It is never our intention to cause you to be inconvenienced and certainly not when you hold a confirmed reservation on our flight. However, due to operational requirements and a varying degree of "no-show" customers, there will be times when you may not be accommodated on your booked flight (i.e. Denial of Boarding).

A Denial of Boarding is a situation where, a passenger is not permitted to occupy a seat on board a flight because the number of seats that may be occupied on the flight is less than the number of passengers who have checked in by the required time, hold a confirmed reservation and valid travel documentation and are present at the boarding gate at the required boarding time.

During a denied boarding situation, we will first solicit volunteers to give up their seats in exchange for compensation. If we do not receive enough volunteers, we may deny boarding involuntarily to passengers holding a confirmed reservation (as described above). Where the cause of the denial of boarding is within our control, even if required for safety purposes, we will give priority for boarding to the following passengers in the following order:

• Unaccompanied minors;
• Persons with disabilities and their support person, service animal, or emotional support animal, if any;
• Persons travelling with family members; and
• Passengers who were previously denied boarding on the same ticket.

A situation “outside” of our control includes, but is not limited to: war or political instability; illegal acts or sabotage; meteorological conditions or natural disasters that make the safe operation of the aircraft impossible; instructions from air traffic control; a NOTAM, as defined in subsection 101.01(1) of the Canadian Aviation Regulations; a security threat; airport operation issues; a medical emergency; a collision with wildlife; a labour disruption within the carrier or within an essential service provider such as an airport or an air navigation service provider; a manufacturing defect in an aircraft that reduces the safety of passengers and that was identified by the manufacturer of the aircraft concerned, or by a competent authority; and an order or instruction from an official of a state or a law enforcement agency or from a person responsible for airport security.

To keep passengers informed, we will provide passengers with the following information when denied boarding involuntarily:

• The compensation to which the passenger may be entitled for the inconvenience;
• The standard of treatment for passengers, if any; and
• The recourse available against us, your air carrier, including your recourse to the Canadian Transportation Agency.

When a passenger is denied boarding involuntarily, we will provide the following standard of treatment, free of charge: food and drink in reasonable quantities, taking into account the length of the wait, the time of day and location of the passenger, access to a means of communication (e.g. free Wi-Fi), and if required, overnight accommodations and round trip transportation to the accommodations. However, we will only provide such treatment if it will not further delay the passenger and where the cause of the denial of boarding is within our control even if required for safety reasons.

In addition, when a passenger is denied boarding involuntarily, we will arrange alternate travel arrangements on the next available flight travelling on a reasonable air route as efficiently as possible and will compensate the affected passengers based on the length of the delay caused by the denial of boarding as follows:

• CAD 900, if the arrival of the passenger’s flight at the destination that is indicated on the original ticket is delayed by less than six hours;
• CAD 1,800, if the arrival of the passenger’s flight at the destination that is indicated on the original ticket is delayed by six hours or more, but less than nine hours;
• CAD 2,400, if the arrival of the passenger’s flight at the destination that is indicated on the original ticket is delayed by nine hours or more.

*Compensation is only available where the cause of the denial of boarding is within our control and not required for safety purposes. “Required for safety purposes” means required by law in order to reduce risk to passenger safety and includes required by safety decisions made within the authority of the pilot of the aircraft or any decision made in accordance with a safety management system as defined in subsection 101.01(1) of the Canadian Aviation Regulations but does not include scheduled maintenance in compliance with legal requirements.  

We will provide passengers with adequate food and potable water, free of charge, no later than two (2) hours after the aircraft leaves the gate (in the case of departure) or touches down (in the case of arrival and diversions) if the aircraft is delayed on the tarmac after the doors of the aircraft are closed for take-off or after the flight has landed, unless the pilot-in-command determines that safety or security considerations preclude such service. For all flights, we will ensure that while the aircraft is delayed on the tarmac there is:

• Available operable lavatory facilities; 
• proper ventilation and cooling or heating of the aircraft; 

We will also ensure adequate medical attention is available, if needed.

Further if a flight is delayed on a tarmac at an airport in Canada, the carrier must provide an opportunity for passengers to disembark three (3) hours after the doors have closed for take-off or three (3) hours after the flight has landed or at any earlier time if it is feasible unless:

• take-off will occur less than three hours and 45 minutes after the doors of the aircraft are closed for take-off or after the flight has landed and we can continue to provide our passengers with the applicable standard of care; or
• providing an opportunity for passengers to disembark is not possible, including if it is not possible for reasons related to safety and security or to air traffic or customs control.

Note that the requirement to allow passengers to disembark the aircraft only applies at Canadian airports. The prescribed treatment (e.g. free food and drinks) required is not limited to airports in Canada.

We ensure that your checked baggage arrives with you. In the event that your checked baggage is delayed, we will make every reasonable effort to deliver it at the earliest possible opportunity. You must inform our staff if you cannot locate your checked baggage upon arrival from a flight operated by us.

In the case of lost or damaged baggage:

• You will be reimbursed for reasonable interim out-of-pocket expenses upon submitting your receipts.
• You will be compensated in accordance with the entitlements under the Montreal Convention (as applicable).
• You will be reimbursed for any fees paid for that baggage.

All of our terms and conditions of carriage for flights to, from or within Canada (including connecting flights) can be found in our Tariff, online here: http://www.qatarairways.com/iwov-resources/temp-docs/legal/General-rules-Canada.pdf

We aim to ensure that passengers enjoy their experience travelling with us. However, if you feel that you have received unfair treatment you may contact us on our website online here: https://www.qatarairways.com/en-ca/contact-us.html

In addition, passengers are always entitled to file a complaint online with the Canadian Transportation Agency: https://services.otc-cta.gc.ca/air-travel-complaints