Qatar Airways adds additional London Heathrow flights
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Qatar Airways has announced an additional three flights per week between London Heathrow and Doha.
The increase takes Qatar Airways up to 45 flights per week from Heathrow, from the existing 42. This appears to be a permanent measure and not a temporary World Cup boost.
The extra flights start from the Winter timetable switch on 1st November and operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. It is an overnight service, leaving Heathrow at 8.30pm.
Qatar Airways guarantees to release at least two Business Class seats for Avios on every flight. It may be worth another look if you have tried and failed to find availability for a trip to the Middle East and beyond this Winter.
Remember that the Avios and taxes required for Qatar Airways flights should now be equal between ba.com and qatarairways.com. Unless you want to book a ‘double Avios’ Flexi Award ticket on Qatar Airways, I recommend booking via ba.com because it is easier to get hold of BA in case you need to make changes later. You would also earn double Avios on the tax payment if you book on ba.com and charge them to a British Airways Premium Plus American Express card.
PS. Speaking of Qatar Airways redemptions, I spotted an interesting quirk last week when booking a flight for my wife. ba.com was showing Avios availability in First Class from London to Dubai via Doha whilst qatarairways.com was not. I thought this was a BA IT error, but I was able to successfully book the flight and select seats. The flight from Doha to Dubai is on a borrowed Cathay Pacific Boeing 777, so my wife gets an hour of Cathay Pacific First Class for the second leg!
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How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (April 2025)
As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Avios points from UK credit cards. Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses!
In February 2022, Barclaycard launched two exciting new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards with a bonus of up to 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.
You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:
Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard
Get 25,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £10,000 Read our full review
Barclaycard Avios Mastercard
Get 5,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £20,000 Read our full review
There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:
British Airways American Express Premium Plus
30,000 Avios and the famous annual 2-4-1 voucher Read our full review
British Airways American Express
5,000 Avios for signing up and an Economy 2-4-1 voucher for spending £15,000 Read our full review
You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points. These points convert at 1:1 into Avios.
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.
American Express Preferred Rewards Gold
Your best beginner’s card – 30,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review
The Platinum Card from American Express
80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review
Run your own business?
We recommend Capital on Tap for limited companies. You earn 1 Avios per £1 which is impressive for a Visa card, and the standard card is FREE. Capital on Tap cards also have no FX fees.
Capital on Tap Visa
NO annual fee, NO FX fees and points worth 1 Avios per £1 Read our full review
Capital on Tap Pro Visa
10,500 points (=10,500 Avios) plus good benefits Read our full review
There is also a British Airways American Express card for small businesses:
British Airways American Express Accelerating Business
30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review
There are also generous bonuses on the two American Express Business cards, with the points converting at 1:1 into Avios. These cards are open to sole traders as well as limited companies.
American Express Business Platinum
50,000 points when you sign-up and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review
American Express Business Gold
20,000 points sign-up bonus and FREE for a year Read our full review
Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.
