Second Qatar Airways Passenger Alleges In-Flight Theft by Crew Member — Says Airline Did Little to Help

A second Qatar Airways passenger in just over a week has accused a flight attendant of stealing his personal property during a recent flight from the airline’s hub in Doha to Singapore.

Explaining what happened, the passenger said he went to use the lavatory just before landing in Singapore and took his mobile phone with him. When he left the washroom, however, the man accidentally left his phone on the counter.

Qatar Airways Crew Member Stole My Phone – Airline Confirmed It, But Compensation Has Been Incredibly Disappointing
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As soon as he got back to his Business Class seat, the man realized his mistake and went straight back to the lavatory, but in the short amount of time that it took to walk to and from the washroom, it was already occupied.

The passenger patiently waited for whoever was using the washroom to leave, and a few moments later, a male flight attendant exited the lavatory. When the passenger went to pick up his phone, it was nowhere to be seen.

As soon as the plane landed, the passenger reported what had happened, but it ruined his business trip as he had to cancel meetings and take the time to report the alleged theft to the police.

“After a few days, their Security Investigations Manager contacted me. He confirmed that the incident had been reviewed, that they identified the crew member responsible, and that the crew member was dismissed from their position,” the passenger wrote on Reddit.

“I also tracked the phone to a location in Singapore (which matched the crew’s hotel) and later to the Philippines.”

The incident occurred on March 28, but weeks later, the passenger has yet to hear anything further from Qatar Airways. He has, at least, been offered around £560 to replace his phone, but the airline hasn’t offered any compensation after an internal report listed the incident as unattended personal belongings.

“I’m not expecting a huge payout, or trying to make it more than it is; but I do think when something like this happens, especially with crew involvement, it deserves to be taken seriously beyond just reimbursing the item,” the man wrote in response to someone’s reply to their post.

“I’ve expressed clearly that I’m not looking for anything outrageous, just a resolution that reflects the full impact, not just the cost of the phone,” the man continued.

“I’m not looking for anything outrageous, just a resolution that reflects the full impact.”

The complaint comes just over a week after another Qatar Airways passenger traveling in Business Class filed a lawsuit against the airline, claiming that a flight attendant stole $600 out of her designer handbag as she slept.

The passenger, who has been granted anonymity by a California court where her case has been filed, claims the theft occurred during a February 26 flight between San Francisco and Doha.

During the 14-hour flight, the passenger says she fell asleep in her enclosed QSuite Business Class seat with her handbag on the side console. When she awoke sometime later, her handbag had gone missing, so she went on the hunt to find it.

As she walked along the aisle, she noticed a lavatory door ajar and peeked inside. That’s where she found her handbag at the feet of a member of cabin crew.

The passenger had been carrying $4,100 in US dollar bills in her bag, but when she checked if everything was still there, she noticed that one of the envelopes containing the cash had been taken and $600 was missing.

Despite immediately alerting the purser and making a complaint to Qatar Airways, the passenger claims she has yet to receive any adequate response from the airline.

Matt’s take

Qatar Airways is well known for offering a phenomenal onboard experience, especially in its award-winning Business Class cabin, but the airline is also known for struggling to provide decent customer assistance when things don’t go as planned.

Passengers who have experienced issues have long complained that their correspondence with Qatar Airways’s customer care teams isn’t adequately dealt which can really mar their experience.