A young man named Andy Donovan, 23, faced a hefty charge of over a thousand pounds for adding an extra suitcase to his Qatar Airways flight. Andy had been preparing for a six-month cricket trip to Kingsbury, Melbourne, during the Australian summer.
Originally scheduled to fly with Cathay Pacific, Andy switched to a Qatar Airways flight to Melbourne via Doha, Qatar, on the day of his trip due to the approaching ‘super typhoon Ragasa’ heading towards Hong Kong.
The flight on September 22 cost Andy £312.28, but his baggage allowance changed, limiting him to only one checked bag instead of the two he had planned for, one for personal items and the other for his cricket gear. Despite attempting to purchase an extra bag online, Andy faced technical issues with the Qatar Airways website crashing.
Upon arriving at the airport, Andy was shocked to discover that he was charged a staggering £1,103.72 for his additional 25kg bag. Feeling compelled to pay the exorbitant fee as he required his cricket equipment, Andy, a marketing executive from Exeter, Devon, expressed disbelief at the unexpectedly high charge.
Qatar Airways calculates excess baggage charges based on the weight exceeding the limit, with a fee of approximately £44.60 per additional kilogram within six hours of departure. Andy, who represents the Philippines national cricket team, highlighted that the pricing structure was not clearly explained to him.
His father, Barry Donovan, a retired pilot, intervened when the family learned of the typhoon near Hong Kong on the day of Andy’s flight, leading to the last-minute change in airlines. Barry, questioning the transparency of the luggage policy, labeled the situation as “extortionate” and emphasized the need for accountability.
Despite attempts to reach out to Qatar Airways regarding the matter, both Barry and Andy have not received any response. Barry expressed concerns about the fairness of such practices, calling for greater clarity and fairness in airline policies. In response, a Qatar Airways spokesperson clarified that passengers traveling on standby staff tickets from other airlines are subject to excess baggage charges upon flight confirmation, following standard industry procedures.
