Qatar Airlines Bans YouTuber After Tough Review

Aviation YouTuber Josh Cahill says he was banned from flying with Qatar Airways after posting an unfavorable review of the flagship airline.  

Known for his aviation content and unbiased airline reviews, Cahill has garnered a following of 655,000 YouTube subscribers. The social media personality said he was banned from flying with Qatar after posting a review of the airline back in August entitled “THE SHOCKING DECLINE OF QATAR AIRWAYS.”

In a follow up video on Dec. 16, Cahill explained the airline contacted him asking him to remove the video in exchange for a free flight. Cahill denied the request along with a request to remove any negative comments from the video. While not substantiated, Cahill said many sources informed him the entire crew was terminated after the airline was unsuccessful in removing the video. 

Following the meeting with Qatar executives, Cahill received an email informing him that his upcoming booking with the airline had been canceled and Qatar would no longer permit additional bookings from him, citing “conditions of carriage” that give the airline discretion to refuse service to passengers. 

According to Business Insider, Cahill said, "In 10 years of reviewing airlines I have never been banned from any airline, nor has any of them ever offered me a free flight in return to delete the negative review." He also expressed concern that an airline prohibiting a passenger based on a negative review sets a troubling precedent for censorship. 

Cahill’s latest video has drawn more than 4,000 comments, many of which highlight criticisms of the airline and its operation.