My $3856 flight for just $161 tonight: 12 hours in the world’s best business class

You are currently viewing My $3856 flight for just $161 tonight: 12 hours in the world’s best business class

We’re often asked to talk about how to travel better to change it up a bit from our usual content on how to travel for less (which will obviously continue to be the near-totality of our content). But in a way, flights in business class (or first class) really are the BEST deal you can get!

My flight tonight cost $3856 with cash, but I got it for only $161. Hard to beat that deal!

You can follow my personal Instagram account if you want to travel with me and see more quickly what this extremely luxurious experience looks like via my Instagram stories.

Here’s a teaser of this deal. Of course, I’ll be talking more about it very soon here (and you can join the 100,000+ savvy Canadian travelers who receive our free newsletter)… or on video next Thursday if you want to ask me any questions about all this.

Contents hide
Overview of the deal
What to know about Qatar Airways’ famous Qsuites
How to pay $161 instead of $3856
How to easily earn 70,000 Avios points
How to learn more about the deal
Step-by-step summary of the deal
How to choose to fly business on the outbound or the inbound
How to go elsewhere in Asia
How the more valuable type of points work
How to get even more choice of links
How to concretely book the deal
Why I’m taking this rare business class flight
Summary

 

Overview of the deal

Here’s my quick introduction to this deal:

  • I’m going to try Qatar Airways’ famous Qsuite
  • It’s the best business class in the world
  • I have a 12-hour flight in the peak of aviation luxury
  • The ticket is worth $3856 with cash but cost me just $161
  • You can very easily do the same
  • I even shared a step-by-step summary to tell you how
  • You can go elsewhere too (plenty of destinations to choose from)
  • You have plenty of other airline options too
  • Our live video on the topic will be on Thursday, July 13th at 9 PM (Eastern)
  • I don’t usually travel in business class
  • Here’s why I’m doing it this time (for the 1st time, or almost)

 

What to know about Qatar Airways’ famous Qsuites

Qatar Airways is one of only 10 airlines in the world with a 5-star rating (from the reference, Skytrax). All these rankings are obviously highly subjective, but there’s no doubt that this Gulf-based airline is among the best in the world (it was great when I flew it even in economy class in 2019).

Their flagship product is the Qsuite business-class seat. It’s a private suite on the plane, complete with a 180-degree lie-flat seat (or a pod) and even a door that closes for privacy, with great food and service.

Someone sleeping as soundly as I will tonight (photo credit: Qatar Airways)

 

Experts consider it one of the best business classes in the world, if not the best honestly (it’s the best according to Skytrax once again).

Business class is not the same thing as first class (lots of people think it’s the same thing; that’s normal… it’s one of the many examples of things many people don’t know in the world of travel).

But Qatar Airways’ Qsuite business class is so good that experts consider it as good as first class!

 

How to pay $161 instead of $3856

Tonight, my magnificent 12-hour Qsuites flight from Montreal (YUL) to Doha (DOH), Qatar, cost me a tiny fraction of the price! And it’s so easy!

Like I said, this flight is worth a lot of cash.

It’s $5800 for the flight, one-way. But when you pay with cash, one-way flights are more expensive for most long-distance flights (but NOT short-distance flights and NOT when you pay with points).

So I’m showing you the more realistic price of a roundtrip instead, which is $7712 on the cheapest dates (business class is very expensive when paying in cash)!

Cheapest price with cash for this flight (image credit: Qatar Airways)

 

So let’s say the one-way flight is worth “just” $3856 to be fair (half of $7712).

NEVER pay for business class flights with cash, it’s just not savvy in 99%+ of cases. When you don’t know, it’s okay not to know. But now you do! Don’t do that anymore.

Use points if you want luxury flights, it’s downright the most lucrative use of rewards! It requires so few points compared to the cash price!

So I paid $161 and only 70,000 Avios points for this flight which is worth $3856, an exceptional value.

My receipt for the same flight in points (image credit: Andrew D’Amours/Flytrippers)

 

Airline points like that are so incredibly awesome.

And Avios points are among the easiest to earn for Canadian travelers. 

With just one quite common welcome bonus, you’ll have almost enough Avios points for that $3856 flight! And if you have Amex points, RBC Avion points, or HSBC Rewards points, you might already have enough without even knowing it!

And you can easily make up the difference with another one (and thus improve your credit score too, contrary to the myth that is so common and so false). And earn points for the return trip (in economy or business class, depending on how fast you want to do it).

 

How to easily earn 70,000 Avios points

There’s a card that earns Avios points directly, but what few people know about are transferable bank points. American Express Membership Rewards points, RBC Avion points, and HSBC Rewards points can all be transferred to Avios points! It’s so much more lucrative to do that than to use those points in other ways.

So you’ve got plenty of options to earn 70,000 Avios points very easily in Canada!

The best option right now is the RBC British Airways Visa Infinite Card if you want it to go faster and if you can spend more (increased offer is for a limited time).

If you don’t earn $60,000 per year or want bonuses that require less spending, then it’s the American Express Cobalt Card or the American Express Gold Rewards Card.

If you want unlimited access to airport lounges (for you and 1 guest) on all your flights for 1 year, the American Express Platinum Card is the very best premium card in Canada and will give you even more than the 70,000 Avios points.

It really depends on your preferences, spending, income, etc.

Here are the best current deals for Avios points.

Best credit cards
for Avios points
NEW
 RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card
RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card
Card:
Bonus: spend $5k in 6 mos.
WELCOME BONUS
( VALUATION)
ends April 30th

 apply now
Rewards: ≈ $900
Card fee: $120
Avios points: 60,000 pts
+ wider acceptance
than Amex
RBC® British Airways Visa Infinite‡
RBC British Airways Visa Infinite Card
Card:
Bonus: spend $6k in 3 mos.
WELCOME BONUS
( VALUATION)
limited time
Rewards: ≈ $840
Card fee: $165
Avios points: 56,000 pts
+ wider acceptance
than Amex
American Express Cobalt® Card
American Express Cobalt Card
Card:
Bonus: spend $750/mo for 12 mos.
WELCOME BONUS
( VALUATION)
Rewards: ≈ $900
Card fee: $156
Avios points: 60,000 pts
+ 5X the points
best card in Canada
American Express® Gold Rewards Card
American Express Gold Rewards Card
Card:
Bonus: spend $1k/mo for 12 mos.
WELCOME BONUS
( VALUATION)
Rewards: ≈ $1180
Card fee: $250
Avios points: 72,000 pts
+ 4 lounge passes
and $100 travel credit
Platinum Card® from American Express
Platinum Card from American Express
Card:
Bonus: spend $10k in 3 mos.
WELCOME BONUS
( VALUATION)
Rewards: ≈ $1600
Card fee: $799
Avios points: 80,000 pts
+ unlimited lounges
and $200 travel credit
Terms and conditions apply. Flytrippers editorial opinion only. Financial institutions are not responsible for maintaining the content on this site. Please click "See More" to see most up-to-date information.
Best credit cards
for Avios points		 WELCOME BONUS
( VALUATION)		 Avios
points
NEW
 RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card
RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card
Card:
Bonus: spend $5k in 6 mos.
Rewards: ≈ $900
Card fee: $120
60,000 pts
+ wider acceptance
than Amex
ends April 30th

 apply now
RBC British Airways Visa Infinite Card
RBC® British Airways Visa Infinite‡
Card:
Bonus: spend $6k in 3 mos.
Rewards: ≈ $840
Card fee: $165
56,000 pts
+ wider acceptance
than Amex
limited time
American Express Cobalt Card
American Express Cobalt® Card
Card:
Bonus: spend $750/mo for 12 mos.
Rewards: ≈ $900
Card fee: $156
60,000 pts
+ 5X the points
best card in Canada
American Express Gold Rewards Card
American Express® Gold Rewards Card
Card:
Bonus: spend $1k/mo for 12 mos.
Rewards: ≈ $1180
Card fee: $250
72,000 pts
+ 4 lounge passes
and $100 travel credit
Platinum Card from American Express
Platinum Card® from American Express
Card:
Bonus: spend $10k in 3 mos.
Rewards: ≈ $1600
Card fee: $799
80,000 pts
+ unlimited lounges
and $200 travel credit
Terms and conditions apply. Flytrippers editorial opinion only. Financial institutions are not responsible for maintaining the content on this site. Please click "See More" to see most up-to-date information.

 

In short, banks so easily give you tons of points worth hundreds of dollars (or thousands of dollars if you use them for business class travel). It’s really that easy.

Literally all you need to do though is to plan ahead. And soooooo many people have such a hard time being on top of their things like that, unfortunately.

It’s one of the 6 most important things to understand that you can (and should) read in our one-page travel rewards summary infographic. Plan ahead. Earn as soon as you can.

 

The sooner you start earning Avios points, the sooner you’ll be able to get lots of free travel.

The more valuable rewards that have a variable and unlimited value (like Avios points) are by far the best for those who want to travel in business class. The points can give you outsized value, so much more value than the points you’ve known in the past!

I saved $3695 ($3856 minus $161) with 70,000 points, giving me a value of 5.3¢ per point! Most simpler rewards will give you just 1¢ per point approximately… so that’s 5 times more value of free travel you can get with this particular redemption.

Even in economy class, these more valuable airline points will very often give you so much more value (but not always, whereas in premium cabins this is really always the case).

 

How to learn more about the deal

If you want to learn more about this deal, our monthly travel rewards video (with a presentation of the best deals of the month and a Q&A session) happens to be next week.

It will take place on July 13th (Thursday) at 9 PM (Eastern).

 

Step-by-step summary of the deal

Before I give you any more details, I’ll summarize the deal step by step based on your income.

If you earn $60,000 a year (or $100,000 for your household):

  • Get 56,000 Avios points
  • Get the missing 14,000 Avios points
    • Get another card based on the offers in 2-3 months
    • That will also give you your return flight in economy at least
    • Or continue until you’ve got enough points for a business class return too
  • Book the flight with 70,000 Avios points

If you earn under $60,000 a year:

  • Get 60,000 Amex points (transferable into 60,000 Avios points)
  • Get the missing 10,000 Avios points
    • Spend an extra $2,000 on groceries/gift cards on that card
    • Or get another card based on the offers in 2-3 months
    • That will also give you your return flight in economy at least
    • Or continue until you’ve got enough points for a business class return too
  • Book the flight with 70,000 Avios points

 

 

How to choose to fly business on the outbound or the inbound

If you just want to spoil yourself on half the journey or don’t want to wait to earn more points to do both, as a pro, I’d recommend booking the inbound flight (return) in business class, not the outbound.

Westbound flights are longer, so for the same number of points, you get 13 hours 15 minutes in a Qsuite instead of 12 hours (we like to maximize everything).

But also, when you fly out of Doha, you’ll have access to one of the most luxurious airport lounges in the world! In Montréal, you get access to the National Bank Lounge that everyone can already easily access for free; really not the same caliber of lounges at all!

You’ll be able to enjoy the lounge longer in Doha too, because it’s the Qatar Airways hub, so you can go to the check-in counter whenever you like, more than 3 hours early if you want (strangely enough, Qatar Airways doesn’t allow online check-in in Montréal… or maybe I’m just unlucky).

It’s a good way to end a trip, too, whereas at the start of a trip it’s less unpleasant to be in economy class when you’re eager to discover new places and excited about the trip ahead. 

Finally, if you are among the many travelers who don’t follow the pro tip about packing light, by being in business class for your return, you’ll have a bigger bag allowance to bring back things (it seems a lot of people love to do that instead of keeping their money to travel more). Conversely, if for example you have family abroad and want to bring things to them, get the outbound in business class, not the inbound.

I had booked my business class seat on the inbound flight the only other time I used my points for a business class flight, Turkish Airlines’ excellent business class between Istanbul (IST) and New York-Newark (EWR). I wanted to save points (even though that deal was ridiculous, as I explain in the last section), so I got just half the journey in business class. And I chose the return, not the outbound flight.

My business class seat on Turkish (photo credit: Andrew D’Amours/Flytrippers)

 

For this particular trip, there was no availability for my return dates in business class, as I had been invited to take part in a Canadian delegation to India, and I wasn’t able to book very far in advance. Well, let’s be clear: it’s still the best business class in the world, so I won’t complain if it’s the outbound instead of the inbound. But I’m telling you this so you can maximize it yourself.

By the way, I redeemed the same Avios points on Qatar Airways for the return, but in economy class. It’s also a good deal considering the current prices with cash. The number of points required doesn’t change no matter the cash price, so it’s a great time to look into the more valuable type of points with cash prices for flights being high!

 

How to go elsewhere in Asia

If you’d rather go somewhere other than the Middle East, you’ve got plenty of options.

I’m going to India, but since I want to visit Qatar and save money/points (the flight between Qatar and India was cheap with cash), I simply booked another separate ticket between Doha and Delhi (DEL). The self-transfer tip is one of the simplest and most important ways of saving money on airline tickets.

As I explain below, just splurging for those 12 hours is plenty for a budget traveler like me.

If you want to continue in business class and go further than Qatar, for just 15,000 more Avios points (and another set of taxes of course), you can go to India, the Maldives, Nepal, etc.

If you want to go to Southeast Asia, which would mean 2 long flights in business class to really get the most out of this, it’s an extra 25,000 points (95,000 Avios points). Perfect for one of the world’s most popular and exciting destinations!

It’s all very easy to earn if you follow our pro tips and stop wasting your spending (that you’re going to spend anyway) on a card that doesn’t have a welcome bonus.

 

How the more valuable type of points work

The more valuable points are necessarily less simple. What’s more simpler is always less valuable. That’s the most basic thing in the world of travel (but in literally everything in life, too, really).

Avios points are even less simple and flexible than Aeroplan points.

The Montreal-Doha route is one of the sweet spots of the Avios program, one of the best ways to travel long-haul in business class for the fewest points. But Avios points offer far fewer route options that give you good value for your points.

And like all good redemptions of more valuable airline points, seats are obviously limited, because that’s what gives you unlimited value. So you either have to be a little flexible or book in advance!

If you want to learn the basics of airline points, we’re doing another free webinar on Aeroplan very soon (and the introduction applies to the Avios program as well).

 

How to get even more choice of links

Aeroplan points are even better for many routes. It depends on where you want to go.

For example, to get from almost anywhere in Canada to Japan (or many places in Southeast Asia, depending on the routing), it’s 87,500 Aeroplan points, and there’s also a lot more availability.

Aeroplan has the most airline partners (of all airline programs in the world), so it’s much easier to find business class seats, and it gives you more options without you having to be as flexible.

However, for 70,000 points, the furthest you can go is Europe, so you spend a lot less time in business class compared to the Montréal-Doha Avios sweet spot.

 

How to concretely book the deal

Once you’ve got your points, it’s almost as easy as the very simple process of booking any airline ticket on the Internet.

The only extra step is if you’ve earned American Express points, RBC Avion points, or HSBC Rewards points. You need to transfer them to the British Airways Executive Club program first.

It takes 5 minutes online and it’s really not complicated. I’ve done a detailed article on how to transfer American Express points for those who want the full process, I’ll be doing the same for RBC and HSBC very soon but it’s just as simple.

But you should just transfer your points once you’ve found available seats (or when there are transfer bonuses that give you more points, if you’re comfortable not being able to use your points as anything other than Avios points).

I took screenshots of my entire booking process for this flight, I’ll show you that but this article is getting long, so come back soon (or subscribe to our free newsletter).

 

Why I’m taking this rare business class flight

Don’t worry, I’ll always be a budget traveler who’ll help you travel for less.

Of the 450 flights I’ve taken in my life, only 1 was paid for in business class (in points of course)… and that was because there was a major amazing bug in the Aeroplan system that charged less for business class than for economy!

So this is actually the 1st time in 450 flights that I’ve actually paid for a business class flight. It usually takes twice as many points to travel in business class as in economy, so I personally prefer to travel more.

Just the fact of having free access to airport lounges and going to luxury hotels in cheap countries (or with my Marriott elite status), is plenty enough of in luxury for me who prefers to travel more often.

But there are plenty of people who don’t even want to (or think they can’t) travel more, and if you’re one of them, it’s so ridiculously easy to do all your flying in business class if you sadly travel just 2-3 times a year.

If you’re interested, here’s why I decided to pay a bit more in points for business class this time:

  • I’ve traveled very little in the last 6 months to concentrate on the site
    • So I’ve got a ton of points because I’ve obviously never stopped earning them
    • It’s so simple: use all your spending to unlock welcome bonuses
    • You’ll be swamped by an incredible number of points
  • I’m going to India as part of a Canadian delegation that is paying me for my flights
    • It’s a good time to splurge in this situation
    • Especially since India is an incredibly affordable country once you get there
    • I also used Marriott points for several hotel nights, which are therefore free
  • Qsuites are the epitome of in-flight luxury, and I love testing everything for you
    • To show you what it’s like, if you’re among those who want to travel in luxury
    • Flights to Asia are expensive right now, so it’s a good time for points
  • 12 hours of flhying in Qsuites for 70,000 points is a wicked good deal!
    • This specific route is one of the best sweet spots for rewards
    • All programs combined
  • I used 70,000 Avios points worth 1.5¢ per point according to our Flytrippers Valuation
    • That’s $1050, and with the $161 in taxes, it’s less than the price in the economy class with cash
    • But I’m in business class instead of economy
    • Another way of looking at it is that it was 35,000 points more than in economy
    • That’s not even 1 welcome bonus from the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card
    • I get that one every year because the welcome bonus rule is very generous
    • For 12 hours in the best business class in the world, I thought it was worth it

 

Want to get more content to learn how to earn free travel?

Sign up for our travel rewards newsletter

 

Summary

In short, with Avios points, you can easily spend 12 hours in the world’s best business class for just $161. And you can easily get those 70,000 Avios points with the awesome welcome bonuses. Come join us on July 13th and I’ll answer all your questions.

What would you like to know about this deal? Tell us in the comments below.

 

See the deals we spot: Cheap flights

Explore awesome destinations: Travel inspiration

Learn pro tricks: Travel tips

Discover free travel: Travel rewards

 

Featured image: Qsuite on the Qatar Airways Boeing 777 (photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)

 

Share this post to help us help more people travel more for less:

Andrew D'Amours

Andrew is the co-founder of Flytrippers. He is passionate about traveling the world but also, as a former management consultant, about the travel industry itself. He shares his experiences to help you save money on travel. As a very cost-conscious traveler, he loves finding deals and getting free travel thanks to travel rewards points... to help him visit every country in the world (current count: 71/193 Countries, 47/50 US States & 9/10 Canadian Provinces).

Leave a Reply