Some QR/BA mixed booking questions
 

1) If only QR publishes a cheap fare between two cities, does that mean it can only be booked via QR (or a TA) and not via BA? (ba.com returns "We’re sorry but we can’t find any flights matching your search".)

2) Is there any way to book a mixed QR and BA booking in a way that would allow UuA on the BA metal/flight numbers?

3) Assuming the answer to 2) is no, it seems even booking via QR's website allows to fly on BA metal or on QR metal with BA flight numbers. I assume flying on a BA number is better for a BA Gold in miles terms? Are there any downsides to doing so?

TIA!

To explain 1) a little more: BA does publish fares on the route, but they are 3x the cheapest fare on QR. Still, a search on ba.com returns nothing.

So I guess I am asking if BA would issue a fare from QR that includes a BA flight number (on either QR or BA metal).

Can you price it under a BA fare on itamatrix?

BA.com shows BA metal and BA codeshares on other airlines. It occasionally shows interlining with non codeshare airlines, but there aren't many examples. Essentially BA sells its own tickets online, in simplistic terms. Qatar offer a lot of BA codeshares from Doha.

It is possible that if ring the contact centre they will construct other fares for you, but if Qatar is offering a decent fare on their website and they are the main carrier then you may as well book via them, there must be hundreds of FTers who have done this without incident. For UuA, however, you must have a 125 ticket and preferably booked via BA. It is ok to UuA the LHR-DOH sector (presumably) and then to leave a DOH-Somewhere on BA flight numbers operated by Qatar. This complicated to do, and may require a long call, plus it's often the case that Qatar's own fares make a UuA less economically attractive anyway. However these are general comments which may or may not apply to your proposed travel.

Yes. The QR fare:

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...dfc7bf5dce.png

And the BA fare:


https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...f1eb88a3ff.png

Thanks - that mostly explains what I am seeing (though not why the BA codeshare on QR plus BA connecting flight isn't showing).

I was worried that if it's not booked via BA on 125 stock, the QR flight would make UuA impossible?

If I can't UuA then I'll fly on QR metal throughout so I can at least fly an A380 to London and skip a 787 in Y for both sectors.

Any comments on BA vs QR flight numbers on QR metal, for a BA Gold? Is there a downside to the BA flight number?

Thank you to both of you!

It's always good to be specific since it saves some of us going off on a tangent. This looks like a single fare, in which case BA will default into an expensive flexible ticket, QR does not, since on this routes (and many others) QR will sell single fares at inflexible prices. This is just differences in airline policies. That, I suspect, is the core issue here. If it is a return then other factors will apply.

Using BA numbers tends to guarantee the best Avios earn, but it makes no difference to TP rates. Well, here it does since the BA rate will be in the higher TP earner to QR, but that's due to the flexible / non flexible issue.

Thanks c-w-s. I guess my core questions were really around the UuA issue (looks like it's a "not really worth it" given I could book a D fare on QR for $1,700 and get business the whole way), and the BA-codeshare-vs-not issue, where it seems I might as well just pick up the extra Avios with a BA flight number on the QR metal.

Thank you!

In that case you can call to book it with BA.

You would be able to UuA the DOH-LHR flight.

Thanks - sadly on this fare I don't think it's worth doing so :)

Not sure if you have booked this, but since you have a layover in the evening, I would recommend you don't take the 122 and take the QR flights from DOH to LHR.
I find the 122 flight is often delayed or worse cancelled and QR are beyond useless when this happens and won't take responsibility.

Just to follow up, it was made to sound that had I booked the BA codeshare, I might not have been able to use Qatar's bulk excess baggage rate (which is 20% of the price of usual excess luggage on Qatar. Not 20% less, 20% of the total).

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