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Qatar Airways is currently running a number of excellent Business Class sales all around the world for travel deep into 2021. A number of the fares available out of various US cities are well worth a closer look, especially if you’re looking to book one of the world’s Business Class cabins and are looking to pick up a considerable number of credits towards American Airlines AAdvantage status.
The Deals
Qatar Airways offers flights out of most major US hubs and right now there are some excellent fares available out of at least five US cities.
From Boston
- Delhi – from $2,635
From Chicago
- Beirut – from $2,592
- Bangkok – from $2,849
From Los Angeles
- Beirut – from $2,702
- Kilimanjaro – from $2,865
From Miami
- Beirut – from $2,494
From Washington D.C.
- Beirut – from $2,334
- Delhi – from $2,993
- Kilimanjaro – from $2,835
Good To Know
- These fares are available for travel from October 2020 through July 2021
- All Qatar Airways flights between the United States and Doha offer the Qsuites Business Class cabin (link to Qsuites review).
- Qatar Airways is a member of the oneworld alliance so its flights can be credited to any oneworld loyalty program (e.g. American Airlines AAdvantage and British Airways Executive Club).
- Traveling on some dates will require a longer layover in Doha than on other dates. If avoiding a long layover in Doha is important, some flexibility may be required.
Earning Miles & Elite Status Credits
The overwhelming majority of readers who book one or more of these fares will almost certainly be crediting their flights to the American Airlines AAdvantage program so that’s the program I’ll focus on here.
Redeemable Miles
American Airlines bases the number of miles it awards for partner bookings on the distance flown so as all of these fares involve travel to, at very least, the Middle East, there are a lot of redeemable miles on offer. These Qatar Airways fares book into either “I” or “R” fare code which means that they’ll earn redeemable miles at a rate of 100% of the distance flown.
In the case of a trip between Los Angeles and Kilimajaro, the total distance flown is a little over 21,000 miles…
…so a flyer with no elite status with American Airlines will earn a little over 21,000 redeemable miles from this trip. Flyers with elite status will earn additional bonuses of between 40% and 120% so an Executive Platinum member would earn over 46,000 redeemable miles.
Elite Status Credits
Qatar Airways “I” and “R” fare code bookings earn 1.5 Elite Qualifying Miles (EQM) per mile flown and Elite Qualifying Dollars at a rate of 20% of the distance flown.
For a trip between Miami and Beirut, for example, where the distance traveled is approximately 18,500 miles…
…an American Airlines AAdvantage member would earn approximately 27,740 EQM and approximately 3,700 EQD. Under standard (non-COVID) conditions, that’s enough for AAdvantage Gold status, it’s enough to get a flyer over halfway to Platinum status and it’s enough EQM and EQD to get an AAdvantage member over a quarter of the way to top-tier Executive Platinum status…and that’s just in one trip!
Qatar Airways Business Class fares offer a very good path to earning or retaining valuable American Airlines elite status.
Bottom Line
These are some of the best Qatar Airways Business Class fares I’ve seen offered out of the US for some time. With all flights between the US and Doha offering the fantastic Qsuites Business Class cabin and with Qatar Airways flights earning valuable redeemable miles and elite qualifying credits in the American Airlines AAdvantage program, these fares offer a great opportunity to combine a luxurious trip with a big boost towards valuable oneworld status.
Beirut? Now? No thanks.