Qatar – Avios redemption in Business Class

[steve7612]

I’m looking at making an avios redemption for a Qatar flight connecting through Doha as it appears to be quite good value. Couple of questions that I can’t seem to figure out:

What is the lounge experience at Doha like? Which lounge would I have access to?
Do I get seat selection?
One leg would be Q-suite and the other non (would I be disappointed or is it still equal or better to equivalent BA / Virgin business products?)

I’m BA Bronze if that matters for the seat selection.

[Blair Waldorf Salad]

Don’t spend anything on a redemption flight till you’ve fully acquainted yourself with QR’s lounge offering, its very varied on-board seating, its service, etc. Many reviews on this site and Youtube that will inform you in a way short forum responses can’t. If you have residual specific comments then they’re worth asking in the forum. But if I were you I’d fully read myself in on Qatar before booking

[NorthernLass]

FYI, if you book via the QR site you’ll have to contact them for seat selection as your BA status doesn’t transfer to your QR account. It’s a PITA!

[kiley]

Qatar is a by far a superior experience to BA. In flight and in lounge at Doha. QSuite is, IMHO one of the best seats in the sky, with the best service.

Even the suits (Qsuite light) on the dreamliners are a great product.

they do have equipment changes so don’t bank on a q suite. But either way, I would choose Qatar over BA all day long. And over Emirates currently.

I can’t comment on VA as I’m yet to sample. next year I’ll be booking a VA flight as I’m getting fed up with BA.

I know people on thie forum rave about BA, but honestly after my last three long haul trips with BA, in the last 12 months, i am now voting with my feet and using only ba for 241 redemptions

[Peggerz]

I flew with Qatar last year on an Avios redemption and would do so again. We flew UK-Qatar-Far East and used A350, B777 and B787 in a mix of Qsuites, reverse herringbone and (after an equipment change!) 7 across old business product. I have no One World status but got immediate seat selection on booking and we used the Al Mourjan lounge in DOH. I thought it was a bit meh, too busy and not easy to get seats. The airport was very busy.

[NorthernLass]

@Peggerz, did you book via BA or QR website? I had to be quite persistent about getting seat selection as BA Silver, but my bookings are both in economy – so maybe you get free seat selection from the time of booking in business?

[Peggerz]

NorthernLass wrote:

@Peggerz, did you book via BA or QR website? I had to be quite persistent about getting seat selection as BA Silver, but my bookings are both in economy – so maybe you get free seat selection from the time of booking in business?

Hi @NorthernLass. I booked on the Qatar site, travelling in business.

[VALittleRed]

NorthernLass wrote:

@Peggerz, did you book via BA or QR website? I had to be quite persistent about getting seat selection as BA Silver, but my bookings are both in economy – so maybe you get free seat selection from the time of booking in business?

Once you’ve booked via Qatar, can you not change the frequent flyer info to your BA number so you get your status benefits?

[Blair Waldorf Salad]

VALittleRed wrote:

NorthernLass wrote:

@Peggerz, did you book via BA or QR website? I had to be quite persistent about getting seat selection as BA Silver, but my bookings are both in economy – so maybe you get free seat selection from the time of booking in business?

Once you’ve booked via Qatar, can you not change the frequent flyer info to your BA number so you get your status benefits?

I will give this a go and let you know. I have an AA redemption on QR in J cabins. And I am wary of being downgraded at the last minute (Flyertalk has me spooked) and thus needing to rely on my BA Gold status to rescue me from the full blast of the Y experience (though I’d rather not fly at all).

[Indy500]

Booked LHR-> SIN Business on Qatar via BA.com using household Avios. I’m Silver and have linked accounts. Went straight to Qatar site, loaded the flight and choose the seats. Worked well, which is saying something bearing in mind the IT of both airlines!!

[NigelHamilton]

It’s worth noting that if you book on QR (I have no BA or QR status) you can choose your seat for free, in business certainly. AND, the reward availability on the QR website seems to be better than on BA.com – I booked MAN-DAR on QR in business over Oct half-term (and could have gone from London or Birmingham), where there was no availability at all showing on BA for QR flights.

However I would advise transferring your avios to the QR account before booking, although in theory it linked with BA it didn’t work with the avios in BA’s pot and ended up having to get my first booking’s taxes refunded. Worked straight away after I’d transferred the avios to QR second time round.

[DonLee]

You don’t need status to get seat selection on Qatar if booked in business class and doesn’t matter which site you book

[marks7389]

Having booked two redemption seats using my QR account, I managed to attach my wife’s BA Executive Club membership via the Qatar App (not the website). Wouldn’t accept mine though, presumably because it attached my QR membership by default. In the end I couldn’t find any way around it other than calling them.

We haven’t travelled yet, but generally speaking the business class hard product is reckoned to be much better than BA. The exceptions are the A330s and older config 777s which have 2-2-2 seating and therefore no direct aisle access for the Window seats.

The best seating on the QSuite 777s/A350s and new 787-9s. The 787-8s and A380s have the Collins Super Diamond – same as BA Club Suite but without the door. Flights to/from Heathrow tend to be 777s with QSuite or A380s.

Soft product is reportedly miles better than BA.

[steve7612]

Im surprised about the second comment, I’ve read many reviews and struggling to find many a bad word (except maybe lounge in Doha being too busy).

To update…. We’ve now booked as the alternative is economy on a cash fare coming out a very high price. I booked on BA then immediately went to Qatar to load the booking and selected my seats for free.

[NorthernLass]

I was scrambling to get award seats DOH-MAN for Xmas period so ended up settling for economy via QR as business was double avios and BA doesn’t get availability until after QR. Happy enough as it’s only 7 hours and we still have lounge access and exit row seats (though I know the latter could change!) New to QR so hopefully I’ll get better at maximising award bookings!

Also – we are doing the short hop DXB-DOH in economy on QR, mid-trip, I assume as BA Silver flying on a OW airline we will have lounge access at DXB?

[marks7389]

NorthernLass wrote:

Also – we are doing the short hop DXB-DOH in economy on QR, mid-trip, I assume as BA Silver flying on a OW airline we will have lounge access at DXB?

Looks like the Marhaba Lounge or The Gallery & Cadiz Lounge for Sapphire status holders, depending on terminal:

https://www.oneworld.com/airport-lounges?location=DXB

[QFFlyer]

kiley wrote:

I can’t comment on VA as I’m yet to sample. next year I’ll be booking a VA flight as I’m getting fed up with BA.

I think you’ll find Virgin Australia and British Airways don’t overlap much in terms of route network. VS on the other hand… 😉