Today, Qatar Airways quietly raised their redemption fees on award bookings by as much as 172%. This marks a significant devaluation, edging closer to the exorbitant fees Emirates now imposes on award tickets.
On the image below, you will see a booking I made yesterday on the left vs the same booking if I were to make it today on the right.
Based on my testing, these increases appear consistent across all regions and routes, meaning travellers can expect to pay at least double going forward.
What About Velocity Redemptions?
Qatar Airways and Velocity have maintained a close partnership for some time now, but unfortunately, fees on Velocity redemptions have always been high. With this recent change, Velocity’s fees are now more in line with Qatar Airways’ charges, although they remain slightly higher. This is largely due to Velocity adding fees per segment.
What About Other Avios Programs?
Since Qatar Airways transitioned to Avios, their points can be directly linked with British Airways Avios and other participating airlines in the Avios program. Essentially, you can transfer your Avios freely between these programs, allowing you to choose the best option for redemption.
Unfortunately, my testing shows that prices on British Airways are identical to those on Qatar Airways, offering no advantage in switching programs.
Final Thoughts
It’s disappointing to see Qatar Airways opt for a quick cash grab by doubling award booking fees. There’s a fine line where it becomes unsustainable to use points—Emirates is pretty much there. For instance, their award fees on a business class ticket from Australia to Europe can reach nearly $1,800 one way. That’s outrageous. In such cases, it often makes more sense to buy an economy ticket for less than $3,000 return and upgrade with miles, which is likely the strategy they’re pushing.
I’m hopeful that this increase in Qatar Airways’ Avios redemption costs might lead to the release of more saver awards, as those have been increasingly scarce lately!
