New Award Routing Rules from USA to Africa Save 90% Out of Pocket

You can now route through the Middle East on Qatar Airways on your way from the United States to Africa with American Airlines miles.

American Airlines has a unique routing rule that you cannot transit a third region on an award between two other regions. Under this rule, flying from the United States to the Middle East to Africa would require two awards, one from the United States to the Middle East and one from the Middle East to Africa.

How to Get on a Qatar Dreamliner or Use American Airlines Miles to Fly Qatar to the Middle East and Beyond

Qatar Airways has fantastic Business Class award space on its Dreamliner and on its routes from the US to Doha and beyond in 2014.

Qatar Award Space Now Bookable with British Airways Avios Online and American Airlines Miles

Qatar Airways awards are now searchable and bookable at ba.com and bookable by calling American Airlines. This is huge news because Qatar has an excellent route network from the US to the Middle East, Indian Subcontinent, and Maldives.

As announced on the oneworld site, Qatar Airways will join the oneworld alliance on October 30th. This is great news for those with large American Airlines AAdvantage or British Airways Avios balances.

Qatar Airways Joins the oneworld Alliance

This post was mostly written before today's story that Qatar is joining oneworld, but it has been edited to reflect the good news.

Would they or wouldn't they? The rumors have been swirling for several weeks about Qatar Airways joining the oneworld alliance. Today Qatar announced that it was joining oneworld, becoming the first major Middle Eastern carrier to join a global airline alliance.

Reminder: Qatar Airways Only Bookable With United Miles Until Friday

I had a client contact me wanting to get to the Seychelles with United miles next year. Good thing she didn't contact me next week when United miles will only have one option to the Seychelles.

The ability to book on Qatar with United miles ends Friday, 9/14/12. (Qatar cannot be booked with US Airways miles presently.)

I was worried over the weekend that United had prematurely pulled Qatar space.