Qatar Adds New Award Fees per Sector
Joe Cortez May 22, 2018
It’s getting more expensive to buy a Qatar Airways flights using their Privilege Club Qmiles. The carrier quietly rolled out a new award booking fee, which will be charged per sector. The additional amount flyers will pay depends on their class of service, ranging from $25 for economy to $75 for first.
If you are planning to book an award with Qatar Airways’ Privilege Club Qmiles, prepare to pay an extra fee for every sector of your flight. The airline published a new award fee chart on their website, which goes into effect on May 27, 2018.
Under the new policy, flyers using Qmiles are forced to pay an award fee per sector booked. The fees range from $25 per economy flight, to $75 for first class flights. For example: if a flyer wanted to book an economy award with two sectors, they would be required to pay an additional $50, on top of taxes and other fees.
The new fees are not just limited to Qatar flights. Flights on all airlines paid with Qmiles – either on Qatar or a partner airline – is subject to the award fee. This is in addition to other restrictions implemented by Qatar, including zero award ticket availability on their A380 service between Doha and London and prohibited award tickets for infants in premium cabins and aboard partners.
Of course, these are not the only fees Qmiles flyers face when making an award booking. Non-elites who book a flight less than 7 days before departure must pay a $25 “rush fee,” or $100 to change or cancel a flight in under 24 hours. And in May 2017, the airline also issued fees for transactions done in city offices, airport offices or call centers.
Qatar’s move is in line with other international airlines, who are granting more benefits to elite flyers. The airline does note that the new fees can be paid with Qcredits, an allowance given to Gold and Platinum elite flyers every year for use towards ancillary charges.
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