- Is it possible to have overnight (or more than one night) stopovers one or both ways on a Qatar redemption booked through BA? It doesn't look like it's possible online, but can it be done over the phone?
I don't believe you can do this for free for award flights whether you book through Qatar or on BA. As you saw, pricing it into 2 separate flights requires a lot more points too.
- Do Qatar J redemptions book into a class that gives lounge access or do they book into the Qatar Business Lite fare class which does not.
Yes you will get lounge access whether you book through BA or QR. Only the lowest cost Business Lite Cash fare excludes lounge access. All award seats INCLUDE lounge.
- Are there any advantages (or disadvantages) to booking Avios redemptions through BA rather than Qatar direct? e.g. carrier surcharges, Avios rates.
Qatar's customer service is very hit or miss. If you have questions or need to make changes, you will need to call Qatar's CS and may need to hang up and call again many times. ALSO, if you need to cancel through Qatar, points can take up to 72 hours to be refunded and 6-8 weeks for taxes and fees to be returned. Booking through BA, points are generally redeposited instantly and tax/fee refund is very quick too.