Qatar QSuites are by most measures an excellent business class experience. Since Qatar Airways is a member of the Oneworld Alliance, there are several loyalty programs where redemptions for business class awards are a decent value. Historically American Airlines was among the best options, especially for US to Africa awards, which cost 75,000 miles for flights. On Qatar, this means connections in Doha, and possibly both flights in QSuites. Thanks to a scoop and a good summary by ThriftyTraveler, there is now another good option to book awards in Qatar Airways business class.
Using American Airlines miles is still probably the best value for awards on Qatar airways, especially for lower taxes/fees. But what if you don’t have AA miles? Due to limited transfer partners, there aren’t many ways to earn AA miles other than by flying. With British Airways Avios, miles can be transferred in from Chase, Amex and Capital One, plus transferred between Avios partner programs like Iberia, and now Qatar.
Qatar QSuites – an excellent way to fly
I recently reported on my first experience in Qatar Airways QSuites. In addition, I have another long delayed trip coming up soon that will give me another chance to try out the product. Stay tuned for that.
Instead of British Airways typical distanced based pricing, the Avios cost matches what Qatar charges. Here are some examples of awards on Qatar using British Airways Avios with random dates:
70,000 Avios plus $101.85 for one-way tickets between Chicago and Doha.
Same cost for flight from Seattle to Doha.
Taxes/fees are a bit higher for flights to the US, but still pretty reasonable.
Connecting itineraries are more, but in most cases still not terribly expensive, and cheaper than they used to be when booking with BA.
More options is a good thing
Booking award travel is undoubtedly a complicated process. This news does add to that complication, but I firmly believe that having more options is a positive. Looking to book award travel on Qatar Airways? Check prices on various programs, using AA miles, British Airways Avios, and now Qatar Avios. Remember that Avios are transferrable between programs (BA, IB, and QR), and once accounts are linked, are instant.
With the ease of these transfers, these awards could be booked using either BA or QR Avios, so be sure to check each program to find the best pricing.
Final thoughts
A big fan of Qatar Airways premium products in flight. Having more options to redeem miles to experience it is a good thing. There seems to be some good values to be had using BA Avios, which are generally easier to earn than AA miles via transferable point programs.
