Qatar Airways has launched a monthly reward flight sale: up to 25% off Avios prices, for ten days

If you have any Avios, which I think the vast majority of you do, you're probably going to want to read this.

Qatar Airways has rolled out a new up to 25% off monthly discount scheme on Avios redemptions. This is different to our usual coverage which is usually around Qatar sales to do with purchasing Avios.

The first round of deals has already gone live, so here is everything you need to know about this Qatar Airways Avios sale before this booking window closes.

What exactly is this new Qatar Airways Avios sale?

First things first, Qatar Airways Privilege Club runs on Avios. Because Avios can be moved between a British Airways account and a Qatar Airways Privilege Club account (via avios.com), this new promotion is relevant even if you have never flown Qatar Airways before.

Each month, a fresh batch of routes will be discounted by up to 25%, giving you significantly more value from Avios you may already be sitting on. The first release covers bookings made by 14 August, for travel between 5 August and 30 September.

Based on how the scheme has launched, we expect this ten day booking window followed by a two month travel window to become the standard pattern for future rounds.

How much can you actually save?

The discount knocks off 25% of the Avios price, though Qatar have said that future rounds could be less than 25%.

Because Qatar Airways redemptions already tend to undercut equivalent British Airways pricing, the combined effect is looking quite strong. You can compare the pricing between British Airways and Qatar Airways using our Avios Calculator.

These savings will also apply whether you book a return or a one way ticket.

One way economy pricing between Riyadh and Doha

Which business class routes are included (return pricing)?

Route	Standard Avios Price	Sale Avios Price
Riyadh to Doha	28,000	21,000
Cairo to Doha	52,000	39,000
Colombo to Doha	70,000	52,500
Jakarta to Doha	120,000	90,000
Berlin to Doha	86,000	64,500
Warsaw to Doha	86,000	64,500

Which economy routes are included (return pricing)?

Route	Standard Avios Price	Sale Avios Price
Riyadh to Doha	14,000	10,500
Amman to Doha	26,000	19,500
Munich to Doha	43,000	32,250
Geneva to Doha	43,000	32,250
Larnaca to Doha	35,000	26,250

Does the discount still apply if my trip continues past Doha?

This is where you can get clever. The discount applies to your entire itinerary, not just the flight to/from Doha.

Say you are flying Munich to Doha in economy on 28th August. That sits at the discounted rate of 32,250 Avios return. Now extend that same trip onward to say Colombo, Sri Lanka on the same booking, and because the first part of the route is one of the discounted routes and your travel date falls inside the sale window, the whole journey would drop by 25% of the Avios needed.

In practice, this means you can unlock a 25% saving on a flight to almost anywhere Qatar Airways flies, as long as your journey starts or ends in one of the cities currently on sale.

The problem with this? Good luck finding availability.

Are there any catches worth knowing about?

There always are! A few points of small print to keep in mind before you book:

The prices listed above reflect off peak dates. Peak date travel is still discounted, but you will pay a little more Avios overall.

Flexi Avios seats, the additional inventory Qatar Airways releases at double the standard Avios rate, are excluded from this promotion entirely. This promotion just applies to saver fares, which are limited. You can read our guide to Flexi seats here.

The discount only applies when you are flying on a Qatar Airways plane. Partner airline flights, including those operated by oneworld carriers, are not eligible.

Is this Qatar Airways Avios sale actually as good as it sounds?

Here is where I put my sensible hat on for a moment.

This is a lovely initiative, and we should applaud Qatar Airways for doing it. It is exactly the kind of scheme that has worked brilliantly for Air France and KLM through Flying Blue's Promo Awards for years, and it is great to see a oneworld carrier following suit with something similar for Avios holders. It is exciting.

But let's be honest about what is actually going on here. The booking window is short, just ten days to grab a fare before it disappears. The travel window is narrow too, roughly two months, so this is not something you can bank on for a trip you are planning six months out. And if we read between the lines, this is essentially an airline releasing its own version of a bargain bin to get rid of inventory. These are very likely the seats that were not selling anyway, discounted just enough to shift them before departure.

None of that makes it a bad deal. If a route you already wanted happens to be in the sale and the dates work for you, snap it up. But go in with your eyes open.

This is unlikely to be the way in which you will finally nab Heathrow to Auckland in business class for a steal using Avios. Ultra long haul, higher demand routes like this sell out fast at standard Avios pricing, so we doubt this route would ever get to a discounted one. I would not hold your breath waiting for them to appear on this list.

Which brings me to my own confession. I am writing all of the above as the voice of reason, fully aware of the short window and the bargain bin logic, and yet I have already checked the Qatar website twice this morning just in case Auckland sneaks in there. It hasn't. I am devastated.

Do as I say, not as I do.

On the Tongariro Alpine crossing in New Zealand

How do you actually book one of these discounted flights?

Even though you can book standard Qatar Airways Avios seats through your British Airways Club account, ba.com will not show you the discounted pricing. You need to book through Qatar Airways Privilege Club directly, which means linking your British Airways and Qatar Airways accounts together and using the Move Avios feature.

There is a second hurdle worth flagging. Qatar Airways Privilege Club will not let you book Avios seats for anyone other than yourself unless you have already credited a paid flight, on any oneworld or partner airline, to your Qatar Airways account. If you have never done this, it is worth crediting a cash flight, a British Airways one is usually the simplest, sooner rather than later so you are ready to book on behalf of family or travel companions when needed. This is done by putting your Qatar Airways frequent flyer number into a BA booking. You can read our full post on these new restrictive rules around buying flights for friends and family.

Do be aware that you cannot move Avios from a British Airways Household Account into Qatar Airways Privilege Club. Only your personal Avios balance is eligible for transfer.

Oh, and don't forget taxes and fees still apply. Sorry guys.

You can read more on the Qatar Airways website.

Helena

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