Qatar Airways has announced that it will begin flying directly to Amsterdam from Doha in June, coinciding with the annual summer rush when many residents leave the country for holiday.
The daily flights will start on June 16, making the Dutch city the 34th European destination for the national carrier.
The flight will heat up competition with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, which launched its direct route in June 2012 and is currently the only operator providing a non-stop flight between Doha and Amsterdam.
Qatar Airways will fly the Boeing 787 Dreamliner on the route daily. KLM currently travels between Doha and Amsterdam five days a week.
The national carrier’s flight also appears to be slightly shorter – by about 15 minutes – clocking 6 hours 35 minutes, and its flight times will likely be more appealing.
While KLM flies to Amsterdam overnight, the Qatar Airways flight will leave Doha at 8:20am or 8:25am, arriving into the Netherlands at around 2pm.
The return flight out of Amsterdam leaves in the afternoon and gets back to Qatar at 11:15pm or 11:25pm, depending on the day, according to a statement issued by the airline.
Flight costs
The added convenience of the timings, however, looks like it will come at a price.
A search on flight booking website Expedia showed that for a flight leaving Doha on June 18 and returning from Amsterdam a week later, flying on KLM would cost QR2,690.
This is more than QR2,200 cheaper than the direct Qatar Airways flights on the same days, which came out to QR4,910.
Business connections between Qatar and the Netherlands are long-standing, with Qatar Shell being a key firm here and Dutch university Stenden operating a branch in central Doha.
The increase in flight choices will be no doubt be welcomed by the thousands of Dutch nationals living and working in Qatar, but also be a draw for tourists who regularly flock to Amsterdam.
Many Gulf residents head to the Netherlands to flee the searing summer heat. The country has the highest museum density in the world, including the Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank House, Hermitage Amsterdam and the Rijksmuseum.
The city’s Schipol airport is also known as a European hub, connecting the Gulf and wider Middle East to the US and Canada.
Thoughts?
Way too expensive. What a shame
there is always amazing Emirates!
expect amazing
in fact! With them always! The real 5-stars airline
Yeah that’s why I said to expect amazing
Mmmmmmmm – Fresh stroopwafel…
Wow, 2000 riyals to save 15 mins of flight time. Think I’d rather leave at unsociable times and stay on the plane a few more minutes to save that much money.
Pegasus Airlines FTW!
Qatar airways says they are a “5-star airline”, not a “budget airline“.
It’s like comparing the JW Marriott to Super 8… Super 8 is much cheaper.
Sat in economy for 6 hours with kids screaming all around you is not a 5* experience no matter what airline you fly with.
They wew only talking about first class for platinum level members… %)
I agree with everything Cerebus said, especially #10. I’m Platinum and it doesn’t mean jack. They are great in the air and absolutely 100 years behind on the ground, in business practices, and in employee empowerment to enact even minorly passable customer service. I’m guessing it’s because I don’t have the “correct” passport. It’s obvious they have a blank check from the government and no financial incentive to retain loyal customers (which is where your easy cash comes from). Terrible airline.
i love qatar airways
I will give them a 5 star rating if they could do some simple things. 1) Actually add my FF# to the reservation when I book it from my FF account 2) Entirely replace their terrible website 3) allow me to check in at the kiosks in the airport that never seem to work. 4) employ more people that understand what 5 star service means, not just in the air but on the ground as well 5) actually put me in the seat I requested at time of booking 6) not overbook every flight 7) Get the meal selection right 8) interface their booking system with the rest of the world 9) Enforce the laws of the airways – like not having people climb all over me the moment the first wheel hits the ground 10) Upgrade my flight segments based on status like every other airline I have ever flown as done for me….ever….ever, ever. Otherwise whats the point of the status? Putting a JW Marriott label on a hotel and hiring the staff from the Super 8 doesn’t make it a 5 star hotel.
Thank you for saying everything in my head. Saves me the time of typing it out.
qatar doesnt compare well to Emirates, class -for-class
Qatar may well be a 5-star airline compared to Emirates (which if 4 star) and Etihad (which chooses not to be rated at all by Skytrax) but Qatar does lose to Emirates, Etihad, and at least 8 other carriers in terms of safety.
KLM was awarded 7/7 for safety, compared to 6/7 for safety by Qatar Airways.
http://www.airlineratings.com/news/425/worlds-safest-airlines-for-2015
Personally I’d rather pay for safety over service, but I’m old fashioned.
Will they be serving magic kofta on these flights?
Is that an innuendo for something else?
hey harold it’s me kumar!
Yes, it’s the museums that draw the crowds to Amsterdam.
great for shopping for a) those things you’re not allowed in qatar, and b)those things you are allowed but are 50% more in qatar 🙂
Its a beautiful city, despite the reputation. But most middle eastern visitors I see there just seem to gravitate to that one aspect.
I love the generalization you guys are spewing :^))
I have taken the 11:59pm KLM flight many times. It has never taken more than 6 hours. In fact, a few times it has taken 5:45 minutes. Plus, many of the U.S. flights leave before 1pm, so getting there by 2pm wouldn’t work.
Qatar airways doesn’t want you to use this flight to go to the US… They want you to use their US flights…
Never! I did one 14 hour flight to DC in economy and never again. Can’t do more than 9 without stopping, which I why I always fly KLM to the States. I would love to use QA to Amsterdam then KLM/Delta to the U.S. but will stick to KLM for now.
sorry QA, too expensive for cost conscious Dutch
Wow, people will complain about anything. I think this is great news – there where already direct flights from Brussels. Took QA a few times to Singapore if I’m not mistaken. Always a good experience.
It’s horrible how QA charges outrages prices for anyone flying from Doha. Can someone please explain how a ticket AMS-DOH-AMS is only 550 euro (2370QAR), whilst DOH-AMS-DOH is 4600 QAR? It’s the same flight!
Agreed. I don’t know about current prices, but remember being appalled a few years back about how much cheaper it would be for me to fly home from other nearby cities than from Doha. Why is that?