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30+ Essential Qatar Airways Tips and Tricks

Flying Qatar Airways? Our dedicated page lists everything you need to know to get the best fares and cheap business class and upgrades.
Updated 7 July 2024

Summary
Key Highlights
  • Know when to book the cheapest flights and get more Avios (Qatar Airways' frequent flyer points)
  • Never miss out on redeeming Avios for free flights and upgrades
  • Redeem First Class award flights for the same Avios as a Business Class ticket

Upgrades on your mind?
Our popular no-nonsense guide to airline upgrades explains everything you need to know about how upgrades work.

Before You Book

Join Privilege Club, the Qatar Airways Frequent Flyer Program

​If you’re not already a member, it pays to join before booking any fares. Firstly, you’ll earn bonus Avios for taking your first flight. Secondly, you will be able to register for offers in the membership section. Many sale airfares in the past have offered double or triple Avios, but you’ll need to register before you book. Lastly, Avios are credited to your account when you check in for a flight and you can redeem them at Doha Duty Free. 

You will get 0.65 US cents per Avios redeemed, which is about 0.01 cent NZD per Avios. A return economy class flight from Auckland to London will earn around 12,000 Avios, which is worth around NZ$120. You can sign up to Privilege Club when you book a flight to ensure the booking reference/ticket is associated/linked to the account.

Be Aware: Some departure cities offer much cheaper tickets than others

This is certainly the case within Europe. Qatar Airways has 20+ European destinations, but fares vary tremendously depending on where you depart from, especially in premium cabins. The known cheaper tickets apply to departures from Oslo (Norway) and Stockholm (Sweden), as well as Sofia (Bulgaria) and Brussels (Belgium). If you're flexible and don't mind half a day of extra flying to save thousands in tickets, this may work for you. This applies to both Economy and Business fares. 
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​Wait for the right sale - book your flights during a bonus Avios promotion

Qatar Airways frequently runs sales. The best tip is to wait for the better sales. If it’s leisure travel you are booking, we highly recommend waiting for a sale - you can subscribe to the Qatar Airways newsletter to be alerted to sales taking place. 

Travelling for leisure? Look for a new route sale to grab a bargain

Qatar Airways frequently announces new destinations, usually 5-10 per year. ​If you're flexible and open to new options for a holiday, you can save a lot of money by flying in the first month or two of their services. Subscribe to the Qatar Airways newsletter to be in the know when new destinations go on sale.

Flying to Europe? Business class is competitively priced ex Auckland

Throughout 2023 and 2024, our research team has observed fares for around $4,500 one-way to key destinations. 

​Consider a stopover in Doha; a free stop for up to 14 days is permitted on most airfares

Don’t like long haul flights? A stop over in Doha for one night will break up a journey (but it’s impossibly hot from June to September, so take that into consideration). The airport is little over 10 minutes in a taxi from downtown. You can explore the ambitious Museum of Islamic Art, Souq Wafiq and walk around the corniche. You can get a taste of the region from locals and expat favourites Parisa (Persian food) and Bandar Aden (Yemeni). Visas are free for most nationalities. 

Qatar Airways offers a stopover package with high quality and deeply discounted hotels - details are on their website.

​Be aware that you won’t get a hotel for layovers in Doha < 8 hours (and some fares don’t allow any free accommodation)

Qatar Airways has a strict rule – tickets with stopovers of less than 8 hours are ineligible for free hotels and food etc. If the only flight you can get has a stopover for longer than 8 hours, call Qatar Airways and ask them if you’re eligible for a free stopover. Or check the ticket rules by looking at your ticket and clicking "stopover" as per the example below. 
 
If there are earlier connecting flights but the fares are more expensive, waiting for a cheaper flight does not make you eligible for free accommodation either. If in doubt, call Qatar Airways.

​Check Flyertalk’s Specialist thread

Check the useful Flyertalk thread Qatar Airways flight deals. It gives a good overview of the latest airfare promotions and the latest news about Qatar Airways. You can ask questions and an active community will most likely reply. 

During the Booking Process

Book a flight online via Qatarairways.com and log in to your Privilege Club account first

​Online travel agencies may charge 3-5% less than Qatar Airways’ website, but if you want to change a flight or cancel altogether, you’ll pay fees on top of the fees Qatar Airways charges. The online travel agent can also hold you to ransom and extort a high fee, or not offer changes at all. Some online travel agents can state the ticket you book is “non-changeable, non-refundable” even if it is. You’ll also earn bonus Avios and/or Qpoints under any promotion.

Look for discount codes

Often buried in an email or sale promotion is a PROMO code. Just search a page for “code” to find them. They offer 5-20% off existing sale fares, so will save more money.
 
MoneyHub user Dave emailed: "We were booking return flights from Auckland to Amsterdam this year and found a discount code; this saved an extra 5%, which was a $400 saving". 

Choose your seats online, but know you can ask for exit seats at check in

Qatar Airways makes it clear - Standard Seats are complimentary for most fare types. They include window, aisle and middle seats, and exclude exit and front row seats. If you are travelling in Economy Comfort or Economy Convenience, you can select a Standard Seat from the moment you book your flight. If you are travelling in Economy Classic, you can select a Standard Seat for a fee.

Know This: If you want a shot at an exit row seat (with free benefits such as extra leg room and being the first to get served food) then get to check in 3 hours early, as they’re available on a first come first served basis (with families travelling with babies taking priority). 

Pre-Flight

​Consider upgrading if you receive an email offer 3-7 days before your flight

Many airlines offer upgrade bidding, but Qatar Airways offers a fixed price with no uncertainty. The airline emails passengers a week before their flight with an offer to upgrade to Business Class if there is space available. Examples shown below include Auckland to Doha for US$900 and Doha to London for US$700.

We recommend considering it for long haul routes (i.e. anything over 6-7 hours) if you’re comfortable with the price. Please be aware you won't get the perks of lounge access and the Avios and tier points you earn will be in line with the original ticket.

Want exit row seats? You’ll need to get to the airport early

​As we mentioned above, if you want a shot at an exit row seat then get to check in 3 hours early. There is no guarantee you’ll get one, but it’s worth asking. If not, ask how full the flight is – you may be able bag 2-3-4 seats to yourself if it’s a quiet day.

Pack NOT to exceed the baggage allowances

Qatar Airways offers a generous 30kg per person on most routes in Economy class, but if you're 1kg over things get very expensive. You can check in as many pieces as you want, but the limit is strict. Frequent flyers get extra allowances, but don't risk thinking you can sweet talk the check in agent - you won't be allowed to travel with overweight baggage unless you're prepared to pay the fees - a steep US$40/kg per kilogram (and more if you're travelling further).

​Check your credit card for lounge access, or consider buying it

Lounge access has never been cheaper, with many banks and credit cards offering it with certain banking packages. If you don’t have access, don’t worry. A simple Google of “lounge access + your airport name” will throw up a lot of deals and offers. In the UK, prices start from £15, and throughout Europe the standard price is 25-30 Euros. Considering an airport drink and sandwich will set you back a lot more than normal, 3 hours of lounge access can be an investment worth making. You’ll be a lot more relaxed showing up for your flight.

​Use the same lounge as Qatar Airways for free

If you're set on purchasing lounge access, Qatar Airways uses third party lounges for almost all of its destinations. If you want to be called when first and business passengers are, search your airport here and look for the airport you’re flying from and the Qatar Airways logo. Many of the lounges listed sell lounge access, but some don't.

In-Flight

Business and First Class

The service in Qatar Airways premium cabins is award-winning and a dine-on-demand service. We recommend letting the experience unfold. We've added a few helpful tips to make it a little bit better.  
  1. Reserve a meal in advance: Once you board and receive your menu, you do have the option of reserving a meal that you'd like to have. This prevents the risk of missing out if too many are ordered by other passengers. If you want that mezze in 12 hours time before you land, order it before you take off.  
  2. Sit back, relax: Qatar Airways offers dine-on-demand on all services, so you can decide when you eat. If you'd like less interruptions, pick seats at the back of the cabin - there tends to be far less foot traffic going past your seat. 
  3. Get changed into PJs before takeoff: For the ultimate in comfort, nip into the bathrooms before the doors close - many passengers have a habit of changing as soon as the seatbelt signs go off, which means you'll wait a little longer. 

Economy Class

Again, Qatar Airways' Economy service helped the airline win the award for Skytrax's Airline of the Year in 2024. We recommend letting the experience unfold and include a few helpful tips to make it a little bit better. 
  1. All flights are better with noise cancellation headphones: Forget the brand names, you can get a working set for around US$30 from Amazon. These will reduce the aircraft noise and let you hear (and enjoy) the in-flight entertainment infinitely better. 
  2. Visit the crew for a snack and drink: Qatar Airways is fairly generous with offering snacks and drinks throughout the flight, but if you visit the galley you can help yourself. You can ask for something you'd like (chocolate bar, fruit etc) and what drink (alcoholic and non-alcoholic). It also gives you a break from your seat. 
  3. Sign up for Privilege Club: The crew are encouraged to get enrollments for the Qatar Airways frequent flyer program. If you're not a member, sign up on board.  

Arrival and Transit

Doha Hamad International Airport is a high-spec transit hub and more like Singapore Changi Airport than Dubai, Los Angeles or London Heathrow

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​Eligible for a free stopover? Bring the confirmation and get on your way as quickly as possible

Upon arriving in Doha, proceed directly to the Qatar Airways Transit desk which you'll see before you go through the main security check. Make sure you have all of your documents with you and make a note of our key things to know:
  • In most cases, you won't have access to your checked in luggage as it is in transit. Make sure to pack what you'll need for your transit (i.e. sunscreen, spare clothes) in your hand luggage. 
  • You'll get free meals and transfers, but if you need anything else you'll need to pay in USD, QAR (local Qatari currency) and/or by credit card. 
  • The hotels on offer are all over Doha. If you want to see something outside of your room, ask nicely if you can go to a hotel near the Souq. 
  • Be sure to order a wakeup call and make your transfer back - Qatar Airways won't take responsibility if you sleep in and miss your flight. 

​Keep on to your boarding passes

Qatar Airways is reliable in crediting frequent flyer points (Avios) and tier points (Qpoints) automatically, but don’t discard the boarding passes just in case. If you credit your Qatar Airways flights to a partner airline program, you’ll need to keep the boarding passes as proof. 

Long stopover in Doha? Take a free tour

The tours leave 3 times a day and is a recommended escape from Hamad International aka Doha airport. You can sign up at the counter on the ground floor of the retail area (look for the kiosk near the giant yellow bear). The tours last around 3 hours and you’ll see the Museum of Islamic Art, the Doha waterfront (corniche), the Pearl development (luxury shopping and apartments) and Souq Waqif. It's kid friendly, free to do (they offer a complimentary bottle of water) and the tour guide managers the immigration process. 

More details: Qatar Transit Tour
  • Tour Timings: 08:00 | 11:30 | 15:00 | 16:00 | 18:00 | 19:00 | 20:00 | 21:30
  • Frequency: Daily
  • Duration: 3 hours
  • Required Transit Time: 6 hours
  • Meeting Time: 2 hours before the scheduled tour
  • Meeting Point: Discover Qatar desk at Hamad International Airport

Long layover with no hotel? Check out the "quiet rooms"

If you need some peace of quiet, you'll be able to find a reclining seat in the free-to-use Doha airport quiet rooms. Be aware they are separated into male and female rooms, with no exceptions. The seats are not flat but provide enough comfort for a short rest. 

Maximizing Loyalty Perks and Benefits

​Regular flyer? Consider making Qatar Airways you preferred airline

Qatar Airways is a member of the oneworld alliance, meaning frequent flyer benefits transfer to airlines such as Cathay Pacific, Qantas, American Airlines, Japan Airlines and British Airways. By volume of destination and fleet sizes, oneworld is the largest alliance. If you fly from a city served by a few oneworld airlines, it’s worth considering picking Qatar Airways. Most cheap airfares on oneworld airlines are eligible for Qatar Avios and Qpoints.

Flying as family? Consider the Qatar Airways Family Program

Few frequent flyer programs allow what Qatar Airways offers under the family program, and it's especially beneficial if you're a Gold or Platinum member. In summary, a Privilege Club member can nominate up to nine family members and earn 25%-100% of the Avios a family member earns on their own flight, with the % depending on the main member's tier status.

Limitations
You won't earn bonus Avios from online booking promotions, nor will the family member earn their own Avios. But it works well if you're an elite member of Qatar Airways and family members (Spouse, Children and Parents of main member) are flying. It's worth considering if to avoid ending up with a small number of unusable Avios in children's accounts for example. 

​Obtain and Retain oneworld Sapphire with less flights

You’ll need 300 Qpoints to achieve Sapphire, and 235 Qpoints to renew it. A return business class fare from Auckland to Europewill earn 180-294 Qpoints depending on the fare class. If you fly at least a few times for work, Qatar Airways offers a wide network. Further to this, many oneworld airlines earn as many (or more) Qpoints for business class tickets. So achieving Sapphire (or Emerald) and retaining it can be done with two long haul flights and some British Airways, Qantas or American Airlines regional flights.

You’ll need to take four Qatar flights a year to renew your membership so if you can see yourself flying via Doha at least once a year, making Privilege Club your go-to program may make sense. You’ll also get an annual allowance of 40 “Qcredits” which can be used on upgrades (a oneway Auckland-Doha upgrade costs 35 Qcredit for example, where as Europe-Asia one way is 40 Qcredits and covers the two flights taken).

Don’t have enough Avios for an award? Paying the rest can be very cost effective

Qatar sells 1,000 top up Avios for US$30, and you can part pay an airfare (50% of the award ticket to be paid by Avios). This can be advantageous if you have a limited number of Avios and want to fly somewhere and use them all up. 

Take for example a flight from Doha to Auckland. A business class one way award is 70,000 Avios. If you have 40,000 Avios, you can buy 30,000 Avios for US$900. Given an airfare bought in cash would cost over US$3,000 this option may be of use.

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Book award flights in First Class and pay Business Class Avios

If you're wanting an award via Doha, most Middle Eastern destinations don't offer Business Class. However, Qatar Airways lets you fly First Class for the price of Business Class mileage. This is illustrated below for a flight from Auckland to Doha (Business) to Cairo (First).

Upgrade with Avios and/or use QCredits up to 12 months in advance with certainty

You'll need to check award availability before you book a paid ticket (and be flexible) if you want the certainty of a locked-in upgrade at the time of booking a paid ticket. The process is as followed:
  1. Log into Qatar Airways Privilege Club 
  2. Search for the route and date you are thinking about upgrading, ensure to select "Business" or "First" for the cabin.  
  3. The route will show up as either available, not available or available as a "Flexi award". If the route shows available (with no Flexi icon) then there is an award seat available, which you can redeem with your Avios or Qcredits.
  4. If the route shows "Flexi" (as indicated in the second example below) then there is no possibility of an upgrade right now, but things may change closer to the flight. 
  5. You can pick other dates if your preferred date is showing "Flexi". 
  6. Once you have settled on a date, you'll need to book an airfare in a suitable Economy fare class (booking classes "O", "T", and "W" won't be eligible, so book at least K, L, M, N, Q, S, or V). You'll pay more for the ticket overall but be able to upgrade as a result. 
  7. You can then redeem Avios for the upgrade - more details are outlined on the Qatar Airways website. The upgrade will be instant.
  8. If you have any difficulties, call Qatar Airways immediately upon booking (or call them as you book to double check they can see what you see and can upgrade you to the cabin) and ask them to upgrade you. Upgrades are usually processed instantly or within one day - once you're off the phone wait for an email to show the upgraded journey. The agent will assure you the upgrade is confirmed at the end of your call. 
  9. Don't submit it by email, award spaces/upgrade seats go fast - online or over the phone are the only ways to do it. 
  10. If you are not flexible with dates, the next best option is to check 3 days before a flight when Qatar Airways tends to open up more award seats. Failing that, you can ask at the airport and complete a form with the agent if an upgrade is available.
qatar airways qcredits
Qcredits and Avios upgrade redemption permitted - cabin does not show "Flexi" so seat available for upgrade
qatar airways qcredits
Qcredits and Avios upgrade redemption not permitted - cabin shows as "flexi"

Want a free upgrade? Know the pecking order for frequent flyers

On certain flights, Qatar Airways will overbook the Economy cabin. When this happens, Qatar Airways upgrades in (loosely) the following order:
  1. Qatar Airways Platinum Privilege Club members
  2. Qatar Airways Gold Privilege Club members
  3. Qatar Airways Silver Privilege Club members
  4. oneworld Emerald members
  5. oneworld Sapphire members
  6. oneworld Ruby members

Know something we don't?

Have a tip that we haven't covered? Email us and let us know

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