I dropped this in as an extra article because I didn’t anyone booking the Copenhagen to Auckland fare (£2,300) that I wrote about in our main Qatar Airways sale feature today without seeing this.
As mentioned in the comments to that article (thank you!) there is an exceptionally good business class fare between Stockholm and Auckland currently available.
This is not part of the main sale and is valid for travel until mid December.
As you can see from the screenshot below, it comes out at 17,368 Swedish Krona:
…. which is £1,522 return.
You must use the promo code MASTERCARD – outlined on this page of the Qatar site – to get this price. It is a couple of hundred pounds more expensive otherwise.
The fare rules appear to be:
Book by 3rd May
Complete travel by 15th December (10th December if using the MASTERCARD promo code)
Minimum stay 5 days
Maximum stay 1 month
No travel 27th June to 27th July or 1st August to 15th August
Ticket is cancellable for a penalty of US$800 (double check this during the booking process – whatever the Qatar site shows is what counts)
You should earn 600 British Airways tier points for this itinerary which is enough for a British Airways Silver card – although you would still need to have taken 4 cash British Airways flights during your current tier point year before you are upgraded.
Between Stockholm and Doha you get a brand new Boeing 787 – I reviewed that business class product here and the official Qatar 787 page is here. Between Doha and Auckland you will get an older Boeing 777 – I reviewed that business class product here – but if you very lucky and travel late in the year it might have been refitted with the amazing new QSuite.
Remember that British Airways will no longer check through baggage to other airlines. If you are transferring on the same day from London leave enough time to collect your luggage, go landside and recheck it. Coming back, Qatar Airways should check it through to London even if that is on a separate ticket.
The Qatar / Stockholm offers page is here. Full details of the MasterCard promo code are here.
(Want to earn more Avios? Click here to visit our home page for the latest articles on earning and spending your Avios points and click here to see how to earn more Avios from current offers and promotions.)
About Head for Points
Note, you will also need to pay by MasterCard.
It’s the only option you’ll be given on the payment screen.
NB. there are extended date restrictions for the MasterCard discount – but you can combine eg. sale fare out without MC discount, sale fare with discount back, as you just get shown the fares that are available to you…
“Blackout dates (travel not allowed):
22nd June -01st July 2017 and 15th August – 10th September 2017 on Qatar Airways operated flights worldwide.
14th July -29th July on Qatar Airways operated flights from Europe.”
Anyone know.. if you can only travel on certain dates but are prepared to pay sale fare out without MC discount (and to use sale plus MC discount on return leg) – would it cause any issues to book as two one-ways? Wondering if could be worthwhile to do, so could pay on BA Amex for outward leg for significantly more Avios, but pay on MasterCard (Tesco so a LOT fewer Avios) for the return. TIA
Haymow, try pricing it up yourself as two one ways, think it might price up way more than the return fare. Let us know what you find too.
Thanks Polly – I was actually asking more about any known potential problems, hence saying ‘issues’ rather than pricing – had been wondering if any disadvantages to 2 separate tickets if say there was a problem with one direction, or something I might not have thought of. … as it is, when I checked the outward fare alone it was crazily higher (eg. double or triple) vs. even the return fare!
Slightly OT
There is no way I can maintain Gold status this year, but I am happy with a “soft landing” back to Silver. However, I’ve been using reward flights all year, so I have only 2 cash bookings on BA. Do I need to make another 2 cash bookings to get the soft landing?
No, it is automatic.
And it I use the Iberia card, what would that get me? Possibly Silver at Iberia Plus? I have very little desire to use BA or the BAEC from now on.
Marriott Travel Package (Via SPG Points)
1. When do you get airlines miles? Just after booking or only after you have consumed the stay? Presume it is later
2. Has anyone used it to book stay for a family (say 2 Adults + 2 Children under 12)? Again, I presume it probably depends on individual hotel but I am looking at Florida for Disney land
When you ‘order’ a travel package, they just give you a 7 night certificate in your account for the category of hotel you decide and then you are free to use it against a booking for the next 12 months. Best to go for a cat1-5 and then upgrade using the difference in mileage packages when you know what category of hotel you wish to stay in. Some hotels will accept 2 adults and 2 children in one room, you can check this just searching for rooms at a hotel for points. And don’t forget, you can book a room before your get the hotel certificate in order to reserve your ideal dates. You then just apply the certificate to that booking later. Be careful to watch out for cancellation policies, even on points, as sometimes they can charge £££ plus forfeit of points.
Lastly, the miles are ordered at the same time as your hotel certificate and sent to the airline you want within a few days. I ordered my travel package a few months ago. The hotel certificate appears immediately and the miles posted a few days later.
I plan to boost my cat 1-5 hotel certificate for a cat 9 one by redeeming 120,000 more Marriott points and using next year 🙂
If one was to get AA MILES with current 25% bonus conversion from hotel points (started today finishing in JUNE) does that also apply to travel packages air miles?
Should do, it does when BA runs the same promo
Thanks Rob.
Might seriously consider buying SPG points with a view to buy travel package.
OT
Am on a 3+ hrs delayed BA flight that I paid for with Avios; anyone know if EU compensation possible for reward flights such as this? Thanks
Yes, not a problem.
Great stuff, thanks. Delay means we arrive into Rio at 3:30am UK time tonight with kids… Wish me luck!
Yep, still estimated arrival to be over 3 hours, shame it’s not 4+ hours as you’d get the full €600 per pax..
IIRC 3-4 hours gets you €300 per adult pax.
BA249 from London to Rio de Janeiro
http://fr24.com/BAW249/d371aeb
If you haven’t be told, be sure to ask the ground crew for the technical reason for the delay… (Weather doesn’t normally count)
Screen shot the Actual arrival Vs scheduled…
Enjoy Brazil !
Edit: Think it’s per pax regardless (not just adult)
Careful if they offer you Avios rather than hard cash.
https://www.headforpoints.com/2016/12/11/british-airways-trying-to-get-you-to-take-eu-compensation-in-avios-at-a-poor-rate/
I can’t find the FT thread – am I correct in assuming non-BA industrial action doesn’t count either?
Thanks guys – in Rio now and all went well. 3hrs 20 mins delay so will put in a claim….
I bought last night return on business from Sweden to Thailand for 2 adults, 1 child and an infant for only £2,800. From Heathrow to Stockholm we will fly Economy with BA using 31,500 Avios and £115. Given the Avios we will collect on the flight with QA, the BA flight is practically free. I am quite pleased.
nice one, beats Benidorm – logically you cannot actually call the BA Avios flight free but I’ll let that pass 🙂
Which part of Thailand and roughly what dates if you don’t mind. Mine are showing very high prices for end of October.
Hi Rob (and others),
I booked a flight using my MasterCard (Supercard) from Paris to Maldives for c.1250 GBP but got a payment verification email after the flight seemed to be confirmed. After calling twice they said they couldn’t accept a screenshot from the app as I needed to show the card. I am worried about turning up at the airport to verify my card. Firstly, because if they don’t accept it – I would have booked and paid for accommodation by then which is non-refundable and much more expensive. Secondly, as it’s too stressful to have to wait for fine confirmation to the date of travel. Also I am worried they won’t accept a Supercard (even though for practical reasons it’s a MasterCard it’s a hybrid). Any advice? Thanks
They will accept the card, I don’t see why not. Even if they want you to pay again on something else, just seeing the original will be OK. As long as your ticket is still alive and well you’re fine. Perhaps download the MyFlights app if you don’t use it already – it will check the status of your booking daily and email you with any changes.
Or if you don’t use iOS (or don’t want to install the app) you can also use the web-based version that will still email of changes – hhttps://myaccount.myflightsapp.com/?action=register – amazing tool! 🙂
Thanks Rob and Alan,
have registered with MyFlights and all confirmed. They were very cryptic on calling them about credit card verification. I need to show my card at the airport but there will be an email in 3-5 days.