Qatar Airways resumes flights to Ras Al Khaimah
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Qatar Airways has resumed flights between Doha and Ras Al Khaimah, part of the United Arab Emirates, this week.
I’m mentioning this because we have covered Ras quite a bit on HfP. Ras is an interesting holiday option for someone who likes the quality of resort and the weather you get in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, but for a fraction of the price.
The trade off is that, unless you head out into the mountains for day trips, there isn’t much to do in Ras itself. When you’re there, most of the outings recommended by the hotels involve heading back to Dubai!
Ras is about an hours drive from Dubai so very manageable, especially given the low cost of car transfers in the region. However, with Avios availability to Dubai tight, the ability to fly via Doha on Qatar Airways – redeeming or earning Avios on the way – is worth considering.
The airport at Ras is on the same scale as London City Airport. You don’t need to worry about queues. The last time I used it, they had to unlock the executive lounge for me.
The obvious hotel choice in Ras is the Waldorf Astoria (review here). This is currently closed for refurbishment but reopens soon. It is better than the Waldorf Astoria Palm Jumeirah in Dubai in my view and far cheaper. The image above is of the Waldorf.
For a more Maldives-style stay, you have Marriott’s The Ritz Carlton Al Hamra beach resort, reviewed here, and, in the desert, The Ritz Carlton Al Wadi, reviewed here. Recent openings include an InterContinental and a huge mid-market Hampton by Hilton.
You can look up flight times via the Qatar Airways website here.
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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.
