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Doha to Dubai flights restarted by Qatar Airways – another Avios option

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Qatar Airways is restarting flights to both Dubai and Abu Dhabi later this month following the thaw in relations because Qatar and much of the rest of the Middle East.

This is excellent news for Avios redemptions, as Qatar Airways is a British Airways partner in the oneworld alliance.

Qatar Airways A350 Doha
  • If you live outside London, you could now fly from a regional airport to Doha on Qatar Airways and then on to Dubai or Abu Dhabi
  • If you want to save on Avios and taxes (and have lots of time) you could position to Germany – or another country within 3000 miles of Doha – and take advantage of cheaper Avios rates for the long haul leg

How much will Qatar Airways redemptions cost?

There is a small snag.

(The big snag is that you can’t use a British Airways American Express 2-4-1 companion voucher on Qatar Airways. There is a small snag too though.)

Here is the Avios redemption chart for partner airlines like Qatar Airways:

Reward flight prices on BA partner airlines (plus taxes, fees and carrier charges)
Zone Distance Economy Premium Economy Business Class First Class
1* 1—650 miles 6,000 9,000 12,500 24,000
2 651—1,150 miles 9,000 12,500 16,500 33,000
3 1,150—2,000 miles 11,000 16,500 22,000 44,000
4 2,001—3,000 miles 13,000 25,750 38,750 51,500
5 3,001—4,000 miles 20,750 41,250 61,000 82,500
6 4,001—5,500 miles 25,750 51,500 77,250 103,000
7 5,501—6,500 miles 31,000 62,000 92,750 123,750
8 6,501—7,000 miles 36,250 72,250 108,250 144,250
9 7,001+ miles 51,500 103,000 154,500 206,000
* zone 1 does not apply to internal flights in North America
North America 1—650miles 7,500 – 15,000 30,000

London to Doha is 3,200 miles, so a Business Class redemption is 61,000 Avios each way.

Doha to Dubai is 110 miles, so if you slum it in Economy for a few minutes it will cost you 6,000 Avios each way.

This means a total of 67,000 Avios each way.

What would British Airways cost?

A one-way flight from London to Dubai on BA is 50,000 Avios on an off-peak date and 60,000 Avios on a peak date.

Note that partner airline redemptions do not have off-peak dates.

This means that the Qatar Airways option is noticeably more expensive if you are flying on a BA off-peak date, but there isn’t much in it on a peak date.

What if you fly from Frankfurt or similar?

Frankfurt to Doha is 2,800 miles, so a Business Class redemption is just 38,750 Avios each way.

Doha to Dubai is 110 miles, so the Economy connection will cost you 6,000 Avios each way.

This means a total of 44,750 Avios each way.

This means SUBSTANTIAL savings over using British Airways on a peak date and a modest saving over using British Airways on an off-peak date. Of course, you need to get to Frankfurt or somewhere else in that part of Europe to start your flight ……

Taxes are roughly similar whichever route you choose, although I couldn’t get ba.com to price up Frankurt – Doha – Dubai last night.

Qatar Airways is not British Airways ….

As we have reviewed numerous time, the Qatar Airways Qsuite is head and shoulders above British Airways Club World. You can find our Qsuite reviews on the HfP flight reviews page here.

BA’s new Club Suite (here is our Club Suite guide) is a massive step forward. Qatar Airways still has the edge, especially with food and service, but it is less clear cut.

Conclusion

With British Airways recently announcing that it was dropping Abu Dhabi for good, and Dubai availability being tricky to find at peak times, the return of Qatar Airways to Dubai and Abu Dhabi is a good result for Avios collectors.

How to earn Avios from UK credit cards

How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (April 2024)

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In February 2022, Barclaycard launched two exciting new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards with a bonus of up to 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.

You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:

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There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:

British Airways American Express Premium Plus

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You should also consider the British Airways Accelerating Business credit card. This is open to sole traders as well as limited companies and has a 30,000 Avios sign-up bonus.

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There are also generous bonuses on the two American Express Business cards, with the points converting at 1:1 into Avios. These cards are open to sole traders as well as limited companies.

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Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.

Category

Qatar Airways and Privilege Club

Comments (67)

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

  • Adam says:
    20 Jan20 January 04:14

    Worth noting no foreigners are allowed into Qatar so these unless you’re on one ticket – you can not collect checked luggage at Doha

  • Save East Coast Rewards says:
    20 Jan20 January 04:29

    If you do DOH-DXB in Y don’t you lose out on access to the better lounge (reserved for first class) at DOH (because shorthaul on QR still sells the premium cabin as F)

    • Andrew says:
      20 Jan20 January 05:10

      And on the return journey the very nice lounge (similar to the one in Bangkok) in Dubai. Plus their onboard service, even on a 1 hour flight, blows BA out of the water.

    • Nick G says:
      20 Jan20 January 06:31

      Are you talking cash booking? Or a redemption?

    • John says:
      20 Jan20 January 06:32

      Does QR still sell the same physical seats as F on some routes and J on others?

      I believe DXB was F before, but Rob’s example booking says business.

      Note that business R class fares on QR no longer include lounge access, but BA silver will let you into the crappy business lounge.

      On a temporary basis BA silver in Y currently gets you into Al Mourjan at DOH, even in Y, but not sure how long this will last.

      • Andrew says:
        20 Jan20 January 07:43

        The other lounges in Doha are opening in the next couple of weeks – so not long. But it was confirmed when the new fare types were announced that redemption bookings on BA would continue to get lounge access and seat assignment.

      • Andrew says:
        20 Jan20 January 07:47

        And re seat types – think US domestic first class. It’s a better seat than Club Europe and is marketed as First (so its 60 tier points rather than 40, and Al Safwa lounge access). In normal times, a couple of the flights a day were on a 787, so you get the long haul business seat then (like how BA put a 777 on MAD).

        • Big Al says:
          20 Jan20 January 08:39

          The Al Safwa lounge makes a short haul F well worth it, if you enjoy doing that sort of thing for fun, because you value the experience rather than seeking minimum cost. I flew DOH-MCT which gives you a bit longer to enjoy the flight, but I did it for the lounge.

          Enjoyed my private room and all the rest of it.

          If you’re really lucky you’ll get to ride the first class airport bus.

        • The real John says:
          20 Jan20 January 13:01

          But QR markets the forward cabin as Business on some routes, even as the same plane is used for other routes on which it is marketed as First.

          The screenshots from the BA booking page state “Business” but from what I remember, if it was marketed as First BA would require F amounts of avios??

          I visited Al Safwa on DOH-MCT in 2018 and it was rather underwhelming, service like how Al Mourjan was in 2016.

  • Platinum Remoaner says:
    20 Jan20 January 04:47

    these flights are gonna get rammed (post pandemic)

  • Rjn21 says:
    20 Jan20 January 05:11

    Always good to have another option again. Back when the QR lounge was open in DXB, it was very good.

    Given the new business class unbundling by QR, does a BA redemption on QR get lounge access (were they to be open)?

    • Nik says:
      20 Jan20 January 09:07

      Yes, award redemptions and/or tickets issued by BA (or any other OW airline) still get Al Mourjan lounge access if it’s a business class ticket. Unbundled fares only an issue if the ticket has been issued by QR and if it’s in R class.

  • Andrew says:
    20 Jan20 January 05:14

    The real story here is that when more normal times return, revenue flights from the U.K. to Dubai via Doha are likely to be aggressively priced compared to EK and BA and get you 400 tier points (compared to 280 on BA).

    • Nik says:
      20 Jan20 January 21:42

      I wasn’t into the whole frequent flyer and TPs “game” back when QR used to operate before the blockade. What were the fares like for UK – DXB (via DOH) and ex-EU? 🙂

      • Rob says:
        20 Jan20 January 23:58

        All Qatar fares were peanuts at that point (£800-£900 ex-EU to Asia) but those days are gone.

  • pigeon says:
    20 Jan20 January 05:30

    If it’s LHR-FRA-DOH-DXB with the short haul in economy I’d rather just pay for WT+ and use the avios for something else.

    • John says:
      20 Jan20 January 06:23

      +1 don’t understand why you would turn an 8 hour journey into a 15 hour journey plus with checked bags you have to wander through the maze of FRA on the outbound.

      • Nick G says:
        20 Jan20 January 06:34

        Q suites? I agree though I hate FRA, done QR in J 3 times now from there. While I don’t regret it up in the air when we have to travel through the airport i always chunter never again. Never met more unfriendly miserable staff at the airport. Last time we had to use the LH lounge as well which wasn’t a great start

        • John says:
          20 Jan20 January 06:39

          But you still only get to spend 5 hours in the Q suite out of a 15 hour journey.

        • ChrisW says:
          20 Jan20 January 10:31

          The faff tends to be forgotten about once you put your feet up and sip that first glass of champagne!

        • kitten says:
          20 Jan20 January 11:08

          Same here every time I have had to be in FRA airport.

          Mind you I had to fly out of Berlin Schoenefeld a few times and that airport still felt a bit like it had original East German functionaries even recently.

          Anyone flown out of the new BER airport yet and can report? Geographically is it same area as Schoenefeld?

          • John says:
            20 Jan20 January 11:49

            It’s basically an insanely expensive, hugely delayed, lack luster designed extension to the existing airport (where easyJet and Ryanair have stayed put).

            Miss Tegel.

    • Dev says:
      20 Jan20 January 06:24

      It does seem a bit of a faff to do 2 stops en-route to Dubai when a direct premium Economy day flight serves the purpose. It’s only 6.5 hrs to Dubai or something very similar. My wife would kill me for dragging her and my 3 year old through 2 airports even if it were in J!

      • Dev says:
        20 Jan20 January 06:25

        However, for a TP run, I’m all over the extra leg and traveling on Qatar!

        • John says:
          20 Jan20 January 06:35

          Can’t do a TP run on redemptions which this article is about… Don’t need to worry about the distance on paid flights and I’d go somewhere more interesting than FRA

        • Yuff says:
          20 Jan20 January 07:25

          Me too, lots of options
          Flying ex eu cash or redemption options up many opportunities and BA gold may be worth having in a couple of years

      • ChrisW says:
        20 Jan20 January 12:16

        I agree. One stop is worth the faff, two stops is pushing it.

        • Rob says:
          20 Jan20 January 12:23

          And many other readers might fancy a day in Berlin or Frankfurt followed by the experience that is Qatar Qsuite, a quick tour of Doha airport (or even Doha itself if open by then) and then on to Dubai. Horse for courses.

          I would stick my family on in London and change in Doha – we changed in Zurich on the way to Dubai last month. We’re not going via Germany I admit.

          • Nick G says:
            20 Jan20 January 13:30

            Or like we did last year flew via BA redemption from Heathrow to Frankfurt, a day exploring. Next day flew Qsuite out and A380 with an empty bar on the eat back so we could specifically spend a flight in luxury. Then spent the following 10 nights in Doha much to the surprise of the crew…

            Why? Guaranteed sun, great hotel and club lounge and total relaxation..

            Might not appeal to everyone as a holiday but even with our 6 yr old splitting up the trip effectively to Heathrow and some plane spotting, a day in a different city and then being spoilt rotten for several hours on the aircraft, followed by 10 nights of being total gluttons appeals to us!

    • Andrew says:
      20 Jan20 January 07:50

      Depends if you enjoy the journey – I do. And Qatar make it very enjoyable. I’d trade WT+ for QR J any day for a longer route.

      • Russ says:
        20 Jan20 January 10:26

        Totally agree with you Andrew. Sure more availability will open but there’s always been a scramble for Christmas flights. Actually, not sure if they even release award seats to/from UK so if availability is there may be worth grabbing seats and hope for a FTV. Now all we need are the A380’s back in the sky and it will be like old times #savetheA380

        And of course for regulars to Doha – no more all around the Wrekin trips to Dubai for a pork fix!

      • The Savage Squirrel says:
        20 Jan20 January 13:20

        Will be popular here I’m sure. HfP commenters will skew heavily towards the plane-experience-enthusiast though.
        In totality, airport lounges are less pleasant than your preferred local dining pub (if not, you need to find a better pub) which up until 2020 was available any time you wanted at very modest cost. OK, maybe Al Safwa is a different level (although it’s brutalist and soulless in the extreme), but 95%+ or lounges. Most people, quite rightly, do not get excited about them.
        95%+ of the general population, if you offered them this, but they loose 6 hours in airport transit each way (so basically a day of their holiday in total), would run a mile and think you were insane. The A380 experiment has shown that point-to-point beats a better experience but with stopovers every time.
        Never forget that the HfP comment section readership is not “normal”. 😀 😀 :D.

        • The Savage Squirrel says:
          20 Jan20 January 13:21

          Should clarify I was talking about UK to-FRA-DOH-DXB here; weird threading strikes 🙂

  • Nick G says:
    20 Jan20 January 06:36

    Oh and rob I can hardly find any availability. Certainly not beyond March time……maybe it’s not fully loaded yet?

  • Anon says:
    20 Jan20 January 08:16

    Apart from the actual business seats – what else does an Avios redemption in Business class get you?
    Lounge access, extra weight? Do seats have massage feature? Chauffeur transfer? Avios gained from the journey?

    • T says:
      20 Jan20 January 08:27

      Yea lounges and luggage. Oh and the right to brag to you friends and insta followers that you flew qsuite? I mean that’s gotta be priceless no? 🤣

    • Rob says:
      20 Jan20 January 09:24

      Lounge in Doha.

      When they go back to 3-class planes with First Class on this route then, oddly, First redemptions – despite the monster number of Avios needed – will be interesting again because you can visit the F lounge in Doha.

      • TGLoyalty says:
        20 Jan20 January 09:37

        They were two class planes. Business was just sold as First class.

        • Andrew says:
          20 Jan20 January 10:10

          Yes that’s not correct Rob – it was only ever a 2 class route with business class marketed as First Class in the way that US airlines do domestically. Remembering that QR’s only 3 class aircraft is A380 which wasn’t rostered on this route – usually A320 and occasionally a 787. Many times I flew from the UK to Dubai, via Doha netting 140+60 tier points each way as the short route is First class rather than the 40 if it was a business route of that length – and also Al Safwa lounge access. And as there were so many flights a day to Dubai, you could time it so you booked an inbound flight to Doha to arrive about midnight from the UK – get your private room in Al Safwa and then a mid-morning flight to Dubai.

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