Qatar Airways Introduces Seat Selection Fees for Business Class Award Bookings

Qatar Airways has quietly introduced seat selection fees for business class award bookings, in what represents yet another erosion of value for points and miles enthusiasts. The change, which took effect on 3 November 2025, means travellers redeeming Avios or Qcredits for business class flights must now pay approximately £85 (€95-100) per flight segment to select their seats in advance—unless they hold oneworld Sapphire or Emerald status.

The policy was first spotted by a Reddit user and subsequently confirmed through test bookings. According to internal communications from Qatar's customer service team, the change applies to all passengers who book or upgrade to business class using Avios or Qcredits—specifically the 'U' fare class used for award tickets.

This change impacts anyone booking Qatar Airways business class award tickets through:

Essentially, if you're redeeming points or miles for Qatar business class, you'll face these fees—regardless of which loyalty programme you book through. This is because all award tickets are issued in the same 'U' booking class.

There's good news for elite members:

If you hold British Airways Gold status (oneworld Emerald equivalent), you're protected from these fees. This is yet another example of how elite status continues to provide tangible value in an increasingly fee-laden aviation landscape.

For those without status, seat selection becomes free when online check-in opens 24 hours before departure. However, this presents a significant gamble—especially on routes featuring Qatar's coveted QSuites product.

The most desirable QSuites configurations (particularly the centre quad seats that can be converted into double beds) are often snapped up well before the 24-hour mark. Window seats with additional privacy are similarly popular. By waiting until check-in, you're essentially playing seat roulette with one of the world's best business class products.

This latest move follows a concerning trend from Qatar Airways. In 2024, the airline significantly increased fuel surcharges on award tickets, adding roughly £80-100 per one-way long-haul flight. Combined with these new seat selection fees, a business class award redemption to Doha now carries approximately £180-200 in additional costs beyond the Avios—and that's before considering any onward connections.

The airline has also been tightening award availability on premium routes, making it increasingly difficult to find space through programmes like American AAdvantage or Alaska Mileage Plan. These incremental changes don't generate the headlines that outright award chart devaluations do, but they're arguably more insidious—quietly eroding the value proposition of award travel without fanfare.

I'll be honest: this one stings. Qatar Airways has long been one of my preferred redemption options, particularly for flights to the Middle East and Asia. The combination of excellent QSuites availability, reasonable award pricing (70,000 Avios for business class between Europe and Doha), and stellar service made it a go-to for premium travel.

But these incremental fees are death by a thousand cuts. When you factor in high fuel surcharges, seat selection fees, and increasingly scarce award availability, the value proposition starts to look decidedly less compelling. For a family of four, you're looking at an additional £340 just to select your seats on a return journey to Doha—on top of the hundreds in fuel surcharges you're already paying.

The status carve-out is interesting. On one hand, it rewards loyal customers. On the other, it creates yet another divide between those with elite status and those without. For casual points collectors who've saved up for a special trip, these fees add insult to injury.

What particularly frustrates me is the lack of transparency. Qatar didn't announce this change—it was discovered by eagle-eyed travellers on Reddit. The airline's booking flow even initially shows seat selection as 'included' before revealing the charges in the next step. That feels deliberately misleading.

For those of us in the points and miles game, this serves as another reminder to diversify our strategies. Relying too heavily on any single airline or programme leaves you vulnerable when the goalposts inevitably shift. Consider:

• Building status in oneworld (or other alliances) to protect against fees like these

• Maintaining flexibility in your Avios balances across British Airways, Qatar, and Iberia—each offers different sweet spots

• Exploring alternative redemption options on other carriers when Qatar's fees become prohibitive

• Using tools like Award Travel Finder to compare availability across multiple programmes

The disappointing reality is that award travel is becoming progressively more expensive and complicated. Qatar Airways' QSuites remain one of the finest ways to cross continents, but the all-in cost of redeeming points for that experience is steadily creeping upwards. Whether it remains worth it will depend on your individual circumstances—but it's certainly not the exceptional value it once was.

Have you been affected by Qatar's new seat selection fees? How are you adjusting your award booking strategy? Let me know in the comments.

Jack