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Qatar Airways offering full refunds on flights booked now for 2021

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Qatar Airways has made a VERY aggressive move to capture your business for 2021.

It will offer unlimited date changes and full refunds, no questions asked for all tickets issued before 30th April 2021. Travel must be booked for completion by 31st December 2021.

qatar airways refund guarantee

Full refunds are available regardless of whether your flight has been cancelled or not. This is extremely attractive and makes every ticket fully flexible.

Date and destination changes are offered in the same booking class and you do still have to pay any difference in fare or taxes, so it’s not a complete slam dunk. However, if the cost of changing is too high, simply take the full refund and book elsewhere.

Whilst Qatar Airways initially attracted some criticism at the beginning of the pandemic for making refunds difficult, the airline claims that it is now processing refunds within 30 days and has paid out over £92m to UK passengers since March.

You can see all your options (you can also choose a voucher with 10% value uplift instead of a refund) on the Qatar Airways ‘Travel with Confidence’ page here.

Category

Qatar Airways and Privilege Club

Comments (93)

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

  • Anthony Heather says:
    24 Dec24 December 08:37

    I’d be very careful dealing with Qatar and read small print. I had Bali booked for Christmas, and Qatar claimed that because I asked about refund options months ago, they applied a £800 cancellation fee each. Had to make a chargeback claim via UK debit card.

  • Graham Walsh says:
    24 Dec24 December 09:19

    This is what my account says. My account year is April.

    Book 1 between
    24/04/2019 – 31/12/2020
    Book 1 between
    02/04/2020 – 31/08/2021
    Book 1 between
    22/04/2020 – 08/11/2021

    So do I just need to do a random booking for sometime next year to use up voucher 1 otherwise I’ll lose it?

    Problem is I can’t see it being used abroad within the first ½ of 2021. Unless I just book London somewhere.

    If I had have to move, is that allowable even though the voucher is “expired”?

    • Crafty says:
      24 Dec24 December 09:42

      Indigo Bath seems to be highly recommended, or Kimpton Edinburgh.

      • Graham Walsh says:
        24 Dec24 December 10:15

        Bath is a good option. Not stayed there before and only a few hours away.

    • Michael Jennings says:
      24 Dec24 December 11:17

      I’ve booked Intercontinental Bordeaux in the late May long weekend with the one that expires on December 31. I hope to make that trip, but maybe it will be possible and maybe it won’t. Maybe I should cancel that now and book something in the second half of the year, and use the new voucher for May, so that can be cancelled and reused if need be.

  • David says:
    24 Dec24 December 09:24

    Thanks for the heads-up re Qatar.
    Does the full refunds include Avios bookings?

    • callum says:
      24 Dec24 December 10:14

      No, the operating airline is irrelevant – you always need to follow the policies of the airline you booked it through, so presumably British Airways.

      I haven’t checked for a while so someone may need to correct me, but I believe your options are the standard fees (so full refund with a £35 per person per ticket fee) or, if for flights before 31st August (presumably that will get extended again) you can claim a voucher with no fees.

      If Qatar cancels any flights then you can get a full refund with no fees as well.

  • Cal says:
    24 Dec24 December 09:43

    Where can I find my IC Ambassador voucher?

    I can’t seem to find it online or in the app but it’s expiry is April 2021 and they had sent an email a couple of months ago confirming this.

    • Anna says:
      24 Dec24 December 09:54

      Do you mean the BOGOF voucher? On your account page, below the box which shows your next booking, there should be another box with your certficate details which you click on to go through to the IC booking page.

    • MD says:
      24 Dec24 December 09:57

      It’s invisible in the app AFAIK. Should be visible online but they don’t make it obvious. Go to my account and scroll way down, past your points and normal free night, IHG Rewards Club Updates and upcoming stays. Should be a heading saying Ambassador Complimentary Weekend Night. There is for me on Android anyway. If not there you’ll need to contact support.

  • Dave Fearn says:
    24 Dec24 December 09:59

    Whilst I’m pleased others haven’t lost out, I’m very annoyed that I ‘wasted’ my 2 vouchers on an October weekend in Oxford. I rang both IHG & MasterCard to get the vouchers extended before burning them, but both companies fobbed me off. Really bitter about this as I’d previously been using them at the Danang IC (one of the worlds best hotels).

  • Sam says:
    24 Dec24 December 10:09

    My current ihg free night voucher dec 31st 2020 ( extended from april 2020) is definitely a stay by expiry (not book by)- not sure why as years gone by has been use by. I have got the 2nd additional voucher so am happy. Previously on chat (us csa?) have been told stay by is correct. Should i phone ihg uk customer services or is use by not a written rule.

    • TGLoyalty says:
      24 Dec24 December 11:41

      Just to double check this is a UK credit card voucher not a US one?

      If it’s UK have you tried book a night in 2021 with it?

      • Doug M says:
        24 Dec24 December 12:27

        Inconsistent reports here. The new one I got to replace the 31st Dec one (which is book by) with a ‘book by’ date of 31st August definitely cannot book beyond 31st August, it seems to be a stay by, not a book by. But I am seemingly able to use both.

        • AndyH says:
          24 Dec24 December 12:38

          Yep, I seem to have something similar – am trying to book the 31/12/20 one, and can book for dates before 31/12/20 (ha ha), but it won’t let me book for any dates after this……

      • Sam says:
        24 Dec24 December 13:23

        Yes uk from uk credit card. Wont show free night availability after 31st dec 2020. This has been case since voucher was extended from april 30th 2020 expiry extension ( that was originally booked for july 2020 stay). Thanks

  • Doug M says:
    24 Dec24 December 10:19

    @Rhys. Based on my own tests and other comments I think you have the extended to 31st August voucher wrong. I think this is a stay by date voucher, not a book by date voucher despite it being described as book by in the description.

  • Anna says:
    24 Dec24 December 11:58

    I keep thinking hotels could raise some money by effectively selling “free night” certificates” – so you could pay a flat rate, say £50 or £100 or more for a higher ctaegory hotel and be guaranteed to use it at a relevant property in future. Hotels would then get much needed cash and guests could take advantage of it to book rooms at peak times.

    • Aston100 says:
      24 Dec24 December 12:54

      Like a gift voucher for someone.

      • Anna says:
        24 Dec24 December 13:53

        Yes, except you would be guaranteed to be able to book a specific room with it regardless of the cash price of the room on a particular night.

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