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Qatar Airways sharply increases departures from UK and Irish airports

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Qatar Airways has filed a substantial number of new UK and Ireland services for Summer 2019.  This should in theory lead to improved Avios availability and potentially even improved fare sales as they try to fill the seats.

According to Airlineroute, the following service increases are planned:

Cardiff to Doha – increases to seven flights per week (currently five) from 26th May

Dublin to Doha – increases to 11 flights per week (currently seven) during July, August and September

London Gatwick to Doha – increases to 21 flights per week (currently 16) from 30th June, dropping to 18 flights per week from 30th September

Manchester to Doha – increases to 21 flights per week (currently 18) from 14th June

Category

Qatar Airways and Privilege Club

Comments (54)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • LewisB says:
    24 Dec24 December 05:19

    Very small bit, but Cardiff to Doha was always 7 days a week in the summer, it just drops to 5 per week during the winter months. For 2019 the 7 flights a week has started a few weeks earlier.

  • James says:
    24 Dec24 December 06:52

    But where is the big Qatar sub £1k biz sale to most places ?

    🙁

  • pablo says:
    24 Dec24 December 07:16

    Norwegian 24% off today only with code MERRYXMAS18
    Terms: Book by 23:59 CET tonight. Discount is applied to net ticket fare (excl. taxes and charges) and is valid for the travel period between 1 January 2019 and 31 March 2019. Valid for destinations from the UK.

    • Rob says:
      24 Dec24 December 08:23

      Bit of a risk using this as they may breach covenants at midnight on 31 December and be gone.

      • Simon Barlow says:
        24 Dec24 December 10:32

        Hi Rob, bit of a concern as I have a return to Stockholm booked with Norwegian in May. Bought with my BAPP Amex. What would happen if they go bust?
        Thanks
        S

        • Rob says:
          24 Dec24 December 11:34

          Amex will refund you, you’re on the hook for the cost of replacing the flights though.

        • David says:
          24 Dec24 December 11:49

          But if they collapse in the next couple of weeks, your replacement flights should be ok. It’s the passengers who end up needing last-minute replacements that get a bit stuffed. If it gets to April and they’re still operating, I’d look at having a plan B for a May booking…

        • Simon Barlow says:
          24 Dec24 December 12:05

          thanks all for the confirmation.
          Waiting game now – should have booked BA!
          S

      • Alex Sm says:
        24 Dec24 December 11:15

        Can’t simply believe that they can collapse. It’s such a big and growing airline

        • Alan says:
          24 Dec24 December 13:35

          Really hope they don’t, have my positioning flights to Oslo with them in 3 weeks and would be a pain to get to if couldn’t fly direct!

    • David says:
      24 Dec24 December 08:27

      Probably goes without saying, but make sure these are booked on a credit card. Plenty of rumours that Norwegian is running out of cash this week, running that expensive HiFly A380, and with a 737 stranded in Iran…

    • Mr Dee says:
      24 Dec24 December 11:08

      Not worth the risk

  • Paul says:
    24 Dec24 December 08:26

    Just flew back from Bangkok with BA on an old 777 in Club and it was not great, checked in exactly 24 hours before flight and no seats to choose (are BA now auto selecting seats for everyone)?

    But anyway, check in agent told us to go to the Cathay lounge, which was busy, serving Chandon sparkling wine, a few pastries, fruit and a noodle bar for breakfast!

    We we looked on the lounge map and saw Qatar have now opened one, went there and WOW.

    Firstly we were the boys people there, it had Bollinger champagne, amazing service, great food, buffet or sit down service menu, it was AMAZING!

    • Mac says:
      24 Dec24 December 13:15

      Came back last month from ORD on a 777. No status so had to wait until OLCI opened. I was into the system seconds after check in opened and all seats were greyed out, even the bassinet seat next to me as well as he other bassinet seats (no babies were on the flight). BA had obviously pre-allocated all the seats.

    • John says:
      24 Dec24 December 13:25

      Maybe a lot of status members and/or people paid to choose seats.

      QR lounge opened in Feb this year, but until recently it wasn’t accessible for BA pax because it closed at 8am once the early morning QR flight departed. Now that QR has increased BKK to 7 daily the lounge is open at a suitable time for BA10.

      Status pax in Y are not allowed in the lounge and sometimes they don’t allow shorts/sandals.

    • Darren says:
      24 Dec24 December 17:44

      Good to know, thanks

  • rob says:
    24 Dec24 December 09:48

    OT

    I have read that a benefit of Hilton status is that you can book a room with single occupancy and pay a lower rate (where this applies) and the second person stays free.

    I need a room at Narita airport in Tokyo and the rate is considerably cheaper for 1 occupant. Would I be right in thinking it’s okay to book that single occupancy rate and then bring my partner anyway?

    Many thanks

    • TGLoyalty says:
      24 Dec24 December 10:41

      It is a benefit of your status that a second guest stays free and when I have come across this and it’s a material difference I’ve always put 1 person and turned up with two and it’s been fine.

      However, I haven’t done this in Tokyo so I don’t know if there are any local laws for tax etc driving up the price.

    • Mr Dee says:
      24 Dec24 December 11:15

      Second guest free usually applies to countries where they charge for the extra guest at checkin, don’t know if its done at the booking stage.

      • Mr Dee says:
        24 Dec24 December 11:18

        Just checked the prices and it does look around £30 cheaper so I would say its worth trying and let us know how it went

    • RichS says:
      24 Dec24 December 13:14

      Having stayed at the Narita Hilton I wouldn’t stay again. Room smelt of damp, and had a noisy dehumidifier showing there was clearly a problem. Free shuttle bus failed to come (had to get taxi) and breakfast was chaotic.

    • Kai says:
      24 Dec24 December 13:16

      Yes you are definitely fine to book for 1 guest.

    • YL says:
      24 Dec24 December 13:24

      I have done it many times at Hilton NRT- I just booked 1 and added a note in comments that there will be 2 in the room using the benefit.

  • George K says:
    24 Dec24 December 10:46

    hey folks – do you know whether the £200 off for a £600 Amex Travel spend needs to be in one transaction? Was hoping to do 3-4 flights, but there seems to be no way of bunching them up in one itinerary, and T&Cs not clear…

    Called Amex, who said that it should be OK with multiple transactions, but called them again today and another guy said that it won’t.

    Any real life experiences on this?

  • John2 says:
    24 Dec24 December 10:54

    OT
    If you fly from Dublin or Spain using points and need to make separate arrangements to get to Dublin or Spain, do you need to collect luggage and check in again on “stopover”?
    ty

    • Nigel the pensioner says:
      24 Dec24 December 11:02

      Yes. You then check your luggage in at your EU location straight through to your final destination.

    • TGLoyalty says:
      24 Dec24 December 11:36

      Depends on the airline. Some will through check and some won’t.

      BA will not through check on separate tickets. Qatar for example will.

  • Nigel the pensioner says:
    24 Dec24 December 11:06

    Wouldn’t really call the temporary increase in Qatar flights a thrilling potential – unless of course you live in the selected UK hubs where it may make a small improvent in a availability. Notaby BHX is omitted!! 😐

    • David says:
      24 Dec24 December 11:51

      What, you mean for the 20 million people or whatever it is who live in the catchment areas of Gatwick or Manchester? Those select few…

      • Mark2 says:
        24 Dec24 December 12:18

        But probably few of them are Centurion card holders.

        • Nigel the pensioner says:
          24 Dec24 December 13:22

          Love it Mark2 🤣🤣. HL and S. A very Happy Christmas from…..well, a long way away!! 😁

      • Nigel the pensioner says:
        24 Dec24 December 13:18

        You imply that an extra couple of flights a week is ground breaking…… I simply beg to disagree….

        • Rich says:
          24 Dec24 December 14:33

          An extra 14 flights a week in total. It increases capacity by nearly the equivalent of the current Gatwick operation.

          Not groundbreaking, and I don’t think such a claim was made, but significant and noteworthy, surely?

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