Dubai: A huge crowd of passengers with flights booked with Qatar Airways descended on the airline’s Deira office on Tuesday morning after flights between the UAE and Qatar were suspended on Monday.
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE and Egypt severed ties with Qatar on Monday and moved to cut off land, sea and air routes to the country due to accusations that Qatar supported regional terror groups.
Passengers who came to the airline’s Deira office were advised to proceed with their request for refunds online. The airline announced on its website on Tuesday at 12.20pm that affected passengers would be given alternative options.
“All customers booked on affected flights will be provided with alternative options, including the option of a full refund on any unused tickets and free rebooking to the nearest alternative Qatar Airways network destination,” the announcement read.
Airline representatives said passengers whose flights are from June 6 to July 5 would be prioritised and accommodated in the Deira office on Tuesday. Those whose flights are after July 5 may wait for updates from the airline.
Those who paid in cash would be refunded in cash at the Deira office while for those who used debit or credit cards, the same amount would be credited back to their accounts after 14 to 21 working days, the airline representative said.
Scores of passengers who were looking for other options like rebooking through other airlines stayed calm although occasional remarks like “Welcome to chaos” could be heard.
A Brazilian family of three was seen dragging their luggage to the office.
“We went to the airport for our 11pm flight to Brazil but we were told to come here. We don’t know what will happen now. But I’m trying not to worry,” the Brazilian tourist who was here for 10 days said.
Another passenger who was travelling to the UK on June 16 said: “I was here at around 11am. They should have kept more counters. There should have been three people in the crowd guiding customers rather than just having one person do it,” Husainali G. told Gulf News.
Malaysian resident Azriza Tanjung said she hopes the airline could rebook their flight on June 20. Tanjung is travelling with her husband and two children to celebrate Eid Al Fitr with their family in Kuala Lumpur for the first time. The same goes for Indonesian expatriate Fadlilah Najmudin.
Those who wish to get their refund at the Deira office may bring their tickets and Emirates ID or valid identification. The Deira office’s working hours is from 8.30am to 6pm.
