Qatar Airways just changed the rules mid-game. If you've been planning to book Avios reward seats for a partner, a parent, or anyone else on your next holiday, there are now two new hoops to jump through - and one of them could lock you out entirely if you haven't already credited a qualifying flight to your Privilege Club account.

When booking Qatar Airways reward flights using Avios via the Qatar Privilege Club website, how many days in advance does Qatar release award seats - compared to 355 days on the BA website?

The answer is waiting near the bottom... keep scrolling 👇

If you only ever book Avios reward flights for yourself, stop worrying - nothing has changed for you. But if you've ever booked a Qatar Airways Avios seat for a spouse, parent, or friend through your Privilege Club account, you need to read this carefully.

Qatar has introduced two new rules, effective immediately, that apply whenever you try to redeem Avios for someone else via the Privilege Club:

The 30-day rule is understandable - fraud prevention is a genuine issue across loyalty programmes. But the flight-credit requirement is more painful, especially if you've been accumulating Avios with BA and simply haven't credited a flight to Qatar yet.

The workaround? Even crediting a single one-way domestic Hand Baggage Only fare with BA to your Privilege Club account would qualify. It's a low bar, but it's a bar that didn't exist before. And since there's no Qatar co-branded credit card in the UK, that's the only realistic route for most British collectors.

Once you've met both requirements, you then need to pre-register anyone you want to book for using one of two features:

My List allows you to add up to four adults (18+). They must remain on your list for a minimum of six months before you can remove or replace them - so choose wisely.

Family & Friends is more like a BA Household Account, letting you add up to six family members or friends (including children over two). The catch: those members cannot already have their own Privilege Club account, and they cannot spend the Avios themselves - only the account holder can.

Bottom line: if you travel with others and want to keep the Qatar Avios booking route open, act now. Open a Privilege Club account, link it to your BA Executive Club, and credit a qualifying flight as soon as possible. The six-month minimum period on both lists means the clock starts ticking the moment you add someone.

For a full breakdown of BA Avios pricing on Qatar routes, our BA Avios Flight Calculator can show you roughly what to expect in Avios before you start hunting for seats.

London City Airport has operated without a proper airside lounge since the pandemic killed off its last option - a pre-COVID facility at the Private Jet Centre. Right now, Priority Pass members are directed to spending credits at Juniper & Co. or Soul & Grain. Decent enough for a coffee, but not exactly a lounge experience.

That changes in early 2027. The airport has confirmed it's opening its first dedicated lounge, operated by Aspire Pre-Flight Hospitality, with access via a hotel-style lobby positioned close to the security lane exit.

The headline features include runway views, a centrepiece cocktail bar, a barista station serving locally roasted coffee, and food menus inspired by London. There's also a dedicated workspace with private booths for calls - which will resonate strongly with the City crowd that dominates LCY's passenger base.

The lounge won't be affiliated with any airline, which means access will be available to all passengers via walk-in purchase, online pre-booking, and - importantly - through annual memberships like Priority Pass once that integration is live. Andy Cliffe, CEO of London City Airport, called it "answering a clear demand from passengers" as the airport pushes towards a target of nine million passengers a year.

And honestly? Given LCY's reputation as London's most efficient airport, a proper lounge could make it a genuine alternative to Heathrow for business travellers. The Airport Lounge Guide has full details on what's currently available across UK airports if you want to plan in the meantime.

After years of uncertainty, Asiana Airlines has set a firm date for its Star Alliance exit: December 16, 2026 at 23:59 Korea Standard Time. That ends a 23-year membership in the world's largest airline alliance.

For most UK readers, this is unlikely to affect day-to-day redemptions directly. But there's a sting in the tail for anyone who used Asiana miles to book partner airline flights that operate after December 16. Asiana has now said it will not honour some of those award bookings.

If you have any such bookings, it's worth checking their status directly with Asiana sooner rather than later. The exit is part of the wider Korean Air and Asiana merger process, which has been grinding through regulatory approvals for years. Once Asiana leaves Star Alliance, it will effectively move into Korean Air's SkyTeam orbit.

Heads up: if you were planning to redeem Star Alliance miles for Asiana-operated flights in late 2026 or 2027, those options will disappear entirely after mid-December.

IHG One Rewards is running a 100% bonus on purchased points, which effectively halves the price to around 0.5 cents per point. That's one of the better rates you'll see from IHG in any given year.

The sale is live now and runs until Thursday 16th July. If you've got a stay at an IHG property planned - think Hotel Indigo, Crowne Plaza, or InterContinental - topping up your balance now could mean a free night or two rather than paying cash. Worth checking Points.com for your personalised offer, as some members report different bonus tiers.

Warning: this may be targeted, and the offer is not available via debit card for UK Revolut IHG cardholders (whose card doesn't even launch until later this year).

Qantas has shared details of the cabin configuration for Project Sunrise - its planned non-stop London to Sydney service launching in October 2027. The aircraft will carry just 238 passengers on an A350-1000, making it the lowest-density configuration of any A350-1000 operator. For context, both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic seat between 331 and 335 passengers on the same airframe.

The lower density means more space per passenger across every cabin - relevant for anyone thinking about Avios or partner redemptions on the route once it launches. No Avios pricing has been confirmed yet for Sunrise flights, but given the 22-hour flight time and premium positioning, expect this to be one of the most sought-after award bookings in the network when seats open up.

Worth keeping an eye on the BA Reward Avios Flight Finder as we get closer to the launch window.

The answer is 🟡 360 days. Qatar Airways releases award seats 360 days in advance via its own Privilege Club website, compared to 355 days on the BA site. That five-day head start matters enormously on ultra-competitive routes like Australia, where reward seats are gone almost instantly. If you're hunting Avios seats to Sydney or Perth, booking direct through Qatar's own site - with your linked Avios - gives you the best shot.

Have you ever booked a Qatar Airways Avios reward seat for someone else via the Privilege Club? Does the new My List restriction change your plans? Hit reply - I genuinely read every response and it shapes what we cover next.

That's it for today - but don't sleep on the IHG 100% buy points bonus. It ends Thursday 16th July and if you've got an IHG stay coming up, buying now at half the usual price per point could fund a genuinely free night. Don't leave it to the last weekend.

These are the top credit card welcome bonuses we're tracking. Offers change frequently - see all cards.

1. Currensea Marriott Bonvoy Debit Card: 40,000 points after spending £3,000 in 12 months (£1.75/yr)

2. HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard: Receive 40,000 reward points when you spend £2,000 on your card in the first 90 ... (£2.9/yr)

3. Gold Card: 20,000 points after spending £3,000 in 3 months (£1.6/yr (waived first year))

Looking to redeem your points? Here's what's available right now (via Award Travel Finder):

Hotels:

Browse every award deal we track at AwardTravelFinder.com →

Award Travel Finder hunts down the best redemptions so you don't have to.

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