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Forums Frequent flyer programs British Airways Executive Club Qatar Airways redemptions

  • bomba 42 posts

    Hi,
    Id like to book a qatar business redemption to asia but it seems like a myth, was there any more clarification on how they release seats?
    Seem to only find 2x avios ones.

    TIA

    PointsChaser 40 posts

    Hi,
    Id like to book a qatar business redemption to asia but it seems like a myth, was there any more clarification on how they release seats?
    Seem to only find 2x avios ones.

    TIA

    I booked a return to BKK for 150,000 Avios. Flight will be in January and I booked last April.

    NorthernLass 10,476 posts

    QR seem to be only releasing 2 x avios seats on peak dates from anecdotes here – if you’re trying to book for the summer holiday period next year this might be what’s happening.

    Certainly when I was looking for DOH-MAN for late December I was only seeing the double pricing in business class. Went for standard economy pricing in the end as it’s direct to MAN and only 7 hours or so.

    BJ 738 posts

    Yes, this seems to be the case, certainly for popular destinations. I searched daily since 15 July for EDI-BKK for July or August 24. J and F are always 2x avios or unavailable. Now hoping things will change for September. I successfully booked for Xmas and NY a few months ago.

    Amy C 394 posts

    I’ve been almost fanatical in my searching for Oz for a couple of weeks from every departure point in the UK and most of Europe. Searching several times a day for several dates. Not seen ONE that’s available. They have all been 2x. Don’t know who can be getting them or how.

    Aston100 1,728 posts

    4 days before my flight to Bangkok in late July, a bunch of F seats opened up DOH > BKK return (4 – 6 days in advance of those flights I think – i.e. there were F seats available in 4, 5 and 6 days time from when I did my search).
    I don’t know how, but this suddenly led to me being able to book BHX > BKK return at regular x1 price. Even better, the F sectors priced up the same as the J sectors.
    So it cost 150k return pp. 787-8 reverse herringbone BHX > DOH (and back) and F on an a380 DOH > BKK (and back).

    I was checking every single day from the moment it was announced that Qatar were returning to BHX. Sometimes twice a day. At no point prior to 4 days before my flight date did any standard avios reward seats open up for any peak date / English school holiday date for the next 11 months from BHX to DOH, or from BHX to a number of SE Asia destinations.
    Given that Qatar had been absent from BHX for about 3 years, there is absolutely no way all available reward seats on peak dates had been snapped up from the date when they announced their return (about 3 months in advance of their first flight out of BHX this year).

    Qatar apparently tell HfP that they don’t blackout dates. They are lying.

    BJ 738 posts

    @Amy, can you get to BKK, SIN or KUL on your required dates? Possibly combine with Air Asia X, Scoot or other cheepo into Oz. There had been some nudiness availability on Cx from HK to Melbourne via Alaska MP if ypu can get the poibts via amex and/or Bonvoy.

    @Aston good result and thanks for highlighting. Weirdly F did mot price same as J for flight back in January while it had on all previous occasions.

    Amy C 394 posts

    @Amy, can you get to BKK, SIN or KUL on your required dates? Possibly combine with Air Asia X, Scoot or other cheepo into Oz. There had been some nudiness availability on Cx from HK to Melbourne via Alaska MP if ypu can get the poibts via amex and/or Bonvoy.

    @Aston good result and thanks for highlighting. Weirdly F did mot price same as J for flight back in January while it had on all previous occasions.

    Not sure, only really going because I want to take advantage of QR J class all the way so would defeat the object really. :/

    bomba 42 posts

    So seems like everyone has different experiences and its ultra random haha, guessing my best bet is to check everyday?

    meta 1,720 posts

    It seems that even less popular routes don’t get released. I’ve been trying ICN, MNL and PVG since the beginning of July every and nothing is being released for next summer.

    The real Swiss Tony 941 posts

    There’s definitely some availability! Birmingham to Hanoi on Jan 18th at standard rates in J.

    There’s also some married segment stuff going on, which does nothing to help you find the spaces but they are there.

    Aston100 1,728 posts

    There’s definitely some availability! Birmingham to Hanoi on Jan 18th at standard rates in J.

    There’s also some married segment stuff going on, which does nothing to help you find the spaces but they are there.

    That reminds me, I forgot I booked a multi city from Heathrow to Ho Chi Minh, and back to Brum from Hanoi. This is outside school holiday dates and for regular avios pricing in J.
    School holiday dates before and after had zero availability, and continues to be that way right up to today.

    So to be clear, my negativity is regarding standard priced Avios availability to SE Asia in premium cabins during peak / English school holiday dates. It is sometimes possible to get availability to SE Asia outside those dates.

    EDIT: I genuinely forgot I had this booked and am quite pleased now. Thanks for the heads-up Tony!

    memesweeper 1,546 posts

    Qatar apparently tell HfP that they don’t blackout dates. They are lying.

    “terminological inexactitude” perhaps… they told Rob (IIRC, and I might be misquoting) that some award seats would be made available on every flight. Indeed, it seems they might be, just not at the normal pricing, whereas normal pricing is what Rob (and readers) would have interpreted from their statement.

    JABS 24 posts

    I got SIN-DOH-LHR and CDG-DOH-SIN as two separate bookings in J, both at 75,000 each for this October. But I booked last October.

    When the seats first became available (it’s is 360 days?) they were 2x and then a few days later, when BA bookings open up (is that 355 days?), they changed to 1x for a few days. This happened for both flights which were booked one week apart. Could have just been coincidence but that could be a potential searching strategy.

    Hertsman 12 posts

    We are heading to Australia on 4 Oct. These were booked via BA early Nov last year.
    We booked LHR-DOH-PER and BNE-DOH-LHR as two separate bookings, in J. 90,000 Avios each.

    (Internal flights PER-BNE booked on QF, in J. 38,750 Avios each)

    TH 31 posts

    I booked ADL-DOH-LHR for early February 2024 (one way), 355 days ahead. Standard pricing for Business Class at 90,000 Avios each.

    Had the same experience as JABS – double Avios reward flights were available on the Qatar website from about 360 days ahead and then the same flights changed to standard Avios 355 days ahead.

    I know that standard Qatar reward flights have been very few and far between for weeks.

    bomba 42 posts

    @JABS @TH
    The 355 days you mention is that midnight on the dot UK time or what timezone or was it a random time you was booking?

    JABS 24 posts

    I think it was random times. I was looking in the morning SGT though, so probably not long after midnight GMT.

    Wish Qatar was on SeatSpy!!

    The real Swiss Tony 941 posts

    Just to add, in addition to married segment chaos, QR award availability also varies depending whether it’s a one way or return booking. Which probably explains why SeatSpy couldn’t cope as there must be some very odd sub-class goings on here.

    NigelHamilton 246 posts

    I booked MAN-DOH-DAR in May for October half term. The second leg is only shown as being available if the first one is (Manchester wouldn’t be my first choice airport). Try Birmingham or Cardiff as the starting point, or a destination in Europe perhaps?

    bomba 42 posts

    @JABS
    So 355 days say today midnight, 9th September theoretically 30th August booking should be available?

    JABS 24 posts

    @JABS
    So 355 days say today midnight, 9th September theoretically 30th August booking should be available?

    Well I just checked this morning SGT and there was nothing available. It really does seem that QR are not releasing much on Asia-EU routes. Also checked a return based on 7 day trip and nothing showing either.

    Also seems you can’t look at 360 days either any more, at least for me it just shows ‘Not Available’ from 30th Aug 2024 onwards with just economy redemption seats at 29 Aug or the odd x2 award (but not usually at great times) so doesn’t look like QR redemptions are too great to be honest.

    SBIre 187 posts

    I booked London to SGN and HAN back to London for this November without much difficulty. One tip is to make sure you search sector by sector. It doesn’t take long to find the 1x fares and combine them

    Aston100 1,728 posts

    It doesn’t take long to find the 1x fares and combine them

    Have you actually read the comments from those who have been searching for a long time on this thread and on other threads?
    Your individual experience is the exception.

    bomba 42 posts

    @JABS
    So 355 days say today midnight, 9th September theoretically 30th August booking should be available?

    Well I just checked this morning SGT and there was nothing available. It really does seem that QR are not releasing much on Asia-EU routes. Also checked a return based on 7 day trip and nothing showing either.

    Also seems you can’t look at 360 days either any more, at least for me it just shows ‘Not Available’ from 30th Aug 2024 onwards with just economy redemption seats at 29 Aug or the odd x2 award (but not usually at great times) so doesn’t look like QR redemptions are too great to be honest.

    Same I kept refreshing around midnight and sadly couldn’t get the flights, hopefully closer to the time it opens up would have been nice to have them booked now,

    For me 360 days works at the moment but if you’re looking at the 360th day at midnight it doesnt work you have to give it some time annoyingly. Wish their process was a lot easier and a lot more transparent regarding redemptions

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