlines and requested refunds to book a Plan B like me. If I hadn’t found a good deal for Australia, I’d have happily gone back to Korea, where I’d seen good fares—still connecting through China.

Exactly for the online agencies that should be avoided.

That’s a good point—I was actually thinking about online agencies.

Your trip to Jordan and your flights, given the current situation, shouldn’t be affected.

Except that as of today, all flights to Amman up to 04/12 are canceled on the airline’s website (Pegasus, in this case). And personally, Petra can wait another year or two before I visit—I’m not in a rush to go anymore. 🏴‍☠️

Except that as of today, all flights to Amman until 04/12 are canceled on the airline's website (Pegasus in this case). And for my part, Petra can wait another year or two before getting my visit—I’m not in a hurry to go anymore...

Surprising that Pegasus is canceling flights. Did you contact Turkish?

Haven't spoken to anyone yet—urgent to wait... we'll see about this in early April...

As for Pegasus, here's their info:

Hey Bruno,

Haven’t contacted anyone yet—urgent to wait... we’ll see about that in early April...

All that’s left is to keep an eye on the updates and guidelines.

As for Pegasus, here’s their info:

We’ll see if Turkish does the same.....

Qatar is still storing its planes elsewhere 😮

Hello,

In all cases involving flights covered by EU Regulation 261/2004, the mistake you absolutely must avoid is requesting a refund for a canceled ticket from the airline.

Flights covered by EU Regulation 261/2004 include: 1° all flights departing from the European Union, regardless of whether the airline is European or not; 2° flights from a non-EU country to the European Union if the airline (or one of the airlines operating a flight segment) is European.

Indeed, in the event of a flight cancellation by the airline, regardless of the circumstances, the airline is required to offer the passenger a choice between three options: - a refund - re-routing "as soon as possible," including via flights operated by other airlines, even if they don’t belong to the same alliance, at no extra cost. - re-routing at a later date convenient for the passenger, at no extra cost.

The passenger’s choice is final. If they request a refund, they immediately lose the right to re-routing.

It’s important to note that for connecting flights, layovers don’t matter—only the departure and final destination airports count.

As long as the passenger hasn’t requested a refund, if they find a re-routing option themselves where there’s at least one available seat (or more if traveling with others) allowing them to reach their final destination at least one day earlier than the re-routing proposed (especially if none was offered!), they can book it and DEMAND reimbursement for the price difference + compensation, even if the ticket was canceled due to "extraordinary circumstances," even if proven, and even if the reason for cancellation is war.

This is far more advantageous than simply requesting a refund for the canceled ticket!

More details here: https://retardimportantavion.wordpress.com/2023/09/29/indemnisation-meme-si-circonstance-extraordinaire-droit-reacheminement-dans-les-meilleurs-delais/

Best regards

Hi,

Turkish Airlines posted this on their site.

Dear Passengers,

Due to the current situation affecting Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia (Dammam and Riyadh), Syria, and United Arab Emirates flights, all Turkish Airlines passengers booked for flights to these destinations between 28 FEB 2026 and 30 APR 2026 (inclusive) with tickets issued on or before 28 FEB 2026 must take action by 10 JUN 2026 (inclusive):

Michel

Hello,

And thank you for the well-reasoned explanation, which I think will be helpful to many travelers. Best regards.

Puma2A

Hi Michel,

This will be useful for Turkish Airlines passengers like @Montagnard74.

Hello Michel,

This will be useful for Turkish Airlines passengers like @Montagnard74

Hi,

Just a heads-up that Turkey has adopted a law that’s almost a carbon copy of EU Regulation 261/2004. This law overlaps with Regulation 261/2004, but—obviously—the rulings of the Court of Justice of the European Union regarding Regulation 261/2004 don’t apply here.

If a flight falls under Regulation 261/2004, it’s best to refer to that. But if it’s a flight with a Turkish airline that doesn’t depart from the EU, Regulation 261/2004 doesn’t apply, though the Turkish law does.

The official text of this Turkish law in English can be found here: https://web.shgm.gov.tr/doc4/shy-passenger.pdf

Best regards

The situation isn’t improving at Qatar Airways 😞