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Qatar Airways plans to fly its A350 between Philadelphia and Doha starting on January 1, 2016.
The A350 is the world’s newest passenger jet, newer than both the 787 Dreamliner and A380. This will be the plane’s first route to the United States.
Award space is wide open in Business Class on Qatar’s A350 from the United States to the Middle East and Indian Subcontinent and bookable with American Airlines miles.
- What is the Qatar Business Class product?
- What is the award price with American Airlines miles?
- What is the award space on Qatar’s routes?
- What connections are possible in Philadelphia and in Doha?
- How do you book these awards?
- How do you get American Airlines miles?
Qatar Business Class
Qatar Business Class has won the SkyTrax Passenger Choice Award for Best Business Class two years running.
On the A350, Qatar has put in nine rows of 1-2-1 reverse herringbone seats, meaning that everyone gets a fully flat bed with direct aisle access.
There are two mini-cabins, the front with six rows and the back with three. I’d try for Row 7-9 to be in the smaller cabin. The two cabins are separated by a refreshment area with drinks and snacks.
The A350 features the benefits touted by the newest generation of aircraft: less fuel usage, quieter flight, cleaner air, and lower pressure to make you arrive feeling better.
Award Price
Qatar is a member of oneworld. The best miles to use to book the Qatar A350 are American Airlines miles because American doesn’t collect fuel surcharges on Qatar award flights.
Between the United States and Middle East/Subcontinent, American Airlines charges:
- 45,000 miles each way in economy
- 67,500 miles each way in Business Class
- 90,000 miles each way in First Class, though the Qatar A350 doesn’t have First Class
Taxes on a roundtrip award should be about $80. There should be no award fees if booked more than 21 days before departure.
Pay your award taxes with the Citi Prestige® Card. The first $250 in award taxes, fuel surcharges, airfare, or airline fees per calendar year are refunded to you as a statement credit. If you’ve already maxed out the statement credit, you will still earn 3x ThankYou Points on the award taxes.
Award Space on Qatar A350
Search for award space on ba.com. (Here’s how.) All the Qatar award space you find there, American Airlines miles can book.
Award space is excellent in both directions between Philadelphia and Doha in economy and Business Class from mid-January through mid-May, 2016, which is as far in advance as you can book at the moment.
The A350 flights from Philadelphia begin January, but award space doesn’t appear until January 11., when there are 9+ economy award seats (we know that by the lack of a number displayed under the word “Available”) and 4 Business Class seats available.
From that day through the end of the schedule, I found award space in economy and Business Class every day I searched, which was about two dozen days.
There were always either 2 or 4 Business Class seats available and 9+ economy seats.
Between Doha and Philadelphia, the pattern is only slightly different. There is actually 1 Business Class award seat on the inaugural A350 flight to Philadelphia.
Then the next day with award space is January 11 with 3 Business Class and zero economy award seats between Doha and Philadelphia.
Finally, starting January 22, we begin to see the pattern we saw the other direction. For the rest of the calendar, we see 9+ economy award seats and 2 or 4 Business Class seats.
Connection in Philly and Doha
American charges the same number of miles no matter where your award starts in the United States. Philadelphia was a US Airways hub that American Airlines is maintaining, so you can fly there directly from most of the country.
You can only connect the Qatar space to MileSAAver award space on aa.com, not AAnytime award space. MileSAAver award space should be pretty good domestically on American Airlines and US Airways award flights. You can fly economy or First Class domestically on international Business Class awards, so make sure to search for space in both cabins.
In Doha, you can connect to much of the world.
If you stay in the Middle East/Indian Subcontinent region, you will not pay extra miles. Qatar award space should be excellent within the region.
Booking the Award
Find Qatar award space on ba.com, and find American Airlines or US Airways award space on aa.com if necessary. Call American Airlines at 800-882-8880 to book the award, giving the agent the date, flight number, and cabin of each flight you found with award space on ba.com and aa.com.
If you’d like, put the award space on a free five-day hold before booking.
You will not be charged a phone booking fee, since Qatar space cannot be booked on aa.com.
Getting the Miles
The personal and business American Airlines cards from Citi offer 50,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 in the first three months. You can get both cards at least eight days apart.
- Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® MasterCard®
- CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World MasterCard®
Bottom Line
Qatar Airways’ flight from Philadelphia (with connections elsewhere in the United States) to Doha (with connections elsewhere in the Middle East) will be served by an A350 starting January 1, 2016.
Business Class will be top of the line and cost only 67,500 American Airlines miles each way.
Search on ba.com and book by calling American Airlines. Pay your award taxes with the Citi Prestige® Card. The first $250 in award taxes, fuel surcharges, airfare, or airline fees per calendar year are refunded to you as a statement credit. If you’ve already maxed out the statement credit, you will still earn 3x ThankYou Points on the award taxes.
Get the American Airlines miles by opening a Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® MasterCard® and/or a CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World MasterCard®.
Just getting started in the world of points and miles? The Chase Sapphire Preferred is the best card for you to start with.
With a bonus of 60,000 points after $4,000 spend in the first 3 months, 5x points on travel booked through the Chase Travel℠ and 3x points on restaurants, streaming services, and online groceries (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs), this card truly cannot be beat for getting started!
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how many segments are allow on a Oneway from westcoast award if start from westcoast to any Indian/Middle east destiantion ?
There is no segment limit on AA awards as far as I know.
how many segments are allow on a Oneway from westcoast award if start from westcoast to any Indian/Middle east destiantion ?
There is no segment limit on AA awards as far as I know.
I know I may be an outlier, but Qatar is a country whose laws and values are diametrically opposed to my own. Qatar Airways is 100% state-owned. Flying on this airline, IMO, is akin to supporting the nation itself.
I know I may be an outlier, but Qatar is a country whose laws and values are diametrically opposed to my own. Qatar Airways is 100% state-owned. Flying on this airline, IMO, is akin to supporting the nation itself.
Great post! Booked business a350 jkf-doh for next March on my way to Cmb. Excellent redemption without any fuel surcharge or taxes only paid $7.50
Let’s see how long it takes for AA to devalue.
Great post! Booked business a350 jkf-doh for next March on my way to Cmb. Excellent redemption without any fuel surcharge or taxes only paid $7.50
Let’s see how long it takes for AA to devalue.
Probably about six months… Congrats!
What do you recommend for those who want to get to TLV from Doha? Qatar Airlines does not fly there.
What do you recommend for those who want to get to TLV from Doha? Qatar Airlines does not fly there.
@THL
You might run in to trouble booking PHL-DOH-???-TLV on AA because QR doesn’t publish a fare from anywhere to TLV. AAdvantage award rules require that the overseas carrier publish a fare between the origin and destination.
Royal Jordanian does publish DOH-TLV however so if it’s a simple trip DOH-AMM-TLV you *theoretically* could get a single AAdvantage award for 17,500 in coach and 25,000 in business.