Originally Posted by
brunos
Like many other airlines, QR seems to have recently implemented a fraud detection system.
Most airlines use outside specialized companies. They often target bartered and stolen miles/avios.
On many airlines, the booking goes through but when red flags are issued, the booking gets blocked.
Here it seems that the red flags get checked immediately and the booking immediately blocked
Likely that there are also teething problems and bugs.
Just a possible explanation
I think this is exactly what is going on. I ran into the same issue as others here with the booking returning to an error page, payment getting reversed, and Avios not getting deducted. I called Qatar Airways hoping that they could send me a new payment link for the existing booking (as I could see it on my account page) but was told that I would need to make a new one. Luckily, I was able to find the same seat the moment they released it (they were kind enough to stay on the line) and was able to buy it right away, this time paying via PayPal as suggested here. The booking went through flawlessly this time and the entire issue got resolved in less than an hour so thank you all again for the very helpful pointers.
I don't think this issue has anything to do with phantom availability and is related to payment processing issues with the new security system in place.
Here is a step-by-step explanation of the issue and steps on how to resolve it in case it is of help to others who run into it.
1. Qatar Airways has implemented a new security system (notice that you now need an OTP in addition to your password to sign in) which seems to be blocking bookings that set off a red flag.
2. The redemption booking will return to a 404 - Page Not Found page and you will not receive a booking confirmation. The payment on your card will get reversed shortly after the transaction.
3. The booking may show up on your Qatar Airways account page/in the app with a PNR. It will show 0 Avios but the tax amount will show up on the payments section.
4. Your Avios will not be deducted and the booking will eventually be cancelled as it will not be paid for. For the booking to succeed both the Avios redemption and the payment have to go through and the red flag seems to prevent this from happening.
5. Call customer care immediately. Explain the situation to them and get them to release the seat by cancelling the booking. Book as soon as this happens and pay via PayPal. The booking should now go through.