Cheap flights to Qatar in 2023/24 
from US, Canada, Australia, Europe, and Asia

The cheapest time to fly to Qatar

Middle East countries, like Qatar, have a desert climate and are extremely hot from April to September. June, July, and August – traditionally the hottest months of the year – should be avoided at all costs. It’s not unusual for the mercury to soar to 42° Celsius (!).

The cool season comes in December and lasts until February – with temperatures averaging 14°-25° C most days. However, if you plan your trip for the winter you must know that these are the best months for tourists – the country sees a sharp spike in tourist footfall, so make sure to reserve your flights, hotels, and rental car well in advance.

Oryx hotel inside the Doha airport

Airside of the Hamad International Airport in Doha there’s a conveniently located Oryx hotel, offering transiting passengers a choice of six different room types. You can make a booking for a night, but the hotel also accepts bookings by the hour – great for a little nap during the layover.

All guests are offered complimentary access to the Vitality Wellbeing and Fitness Centre during their stay, with the choice of spa, massage treatments, fitness, and squash activities.

As the rooms tend to be often fully booked (with only expensive suites left) we recommend booking in advance.

Know your time zone

When checking flights and airport transfer times, ensure you know the local time zones. The departure/arrival times on your plane ticket and boarding pass are based on the time zone of the departure/arrival airport – this also applies to the connecting (layover) airports.

Qatar has only one time zone – it observes  Arabia Standard Time (AST) all year, which is GMT/UTC+3 time zone. There are no daylight saving time clock changes.

Qatar is 8 hours ahead of New York, and 8 hours behind Sydney. Arabia Standard Time is also used by Bahrain, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia.

Download a VPN app

Qatar is known for its repressive laws and censorship. There is no freedom of speech in Qatar and online content is censored – various websites and online services have been banned temporarily or permanently, including  WhatsApp, Skype, FaceTime, and Telegram. There are also growing concerns regarding online surveillance.

Solution? If you want to keep access to your favorite websites and avoid being spied on while traveling around Qatar, you should download a VPN app for your smartphone and laptop. By hiding your location, it will allow you to bypass government censorship and freely access all blocked content.

Make sure to install it before you arrive – VPN websites are often also blocked (however, using a VPN is not illegal).

Long waiting times when calling the helpline?

Social media is usually a faster way to reach the airline when a problem arises. Use Twitter or Facebook Messenger to contact the airline customer service and get a response and solution within minutes (see detailed guides for Qatar Airways, Etihad, Turkish Airlines, and others).

When it comes to Twitter, there’s one more trick to get in touch with the airline faster: mention the airline in a tweet about your issue (add “@airline_handle”, for example: “@qatarairways”). The customer care team will often notice it immediately, ask you for a direct message, and respond privately.

Avoid currency exchange kiosks at airports

Airports are infamous for making an exuberant amount of money from their currency exchanges due to the extremely high margins, and Qatari airports are no exception. Airport kiosks usually charge higher fees which are sometimes hidden within the poorer exchange rates they offer – their business is based on charging extra for being a convenient, last-minute option.

It is always a good idea to bring cash to Qatar. Plan ahead and exchange some money for Qatari riyal at home, or use one of the many ATMs at the airport and in almost every city.

How to book SuperDeals?

At the Air Traveler Club, our go-to solution for finding cheap airfares to Qatar is Google Flights. Every time we send SuperDeals to our 110,000 members (see some examples), we include links to Google Flights so that each deal can be booked immediately.

Google Flights then showcases various options for booking the deal: you can almost always book directly with the airline (by cutting out the middleman) or – alternatively – with an OTA that offers the same flight at a similar price. Once you have chosen your booking option, you will be redirected to the external website where you can finalize your ticket purchase.

One of Google Flights’ standout features is a color-coded bar that appears underneath the booking options. It provides a visual representation of the price in comparison to the typical fare (for the same route, class, and airline) – indicating whether it is lower, average, or higher.

If the marker falls within the green zone (“price is low”) don’t hesitate to secure this deal as it is significantly – 40% to 80% – cheaper than average and unlikely to drop further.

For more details on how to book deals on Google Flights, check out this video:

If you are not Air Traveler Club subscriber yet, you’re missing out on SuperDeals (we often send deals to Qatar). Signup now to start saving 40–80% on flights. It’s free!

Check different departure airports

Consider neighboring cities when choosing the departure airport – especially look for larger cities with airports that serve as hubs for multiple airlines.

For example, if you live in West Europe, check prices for flights departing from Paris, London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Rome, or Vienna. In 9 out of 10 cases, the cheapest flight to Qatar will depart from one of these hubs, and it may be €500 less or more than your first choice. Yes, you may have to fly a few hundred kilometers to this hub, but low-cost airlines like EasyJet, RyanAir, or WizzAir will happily take you there for €50 – €100.

Use a similar tactic if you depart from the US or another region. It’s one of the best ways to save hundreds on trips.

Last-minute flights to Qatar. The real cost of convenience.

Last-minute flights are often touted as a great way to save money, but the reality is far from it. Booking last-minute flights to Qatar almost always never works out.

Based on years of research, the airlines know what people are willing to pay for specific flights and dates. To make the most money, they will sell their cheapest fares first and then increase the prices right before the flight to take advantage of these travelers who are willing to pay the premium price for late booking.

Occasionally, airlines can offer last-minute deals to fill the remaining seats, but these are for unusual times and unpopular places. Popular destinations and dates tend to sell out quickly.

Planning ahead and booking early is your best chance to secure a great deal on your flight to Qatar.

Fly early in the morning

Early morning flights (6 am or earlier) are usually cheaper than other day schedules. Airlines often offer discounts on their first flight of the morning (up to 15-20%) simply because of lower demand – most people are not willing to go to the airport so early.

Moreover, there tend to be fewer delays if you fly early in the morning. Due to increasing air traffic, delays get worse throughout the day – starting around 8-10 am and reaching a peak at 4-6 pm. If you are flying to Qatar with a connecting flight, arriving on time at your layover airport may be critical to catching your next flight!

By heading to the airport before rush hour, you can at least halve the time spent in city traffic. Airports are less crowded in the early morning, and with fewer travelers at the airport, there will be no long lines at the check-in and security.

Best way to upgrade to Business Class for cheap

A growing number of airlines are auctioning upgrades to their business class seats. Once you book your economy ticket to Qatar, you can offer to pay a bit more in an attempt to get a premium seat. 2-3 days before your flight, an airline will send you an email with a link to their website where you can place a “blind” bid. Alternatively, you can go to the website directly and check if your seat qualifies for an upgrade by providing the Booking Reference number.

There’s usually a minimum bid amount. If you win the auction, you’ll be informed via email, and your seat will be upgraded.

How to choose the right bid amount? Just check the airline website for the regular cost of a business class seat to Qatar, then subtract what you paid for the economy fare. Place your bid for around 10% to 30% of that price. The alternative strategy is to bid slightly above the competition. If, for example, the minimum bid is $500, try to bid $550-$600, as most people will offer the baseline amount required.

The more available business class seats the airline has on your flight, the lower bid can be successfully used. Check the airline’s daily schedule for flights to Qatar – if there is more than one flight on your chosen route (more available seats), you can safely bid close to the minimum required amount.

Among the airlines that allow bidding for seat upgrades are: Air Canada (AC Bid), Air New Zealand (OneUp), Cathay Pacific (Upgrade Bid), Etihad Airways (Bid To Upgrade), Fiji Airways (Bula Bid), Garuda Indonesia (BidUpgrade), Hawaiian Airlines (Bid Up), LATAM (Cabin Upgrade), Lufthansa (Bid Upgrade), Royal Jordanian (Go Crown), Qantas (Bid Now), SAS (SAS Upgrade), Singapore Airlines (mySQupgrade), SriLankan Airlines, and Virgin Australia (UpgradeMe).

“Book Flights Now, Pay Later” — is it worth it?

Booking a flight and paying for it later has recently become a popular trend in the travel industry, with many airlines offering delayed payment plans. They will allow you to make flight reservation to Qatar now and then pay the bill in installments. But should you take advantage?

Book Now Pay Later (BNPL) plans are essentially short-term personal loans. By partnering with financial companies such as Affirm, Afterpay, PayPal Credit, Fly Now Pay Later, and Uplift, airlines can offer their loan services on the checkout page. When you book the flight with the BNPL option, the company pays the airline, and you repay the loan in installments over a set period (usually up to 24 months), with a set interest rate.

BNPL providers have varying terms and fees. Some may offer interest-free loans but have fees for late payments and require forced autoplay on your bank account, while others may have high annual percentage rates (up to 30-40% APR). There may also be transaction fees, down payment requirements, and many companies even run a credit check on the traveler.

Among the airlines that offer a “fly now, pay later” option are American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Qantas, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, British Airways, KLM, Lufthansa, Southwest, and Virgin Atlantic.

Is BNPL financing worth it? If paid off on time, interest-free delayed payment on your flight ticket to Qatar can be a great way to free up your cash flow. However, there may be safer alternatives available – such as taking advantage of an introductory 0% interest offer on a credit card or using flight price “freezing” services like Hopper.

Hidden-city ticketing hack

Hidden-city ticketing is a less-known money-saving tactic where you buy a plane ticket with a layover, with the intention to get off at the layover rather than the final destination. For example, a flight from New York to Tokyo might be $600, but a similar flight from New York to Singapore with a layover in Tokyo might be only $350. Choosing the latter and ending the trip in Tokyo would save you $250.

It seems counterintuitive that a fare from A to C via B could possibly be cheaper than a simple fare on a shorter route from A to B. However, airlines use dynamic, computer-driven price models calculated with little human intervention, and such deals happen quite often.

How to find hidden-city tickets? The easiest way is to use the Skiplagged website, which was designed for unearthing hidden-city deals — give them a try for your flight to Qatar.

Take advantage of loyalty programs

Choose an airline that suits you the best, then stick to it. By becoming a ‘regular’, you will be able to use its loyalty program and earn “miles” (or points) – not only for flying but also for everyday expenses (if your card is affiliated with an airline).

Points earned this way often add up over time and are extremely helpful in flying at reduced fares. Airlines offer not only ticket discounts for their frequent flyers, but also special travel perks such as cabin class upgrades, increased checked baggage allowance, or access to their airport lounges so you can relax during long layovers.

If you often fly with Emirates, opt for Skywards, with Qantas – for Qantas Frequent Flyer, with Singapore Airlines – for KrisFlyer, etc.

Proof of onward travel – a simple hack

Travelers who go on long trips often don’t have a set itinerary and fly on one-way tickets. The problem? For many APAC countries, proof of onward travel is a legal requirement. If you arrive at the airport without an onward ticket (from Qatar to another country), you’ll either be forced to buy one online or forbidden from boarding the plane altogether.

The cheapest solution? Renting an onward ticket! Use the websites such as OneWayFly or OnwardTicket to get a flight reservation for a limited amount of time (usually 2 to 14 days). They work by actually booking you on a real flight out of Qatar and giving you a confirmable flight reservation with a PNR (Passenger Name Record) under your name. After the time limit, your spot on the flight is automatically canceled. Such “temporary tickets” tend to cost anywhere from $10 to $20.

“Hot seats” on long-haul flights

Those days seat selection is considered an optional, extra paid service – seats with extra legroom (front and exit rows) are usually priced higher. However, if you’re about to take a long-haul flight to Qatar, those “hot seats” are worth considering – expect to pay $50-$100, which is much less than upgrading to Premium Economy.

If you want to choose your seats, do this early (ideally during the booking) for a more extensive selection of available options.

Lost luggage prevention: Essential tips

Every year, airlines handle millions of bags and a small percentage never make it to their final destinations. Avoid lost luggage nightmares on your trip to Qatar by removing old tags from previous flights on your suitcases – they can confuse baggage handlers and conveyor belt scanners. It’s also a good idea to label your luggage with your name, address, and phone number (both inside and outside the case) and attach a GPS-tracker device like Apple AirTag or Samsung SmartTag.

For peace of mind, consider purchasing travel insurance to cover the full value of your luggage, as airline liability usually doesn’t reflect the actual value of the baggage content.