By Pratap John
Qatar Airways has advised passengers to use the airline’s online check-in service to ‘avoid hassle and long queues’ at the Doha airport during the busy Eid holidays.
Most outbound flights to Egypt, Sudan, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Philippines, Pakistan, Bangladesh and India are booked to capacity for the next few days.
An airline source yesterday said Qatar Airways’ passengers departing from Doha can check-in online at www.qatarairways.com.
This service is available for all passengers flying with the airline out of Doha International Airport with the exception of those travelling to New York, Washington and Houston.
The new online check-in service, accessible on the airline’s website qatarairways.com allows passengers in all classes of travel to check-in between 36 and two hours prior to departure. They can choose a seat, print a boarding pass or have a bar-coded boarding pass sent to a mobile phone in ‘simple and convenient easy-to-use steps’.
Passengers with baggage that needs to be checked-in, can use the dedicated ‘Fast bag drop’ counters located in the departures hall of the main terminal. Those with carry-on bags can proceed directly to the gate after completing the necessary immigration and security procedures.
“Boarding pass scanners are installed throughout the airport to ensure a faster service for online check-in passengers,” the source said.
First and business class passengers, who use the online check-in service and are departing from Qatar Airways’ Premium Terminal in Doha, can use any of the check-in counters to drop off their luggage.
A ‘popular feature’ of the service is the ability to select seats up to 36 hours in advance, ensuring passengers sit together at the seats of their choice.
“Since Qatar Airways introduced online check-in, the service has received great response among the travelling public in Qatar as customers enjoy the enhanced travel experience and improved convenience,” the source said.
Qatar Airways and Egypt Air are operating additional flights to Cairo owing to the heavy demand for seats during Eid Al Adha holidays. Even those flights have already been ‘fully booked’.
Economy seats are not available on flights to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Philippines and Singapore for the next few days, it is learnt.
A few business class seats are however available to certain destinations on the subcontinent.
There is ‘heavy rush’ on flights to Dubai and London Heathrow and Paris as well.