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Qatar Airways has a reputation for having the best business class seats in the sky. Having flown it myself, I can fully support that claim. And it's not just the immaculately designed seat that makes flying Qsuite such a great experience. It's truly everything — from the luxurious amenities to the Michelin Star-level cuisine, and of course, the unforgettably incredible service — Qatar Airways is the one to beat.
Now, you might think that being as luxurious of an experience as it sounds would also make it unaffordable. But thankfully, you'd be wrong. You can book Qsuite using Qatar Airways or British Airways Avios for very affordable rates to and from destinations worldwide. Even better, award availability is better than you'll find in most other programs.
And speaking of luxury…is there a more luxurious destination than the Maldives? A place where almost everyone can agree is the true definition of paradise. And there is no better way to fly to this tropical haven than sipping champagne while lounging in Qsuite.
In this post, we'll show you how to combine the best of both worlds and fly Qatar Airways Qsuite from the U.S. to the Maldives for just 85,000 Avios — one of the best sweet spots in award travel.
Page Contents
- How To Fly Qatar Airways Qsuite to the Maldives for Just 85,000 Avios
- How To Book Qsuite to the Maldives Using Avios
- Step 1: Sign in to your Qatar Airways account
- Step 2: Enter travel details (departure/arrival airports and desired date)
- Step 3: Look for business class availability
- Step 4: Write down your desired flight info and dates, then transfer points from your dedicated bank to book flights.
- Step 5: Select your flight and book your ticket using newly transferred points.
- Step 6: Choose your seats and patiently wait for your travel date!
- How To Earn the Avios Necessary To Book Qsuite
- Bottom Line
How To Fly Qatar Airways Qsuite to the Maldives for Just 85,000 Avios
The best way to book Qsuite to the Maldives is through the British or Qatar Airways sites. It's the most straightforward method, and availability is generally the most widespread. A one-way ticket costs just 85,000 Avios plus taxes and fees.
Qatar Airways U.S. destinations
Qatar Airways flies to several destinations in the United States. Sometimes, award availability on the leg from the U.S. to Doha — where you'll connect en route to the Malé, Maldives (MLE) — is better out of some airports than others. So it's worth keeping the entire list of gateways in mind; you can view it below:
- Atlanta
- Boston
- Chicago
- Dallas
- Houston
- Los Angeles
- Miami
- New York
- San Francisco
- Seattle
- Washington, D.C. (Dulles)
If Qatar doesn't serve your home airport — or if you can't find award availability from your home airport — consider booking a positioning flight to another gateway.
Booking Qsuite through AAdvantage
We would be remiss if we didn't mention it can be cheaper to use American Airlines miles to book Qsuite. A one-way award between the U.S. and the Middle East or Indian subcontinent (including the Maldives) costs just 70,000 AAdvantage miles each way!
However, two aspects limit this American Airlines sweet spot. First, it can be difficult to earn American Airlines miles. Plus, partner award availability on Qatar Airways is almost nonexistent nowadays. That makes booking directly via Qatar Airways or with British Airways a much better option.
How To Book Qsuite to the Maldives Using Avios
Step 1: Sign in to your Qatar Airways account
The very first step is to sign into your Qatar Airways Privilege account. Click on “Spend your Avios” under the Privilege Club tab, or select the checkbox under the booking page stating “Book an award flight.”
Having trouble logging in? Here's how to unlock your Qatar Privilege Club account.
If you plan to book with British Airways Avios, you'll follow the same steps — but you'll want to log in to your Executive Club account. Both airlines use the Avios currency — and you can transfer Avios between your Privilege Club and Executive Club accounts instantaneously — so these steps are nearly identical.
Step 2: Enter travel details (departure/arrival airports and desired date)
You will likely need to be flexible on your originating airport and travel dates, so it's best to look at a few different airports that are still accessible enough to depart from. There are many times where getting a cheap positioning flight to another U.S. airport is definitely worth the extra cost/time — especially when it means you get to fly in Qsuite!
Step 3: Look for business class availability
To get the most out of your Avios, you're better off avoiding what Qatar Airways refers to as “flexi awards.” These tickets are double the price (170,000 Avios!) of classic award tickets. Flexi awards are far more prevalent than classic awards, but unless you need a specific itinerary on a certain day, you should keep looking for awards price at 85,000 Avios.
Generally, best availability is closer to 10-11 months prior to departure date, and can be hard to find for flights sooner. However, there are many times where availabilities open up last minute (2-3 weeks prior) and can be booked then if you aren't able to plan a year in advance. But you may get lucky and spot awards in between.
Related: How Far in Advance Can You Book an Award Flight?
Step 4: Write down your desired flight info and dates, then transfer points from your dedicated bank to book flights.
Once you've found flights that work for you, it's time to initiate a transfer to Qatar Airways Privilege Club or British Airways Executive Club. A best practice is to write down the flights you found and the dates, so you can quickly find them again.
And this is when utilizing a transfer bonus can make this an even better deal! One of the best parts about Avios is being able to transfer points from essentially every major bank to be combined and used on multiple airlines.
For example, neither Chase nor Capital One don't partner with Qatar Airways, but they do partner with British Airways. This means you can transfer points from either bank to British Airways first, then easily move them over to your Qatar Airways account. Avios can be freely combined/transferred at a 1:1 ratio, so there is no downside to moving them between accounts.
Step 5: Select your flight and book your ticket using newly transferred points.
When booking on Qatar Airways, it should tell you whether the flight will have Qsuite or not. However, plane changes sometimes do happen last minute, so it's never guaranteed you'll end up with Qsuite (although it isn't likely to change).
You'll also have to pay for the taxes and fees that are charged with an award booking, which are typically around $200. Qatar Airways has raised award taxes and fees in recent years, so they're more costly than they used to be. This isn't the most ideal price, but considering these flights retail for thousands of dollars, you're definitely still getting an incredible deal.
Step 6: Choose your seats and patiently wait for your travel date!
If you're traveling solo, the best seats to choose are the window seats along the sides of the airplane. These are true window seats and are farthest away from the bathrooms. For couples, you'll definitely want to get the two middle seats together as they form this amazing double bed that is a bucket list experience on its own.
You can find a seat map on Qatar Airways' website when you book, but you can also scout your plane's layout using a service like AeroLOPA. For example, here's part of the Qsuite cabin on Qatar Airways' Boeing 777-300ER:
And that's it. The next step is planning what to do and where you'll stay in the Maldives. Might we suggest the Le Méridien Maldives Resort & Spa or the Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi?
Related: How To Book Maldives Overwater Villas With Free Night Certificates
How To Earn the Avios Necessary To Book Qsuite
Avios are some of the easiest points currencies to earn. Not only are you able to transfer points from every major bank (or even other Avios-utilizing airlines), but there are tons of other methods to earning extra Avios, whether that be through shopping portals or even booking Airbnbs through British Airways.
Here's a list of all the points transfer options you have:
This wide range of transfer partners means you can earn a sign-up bonus on one of several transferable rewards cards to help fund your trip, such as:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees): Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Citi Strata Premier℠ Card: Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.
- The Platinum Card® from American Express: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®.
- $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using your Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
- $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney+ bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
- With American Express Global Lounge Collection® eligible Card Members can enjoy access to over 1,400 airport lounges globally, including The Centurion® Lounge, Unlimited Delta Sky Club® Access when flying an eligible Delta flight, Escape Lounges, Lufthansa Lounges when flying Lufthansa Group, Plaza Premium, Priority Pass™ Select Lounges, & Additional Global Lounge Collection Partner Lounges subject to visit limitations. Lounges may have their own rules, like additional access rules and guest fees, and for Priority Pass Select, you need to enroll and there are unlimited airport lounge visits for Card Members. With Delta Sky Club Access, Card Members will receive 10 Visits to the Delta Sky Club to be used from February 1 until January 31 of the next calendar year and can unlock Unlimited Delta Sky Club Access by spending $75,000 in eligible purchases on their Card in a calendar year. To find a lounge, visit the membership section in the American Express® App or visit http://www.americanexpress.com/findalounge#/loungefinder.
- A Walmart+ membership can get you free shipping with no order minimum on eligible items shipped by Walmart. Use your Platinum Card® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) and receive one statement credit for up to $12.95 (plus applicable taxes. Plus Ups not eligible) each month. Free Shipping excludes most Marketplace items, freight & certain location surcharges. Paramount+ Essential plan only, separate registration required.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees, such as checked bags and in-flight refreshments, are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card® Account. American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details.
- $200 Uber Cash: Platinum Card® Members can ride or dine in style with $15 in Uber Cash each month, plus a bonus $20 in December after adding their Card to their Uber account. Use your Uber Cash on rides and orders in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- $199 CLEAR® Plus Credit: CLEAR® Plus helps get you to your gate faster by using unique facial attributes to verify you are you at 50+ airports nationwide. Use the dedicated CLEAR Lane to confirm your identity without taking out your passport or ID - this can mean shorter lines, less waiting. Receive up to $199 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for your CLEAR Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal) with the Platinum Card®.
- Receive either a $120 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
- Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- Use Global Dining Access by Resy to access premium dining experiences. Receive Priority Notify and unlock insider access to some of the world's most sought-after restaurants with Global Dining Access by Resy. Download the Resy iOS app or log into Resy.com and add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile to take advantage of your special benefits and discover restaurants near you.
- $695 annual fee.¤
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- Earn 5X points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year).
- Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®.
Bottom Line
Despite Qatar Airways Qsuite being arguably the best business class seat in the world, it's also one of the most affordable to book! Considering the many ways to earn Avios, it couldn't be easier to book this bucket list experience. Especially if you're willing to plan ahead, you might just be able to book a dream honeymoon vacation for two to the Maldives — all for only a couple hundred dollars in taxes and fees.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees), and The Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees)
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