Qatar Airways increases cash surcharge on award seat redemptions

16.09.2024 - 21:28 / thepointsguy.com

Qatar Airways has increased the carrier-imposed surcharges on redemptions for flights it operates in all classes without notice.

While the airline had previously imposed small surcharges (an additional cash payment unrelated to the compulsory airport fees and government taxes), these amounts, which the airline calls a "redemption fee," have increased.

Related: How to transfer your Avios between British Airways, Qatar Airways, Finnair, Iberia and Aer Lingus accounts

The redemption fee is payable through any program that passes along these costs to its members, including Qatar Airways Privilege Club and British Airways Executive Club. The American Airlines AAdvantage and Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan programs do not impose these surcharges, so there will be less cash out of pocket when booking through American or Alaska. However, these programs generally have access to less Qatar Airways business-class availability than the Avios programs.

Qatar Airways initially imposed much higher redemption fee increases over the weekend, adding several hundred dollars per leg, which would have been a truly worrying change. However, the airline quickly rolled these back to more reasonable increases, stating that the initial prices were "higher than intended," as first reported by Head for Points.

The airline also claims that short- and medium-haul fees have decreased; however, all routes from the U.S. and Europe checked by TPG have increased by varying amounts. Business-class rates have seen higher increases, while economy redemptions have only suffered small increases.

Here are the previous redemption fees on popular routes, showing the newly increased fee one-way, per person:

Increases in points and miles needed to book a flight or to the associated fees, taxes and surcharges (commonly known as a "devaluation") are never welcome but are an unfortunate reality of the loyalty industry. When these devaluations occur without notice, they are especially unpleasant, as they do not allow members to redeem their points and miles at previous rates and create distrust in a program that relies on members' trust and continued loyalty.

The initial huge redemption fee increases were worrying. However, the revised amounts are a fairly mild increase, and with no increases to the amount of Avios required through Qatar Airways Privilege Club or British Airways Executive Club, they still represent good value.

With other programs charging over $1,000 in carrier-imposed surcharges for one-way flights to Europe, paying 70,000 Avios plus $236.55 in fees, taxes and surcharges (which is an increase of about $135) for a 12-hour flight in Qatar Airways' award-winning Qsuite business class is still a terrific deal for a such a premium