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Qatar Airways
Qatar | Flag Carrier
Add ReviewKnow what you're getting into.
2.1First Officer - Former employee
Recommended to other Pilots 
Positive business outlookApproval of managementPros
Modern Fleet Good Salary Housing Allowance Travel Benefits for 1st degree family and buddy pass tickets School allowance up to 3 children Type Rating via Company Bond
Cons
Rosters that work you up to the limit. Difficulties traveling home, due to being bumped off, or seat sold to customer(s) Minimum 8 days off per month, is also considered a maximum. They do not like to give you a block off, instead will place a standby day in-between a 5 day-off period, so you cannot leave the country. No commuting contracts Money earned is expected to be spend within Qatar Upgrade requirements are often changed, preventing people from upgrading. Overtime threshold has been changed many times to avoid having to pay staff overtime. Fleet management is not there for you. Days off route, are considered off days.
Advice to management
Consider commuting contracts. (At an alternative Pay) Prevent rostering from inserting standby's in between days off. Fleet management should be able to have a voice towards management on behalf of their pilots, however uncomfortable it might be, to advance the company. Happy staff results in happy customers.
Advice to future employees
Know what you are getting yourself into. It is very demanding on your spouse and children, as you are often not home. The money is good, but it comes at a price.
JOIN WITH NO EXPECTATIONS, LIKE A MERCENARY
3.4Captain - Former employeeRecommended to other Pilots Positive business outlookApproval of managementPros
tax free money. potential for fast career and fleet transfer. Very good benefits for you and family very nice layovers all around the world exposed to all kind of ops from cold wx, hot, dust storms, LVO with cold wx and snow blizzards and LVO with dust storms, complex airports and approaches. VERY SHORT HAULS TO ULTRA LONG, cargo and pax ops. High Terrain area with complexed decompression procedures and engine failure drift down procedures. high elevation airports. Your aeronautical experience will improve
Cons
toxic inexperienced management protecting their own nationality with often episodes of abuse of power across all departments. punishing working culture giving away caution, reprimand, warning letters like cookies. cabin crew department comes before flight deck in terms of importance and often reports made by cabin crew are used to punish pilots. you are treated like a number and a mercenary: if you don't like it, leave. Management will not listen to suggestions from employees or praise them for anything. SOPs are very micromanaging with a direct impact on the decline of pilots skills and priorities such AVIATE, NAVIGATE. no raw data, no FD off, and auto thrust off flying. ABUSE of automation and total reliance with negative impact on the above mentioned skills and also scanning capabilities, reflexes, information processing and in turn decision making especially in time critical situations! quick example: ENGINE FAIL DUE TO BIRD STRIKE ON FINAL: aircraft is stable and nav path not compromised. crew decides to go around messing up the navigation side as it suppose to be a special engine out go around. Instead they execute a standard missed approach procedure and also ending up with minimum fuel.
Advice to management
biggest assets of a company are the people. you can not buy respect, loyalty, experience, airmanship etc.. experienced personnel in aviation is a commodity, stop treating people like if they are all expendables .
Advice to future employees
join as a mercenary, live by the day
Stay away
2.8Captain - Former employeeRecommended to other Pilots Positive business outlookApproval of managementPros
New fleet, good maintenance only
Cons
Poor management, Poor quality hotels, slow upgrade, fear working culture
Advice to management
Advice to owner to change ALL management
Advice to future employees
Stay away, don’t do it, you will regret
BE CAREFUL
3.2Captain - Former employeeRecommended to other Pilots Positive business outlookApproval of managementPros
WORLDWIDE OPERATIONS IN ALL KIND OF WEATHER CONDITIONS AND ENVIRONMENTS. YOUR AERONAUTICAL EXPERIENCE WILL BE ENHANCED DRAMATICALLY. You will be flying in cold weather conditions, in ITCZ, high density airports with limited nav aids. Carry out circling and visual approaches. RNP AR , steep approaches like in Kathmandu. Great opportunity for Command Upgrade and fleet change.
Cons
toxic reporting culture starting from Cabin Crew who are mostly uneducated and brainwashed by the upper management who seek to micromanage every aspect of the operations by adopting a blame and punitive culture. As Result, the working environment is narrow minded, with TOTAL LACK OF VALUES such reciprocal respect, empathy, trust, compassion, freedom of expression etc.. ROSTER IS ROUGH flying east to west with minimum rests. 5 days in a row including 3 nights in a row. Fatigue reports might hit you back. hours in the bunk are not factorized meaning you will be flying 1200 or 1300 hours in a year and can not log the hours.
Advice to management
It will just take generations to change. It is part of the country and young society culture trying to fit in a western show business model. There are not short cuts when it comes to that. Qatar skipped all the steps or old civilizations and as consequence its people just believe they can buy everything and EVERYONE WITH MONEY. You can not buy values such integrity, respect, empathy or life experience or even basic education.
Advice to future employees
consider only as last option and career patch.
Poor company culture & few upgrade opportunities
3.2First Officer - Former employeeRecommended to other Pilots Positive business outlookApproval of managementPros
Major airline with all the related benefits & perks. Great fleet & expansion.
Cons
Poor company culture in terms of crew management and approach safety - very much punitive. Upgrade takes a very long time, and pass rate is ridiculously low. Not a nice country to live in as an expat.
Advice to management
Evolve towards a real just culture, consider First Officers as future Captains instead of flaps operators.
Advice to future employees
Decent airline for Captains, poor for First Officers.
Worst company I've ever experienced in my life to be an employee.
2.2Captain - Former employeeRecommended to other Pilots Positive business outlookApproval of managementPros
Good staff travel, good school fees
Cons
Respect for contractual working conditions. Management culture. Respect for international laws. Revenge attitude
Advice to management
They do not accept advice.
Advice to future employees
Do not go there! I read this kind of advice and disregarded and I went there. Immediately after I joint, I realized my mistake. Qatar as a country have no respect for human rights, Qatar Airways is worse and can only do that because they are a very important company in Qatar, they control everything.
Excellent company
5.0First Officer - Former employeeRecommended to other Pilots Positive business outlookApproval of managementPros
Excellent company
Cons
Living in the Middle East could be tough
Advice to management
The workload is high
Advice to future employees
Better if go with family
