Last Wednesday, just as I was about to head to bed, I got wind of the details of Qatar Airways 20th Anniversary promotion. Thoughts of sleep went out the window as it became clear just how good some of the deals being offered were.
One thing was immediately clear – while recent sales have offered good pricing, this promotion was the real deal, with some incredible headline prices.
Where are the best deals?
This sale has been launched in celebration of Qatar Airways 20th Anniversary, with deals available in Business and Economy class. Note that the business class deals are only available when at least two people travel together.
While deals are available from many European cities, unsurprisingly, the best prices are NOT to be found on flights departing the UK. That is par for the course with Qatar sales, but given the absolute bargains on offer, don’t let that put you off.
I ran a quick search to see just how good this sale pricing is:
Stockholm to Sydney – £1350
I used ITA Matrix to search for flights as the Qatar website was being quite slow. However, I was later able to replicate the itinerary on the Qatar site with no trouble.
As you can see the total price per passenger is a staggeringly good £1,353!
For perspective, BA regularly charges upwards of £3,500 to £4,000 for flights from London with a stop in Singapore.
Oslo to Auckland – £1,320
The total price per passenger is an incredible £1319 per person!
That is astonishing when you take a quick look at pricing from London on those same dates. The cheapest business class flights will set you back roughly £3900 per person As there are no direct flights to Auckland from London you will also still have to stop enroute.
Sofia to Shanghai – £862
How to book
The best way to go about this is to head over to the Qatar website directly and search for your preferred destination.
Alternatively, you can also search for deals by departure city using the links below:
- These deals must be booked by midnight (local time) on the 10th November 2017.
- Sale fares are not available between 15th December 2017 and 10th January 2018 or 7th June 2018 through 10th September 2018.
- You can travel up until the 31st October 2018.
- While you must travel with a companion to access these prices, you are not limited to just 2 travellers. This can be scaled up for parties of 4,6 and even 8.
Get an additional 10% off
The Qatar website states that customers are eligible for an extra discount worth up to 10% by using code: QR20YEARS
I did attempt to use the code but couldn’t see anywhere that suggested this had been applied for a further discount. Have a go with it – you have nothing to lose.
Get a free night at a luxury hotel along the way
In addition, if you felt like spacing out your journey a little more, you can combine these excellent sales fares with a free night at the Four Seasons, Shangri-La or Ritz Carlton Doha.
That perk, available courtesy of the +Qatar program, is valid for travel until 31st December 2017. And considering it has already been extended once, I certainly wouldn’t bet against it being rolled over into 2018.
EDIT 09/11/2017: This has now been extended for travel through until 30 April 2018 – book by 31st December 2017.
(Most of the way to) BA Silver status
The great fares are not the only reason to book. Much like the £1200 deal to Cape Town from earlier this year, flights taken on Qatar Airways can be credited to British Airways Executive Club. Many of the destinations available in this promotion would earn you 560 Tier Points. Some such as Sydney or Auckland would net you a full 600 Tier points.
If you were then to fly or have already flown 4 BA flight segments (however short) during your membership year, this trip would take you most of the way towards BA Silver status – which requires 600 Tier Points.
BA Silver status is a valuable perk which allows you lounge access, additional baggage and the ability to choose your seat for free at the time of booking, among other benefits.
Verdict
These deals offer amazing value, there are no two ways about it. The ability to fly to Australia or New Zealand for £1300 or thereabouts is tremendous.
At the same time, you just can’t persuade some people away from flying directly. While starting from Stockholm or Copenhagen etc may not be ideal, the temptation of Qatar Airways’ fabulous business class product across some of their newest aircraft is compelling. If you can make the departure airports and times work for you, this one is well worth booking.
Head over to the Qatar Airways website to see what deals you can book.