Qatar Airways compensation: when you can claim up to €600
Qatar Airways is one of the long-haul airlines we handle most often: we have opened more than 1,800 Qatar Airways claims, covering over 2,500 passengers, and many of them started at London Heathrow, Manchester, Edinburgh or Dublin. Almost every Qatar Airways flight from Europe is longer than 3,500 km, so when one arrives 3 hours late, is cancelled at short notice or leaves you behind at the gate, the amount at stake is usually €600 per passenger.
There is one important limit. Qatar Airways is based in Doha and holds a Qatari licence, so it is a non-EU airline. Regulation (EC) 261/2004 only applies to its flights departing from an airport in the EU, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland. Flights from the UK are covered by the British version of the same rules. A Dublin–Doha flight is covered; the Doha–Dublin return is not.
Delayed flight
Your journey from Europe reaches its final destination, including after the stop in Doha, 3 hours or more behind schedule.
3+ hours at final arrivalCancelled flight
Qatar Airways cancelled a departure from Europe with less than 14 days' notice and offered no close alternative.
Under 14 days' noticeDenied boarding
You checked in on time with a confirmed seat, but the flight was full and you were not allowed on.
Payable straight awayWhen it does not apply
On flights departing outside Europe, and when Qatar Airways can prove a genuinely extraordinary event such as a storm or a closed airspace.
Non-EU departure or extraordinary eventNot sure whether your itinerary counts, especially with a connection? Enter your departure airport, destination and date and you will know in 2 minutes. Check your Qatar Airways flight.
How much Qatar Airways pays: amounts on real routes
What you paid for the ticket makes no difference, even in Business Class. The amount per passenger depends only on the distance between your departure airport and your final destination.
| Qatar Airways route | Covered? | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Dublin–Doha | Yes, departs from the EU (over 3,500 km) | €600 |
| Madrid–Doha | Yes, departs from the EU (over 3,500 km) | €600 |
| Dublin–Doha–Bangkok on one booking | Yes, departure from Dublin and the final destination count | €600 |
| London, Manchester or Edinburgh–Doha | Yes, under the UK rules | Set in pounds |
| Doha–Bangkok or Doha–Dublin on a separate ticket | No, departs from outside Europe | Not payable |
The amount is due to each passenger: a family of four on a Dublin–Doha–Bangkok booking that lands 5 hours late can claim €2,400 in total. Children with their own seat are entitled to the same as adults.
Qatar Airways flight delayed: what to do to claim
Around 7 in 10 of the Qatar Airways claims we handle are about delays. A typical case: the flight out of Heathrow or Dublin leaves late, the connection in Doha is missed and passengers reach Bangkok, Bali or Sydney the next day. While you wait:
- Keep every boarding pass, including the one for your onward flight from Doha, so the whole journey can be proven.
- Screenshot the Qatar Airways app showing the new times and any push notifications.
- Ask the transfer desk at Hamad International for the reason for the delay and note the flight you were rebooked onto.
- Write down your actual arrival time at the final destination: that is what decides whether you passed 3 hours.
- Do not swap your claim for Privilege Club Avios or a voucher before knowing what you are owed in cash.
Meals and hotel while you wait
On covered flights Qatar Airways must also provide food and drink and, if you are stuck overnight, a hotel and transport to it. This applies in Doha too, when the journey began in Europe on a single booking.
| Flight distance | Care after |
|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | 2 hours |
| 1,500 to 3,500 km | 3 hours |
| Over 3,500 km, like nearly all flights to Doha | 4 hours |
| Delay of 5 hours or more | You can choose not to travel and get your fare back |
Missed connection in Doha
This is the classic Qatar Airways claim. If Dublin–Doha and Doha–Bangkok were on the same booking, they count as one journey from the EU: what matters is the arrival delay in Bangkok and the total distance, even if the delay happened on the second leg. With two separately bought tickets, the Doha–Bangkok flight is not covered. More detail on our page about Qatar Airways delay compensation.
Qatar Airways flight cancelled: refund and compensation
About 1 in 5 Qatar Airways claims we receive involves a cancellation.
Always available when a flight is cancelled: you choose between your money back and another flight to your final destination.
Added on top when the flight left from Europe and you were told about the cancellation less than 14 days before departure.
| Notice given by Qatar Airways | Compensation |
|---|---|
| 14 days or more | Not due, but refund or rebooking still apply |
| 7 to 13 days | Due, unless the new flight leaves no more than 2 hours earlier and arrives less than 4 hours late |
| Less than 7 days | Due, unless the new flight leaves no more than 1 hour earlier and arrives less than 2 hours late |
Schedule change. A departure moved by several hours shortly before you fly can be treated as a cancellation, particularly if it breaks your connection in Doha. See our page on Qatar Airways cancellation compensation or check your case now.
Qatar Airways overbooking: denied boarding from Europe
It accounts for around 5 in 100 of our Qatar Airways claims, but busy departures to Doha do get oversold. The airline should first ask for volunteers; if you did not give up your seat willingly and met the check-in deadline, you are owed compensation at once plus a new flight or a refund. Being refused for a missing visa or an expired passport is different and does not qualify. Read our guide to Qatar Airways overbooking and denied boarding.
Strikes and Qatar Airways flights
If Qatar Airways' own staff walk out, compensation is normally still due: the EU Court of Justice treats a strike by an airline's employees as part of its ordinary business (case C-28/20). Strikes by air traffic controllers or airport workers in Europe are another matter: they are extraordinary circumstances, so no compensation, although meals, hotel and a refund or rebooking still apply.
Qatar Airways rejected your claim? The usual reasons
Qatar Airways replies often point to outside causes or to the route itself.
A fault found during checks or maintenance is part of running an airline, long-haul aircraft included. Check your flight.
EU Court of Justice, case C-549/07A strike by Qatar Airways staff does not excuse the airline; one by air traffic control or airport staff does.
EU Court of Justice, case C-28/20If that leg was part of one booking that started in Europe, the arrival at your final destination counts. If it was a separate ticket, the refusal is correct.
These are extraordinary circumstances, but they must have caused your specific delay. We check dates, times and routing before accepting the answer.
Qatar Airways flights into Europe: what is not covered
Because Qatar Airways is not an EU airline, Regulation 261 compensation does not apply to its flights that depart outside Europe. That includes:
- the return leg Doha–Dublin or Doha–Madrid
- a Bangkok–Doha–Dublin journey, even on a single booking
- flights between Doha and other non-European cities that are not part of a trip starting in the EU
In those cases the rules of the departure country or the Montreal Convention, for proven losses, may help instead. If the leg into Europe was operated by a European airline under a codeshare, Regulation 261 does apply: the operating airline is what counts.
Flights from the UK. Departures from Heathrow, Manchester or Edinburgh fall under the UK's own version of the rules, with amounts set in pounds.
The Doha hub, oneworld and Privilege Club
Nearly the whole Qatar Airways network runs through Hamad International Airport in Doha, which is why so many UK and Irish passengers fly with a connection towards Asia, Australia or Africa. The airline is a member of the oneworld alliance and also sells flights operated by partners: the QR code on your ticket is not enough, so check your confirmation for who operates each leg. Avios from the Privilege Club are no substitute for cash compensation unless you agree to them in writing.
How to claim from Qatar Airways: on your own or with us
You can contact Qatar Airways through the online feedback form in the help section of its website, quoting your booking reference, flight number and passenger details.
Free, but you handle the correspondence and any argument about the leg from Doha. If the answer is no, you can turn to the national enforcement body of the country where the flight departed (the CAA in the UK) or to the civil courts.
Fill in the form and sign online. We reconstruct the whole itinerary, deal with the airline and, if needed, go to court with our own lawyers. You only pay if you win: 25% + VAT. Legal costs are ours, even if the case is lost.
If Qatar Airways has already turned you down
A first refusal does not close the file. We read the reasoning, check whether your flight was covered and, if the refusal is unfounded, send a formal demand.
Documents to have ready
- Booking and boarding passesFor every leg, including the connection from Doha.
- Passport or IDFor each passenger, children included.
- Messages from Qatar AirwaysEmails, app notifications and receipts for any expenses.
Time limit for a Qatar Airways claim
The Regulation sets no deadline of its own: national law decides, as the EU Court of Justice confirmed (case C-139/11), so the limit depends on where the claim is brought. Flights from some time ago can often still be claimed: enter the date and we will tell you.
How long Qatar Airways takes to pay
If Qatar Airways accepts the claim, payment usually arrives within a few weeks. If it disputes it and a formal demand or court action is needed, expect several months. We keep you updated by email and transfer your share as soon as the money reaches us: from €600 you keep €417.
Lost or damaged luggage with Qatar Airways
With a change of plane in Doha, bags sometimes miss the connection. Luggage falls under the Montreal Convention rather than Regulation 261: file a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) at the arrival airport before leaving, then send a written claim within 7 days for damage or within 21 days of delivery for a delayed bag.
Qatar Airways contact details and flight status
- Head office
- Qatar Airways, Qatar Airways Tower, Doha, Qatar
- Hub
- Hamad International Airport, Doha
- Complaints
- Online feedback form in the "Help" section of qatarairways.com
- Flight status
- Qatar Airways app or the official website
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