kingcole974

The flights I need from MLE to DOH are available on for 17500 Avios and £83.50 on BA. Am I likely to get a better deal booking with QR and transferring Avios? I don't have any Avios in my QR account so can't check.

If it was similar, I would prefer BA as easier to contact if problems

Pilot37

Just go with BA - even if there was a small cash difference (there shouldn't be) I have preferred to book Qatar flights via BA for the ability to call and cancel or amend much easier then trying to get through to Qatar's call centres!

Pilot37

dsf

Cash and Avios components are the same on QR in my experience (just checked - MLE-DOH in Y is indeed 17.5k + £84), except for when they offer extra seats for 2x the Avios. I booked LHR-MEL through BA for the same reasons given, because their CS are easier to deal with.

Bullswood

It is worth checking as seems to vary on some routes - I just booked MUC/DOH/SYD next month on QR Business class for 90k Avios but BA website quoted 113k for the same flights.

wb1969

Very easy to link your accounts then you can use either to book without having to transfer Avios.

dsf

That's strange. According to the QR redemption calculator 113k would be the price for MUC-DOH and DOH-SYD booked as separate flights, not a single itinerary. I definitely booked LHR-DOH-MEL for 90k in J through BA!

CarefreeBA

I've personally had this issue before. The LHR routes have been re-programmed (so to speak?) correctly but EU-DOH-[anywhere else] seems to not show correctly. I had a DUB-DOH-HKG a few months back that was pricing through incorrectly so I just transferred to QR and did that.

I've never dealt with QR customer service on particularly difficult topics. The times I have, they have been very helpful and notice their staff are very well trained at every stage of the journey.

Deckter

I would book with QR if it‘s on QR metal, because if your flight gets cancelled, then QR will easily move you onto another flight, without having to worry if there is reward space. And as other users have mentioned, you just have to link your BA and QR accounts, without the need to transfer avios between them.

Bullswood

I understood that Avios reward availability on QR would be replicated on BA website? As an entry-tier QR FF, I booked a business class redemption via DOH to MEL in November earlier today (surprisingly as it's during the World Cup period) using quite a range of availability which isn't shown on the BA or QF or AA sites (and no, it wasn't the Q2 double Avios option, just the standard 90k).
Ditto with a recent QF business redemption BKK/SYD which wasn't available via BA or AA (and no, it wasn't the enhanced availability for high tier QF members). It does seem that increasingly it's necessary to check the various carrier's individual websites. Is there a trend towards holding back availability from other OW carriers (I see on other FT forums that Cathay apparently does this) as this would seem to negate the supposed alliance benefits? As an aside, DOH doesn't even feature on fellow OW member QF's city search for redemptions, presumably because of their EK link!

babyg_wc

If you look on the QR forum it seems QR are bumping partner bookings on oversold flights over any other type of booking... if the costs were the same i would go with QR based on that info alone.

81romeo

Considering upgrading my QR ticketed and operated flight to DOH on the A380 from J to F using BA Avios.
How do I do that? I don't have a Privilege account

babyg_wc

probably a better question for the QR forum, but you will need a privilege account linked to your BA account