In October 2025 I was able to transfer a truckload of card points into Avios, after I saw availability for 4 (flex) J seats SYD-DOH-IST in September 2026, and ATH-DOH-CBR in October (2 separate bookings in order to get the seats).
Of course Trump has messed up my long term holiday plans... the outbound flight had been downsized from what I think was an A350 to a 777, which is fine, but yesterday Qatar cancelled the entire ATH-DOH-CBR booking. I presume they don't have enough demand to bother with the CBR route.
A long live chat ensued, where the agent said that there were no J seats to SYD/MEL/BNE/ADL in October at all - so no real ability to use my credit if I were to refund. From what I can see there are J seats to purchase with cash, but they clearly are not allowing me to transfer my Avios booking into those seats
He said that they may reinstate the CBR flights, and to check back in a few weeks to see if I could be put on eg a DOH-SYD flight, but it's totally unclear as to what will happen (understandably). More annoying from my view is that because my booking has been cancelled, it's totally random as to whether I would ever get 4 seats again even if they magically added the CBR route back in 2 weeks time. I don't appear to get any kind of priority on a new flight if it is added
What would everyone do in my place ? I could book an alternative airline for my return journey and hold the Avios for a future trip, but my concern is that at some random point in the next 2 months, Qatar will can my outgoing leg as well, which will be even messier...
Of course Trump has messed up my long term holiday plans... the outbound flight had been downsized from what I think was an A350 to a 777, which is fine, but yesterday Qatar cancelled the entire ATH-DOH-CBR booking. I presume they don't have enough demand to bother with the CBR route.
A long live chat ensued, where the agent said that there were no J seats to SYD/MEL/BNE/ADL in October at all - so no real ability to use my credit if I were to refund. From what I can see there are J seats to purchase with cash, but they clearly are not allowing me to transfer my Avios booking into those seats
He said that they may reinstate the CBR flights, and to check back in a few weeks to see if I could be put on eg a DOH-SYD flight, but it's totally unclear as to what will happen (understandably). More annoying from my view is that because my booking has been cancelled, it's totally random as to whether I would ever get 4 seats again even if they magically added the CBR route back in 2 weeks time. I don't appear to get any kind of priority on a new flight if it is added
What would everyone do in my place ? I could book an alternative airline for my return journey and hold the Avios for a future trip, but my concern is that at some random point in the next 2 months, Qatar will can my outgoing leg as well, which will be even messier...
