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Qatar Launches Privilege Club Double QPoints Offer
Just days after increasing its flight schedule, Qatar Airways is wasting no time in trying to increase demand. They have now launched a tempting offer to encourage Privilege Club members to book flights.
You can now earn double QPoints on Qatar Airways Business and First flights booked by 22nd April for flights until 16th June. During this time, you can earn status in half the time!
The promotion is available to Silver, Gold and Platinum status holders, plus selected Burgundy members who have received communication. If you have not received the email, it is still worth logging in to check whether the offer appears under your offers.
As a reminder, the Privilege Club tiers are as follows:
| Earn | Retain | |
| Silver | 150 QPoints in 12 months | 135 QPoints in 12 months or 270 in 24 months. |
| Gold | 300 QPoints in 12 months | 270 in 12 months or 540 in 24 months. |
| Platinum | 600 QPoints in 12 months | 540 in 12 months or 1,080 in 24 months. |
You could reach Gold status with the flying that would normally only get you to Silver or Platinum in the time it would usually take you to reach Gold! As part of the Oneworld alliance, Privilege Club status gives benefits across the alliance when flying on airlines such as Cathay, Finnair and BA.
The offer is only valid for Qatar-marketed and operated flights, but you can use the offer more than once. It’s only valid for tickets booked during the booking period.
We will likely see many offers in the next few months as airlines in the Middle East and around the world encourage people to fly with them again. This is an excellent opportunity to fast-track your way to Privilege Club status or renew your tier!
Gold Etihad Guest Status with One Return Flight
Etihad has just launched a fantastic fast-track status offer, and it’s one of the easiest ways to earn airline status we’ve seen in a while.
Book a single return Economy flight from selected cities, and you will receive Etihad Guest Silver. Book Business or First, and you will be upgraded straight to Gold for a year. You must opt in via the offer page before travel. Normally, Etihad Guest Gold requires 50,000 Tier Miles, so getting it after one return is fantastic.
The offer is valid on bookings made by 30th April 2026 for travel between 16th April and 15th July 2026.
The main issue is that the UK is not included in the list of departure destinations, which includes:
Thailand (BKK, CNX, KBV, HKT), Cambodia (KTI), China (PKX, PVG), Hong Kong (HKG), South Korea (ICN), Indonesia (DPS, CGK, KNO), Japan (KIX, NRT), Malaysia (KUL), Taiwan (TPE), Vietnam (HAN), Oman (MCT, SLL), Bahrain (BAH), Saudi Arabia (ELQ, DMM, JED, MED, RUH), Qatar (DOH) and Kuwait (KWI).
Your journey must start in one of the eligible cities and either end in Abu Dhabi or connect via Abu Dhabi in both directions. For example, Bangkok-Abu Dhabi-London would not qualify, whereas Bangkok-Abu Dhabi-London-Abu Dhabi-Bangkok would. Saver Award tickets and Cash + Miles bookings are excluded.
The cheapest route is likely to be a short return from Muscat, Doha or Bahrain to Abu Dhabi. In Economy from Muscat to Abu Dhabi, the return fare is around Β£98, or Β£1,069 in Business.
Gold includes:
- Business Class check-in
- Priority boarding and baggage
- Fast-track immigration in Abu Dhabi
- Free seat selection for yourself and a guest
- 50% bonus Etihad Guest miles
- Lounge access in Abu Dhabi for yourself and a guest if you choose it as one of your four custom benefits
At Silver, you’ll also be able to access the Abu Dhabi Business lounge if you choose it as one of your two custom benefits.
A single Business Class return could give you a year of Gold status and lounge access, which is far easier than earning status the normal way. That’s if you’re happy to fly via the Middle East…
Register for the offer here >>>
Air New Zealand’s Skynest Bunk Beds Will Be Bookable Soon
Air New Zealand’s long-awaited sleeper pods will be bookable from 18th May for flights from 26th November onwards.
The Skynest bunk beds will debut on flights from Auckland and New York JFK on Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, and Air New Zealand describes them as ‘the future of long-haul travel’.
Skynest is a mini sleeping area located between Economy and Premium Economy. There are six lie-flat bunks in total, arranged in two sets of three.
The Skynest will be bookable for Economy and Premium Economy passengers in 4-hour timeslots. Initially, there will be two time slots, but you can only book one.
Pods come with:
- A full-length mattress – 80 x 25 inches
- Fresh pillow, sheets and blanket
- Ambient lighting and ventilation
- USB-A and USB-C charging points
- Reading light and crew call button
- Privacy curtain and in-pod seatbelt
- A Nestcessities kit including an eye mask, earplugs, socks and Aotea skincare products.
Pricing starts at Β£217, which is reasonable for 4 hours on a lie-flat bed on an Economy/Premium Economy fare. If you were planning to book Business purely for the lie-flat option, this is something to consider. However, it looks a lot like a hostel-style/crew bunk setup. You could potentially enjoy the dining and service of Premium Economy while still enjoying some quality sleep.
Bunks are only available for passengers 15 and over, but there’s the existing option of the SkyCouch, which turns a row of Economy seats into a sofa-style space. No ‘double bunking’ or food is allowed.
Air New Zealand Chief Executive, Nikhil Ravishankar, commented:
“For a country as remote as New Zealand, the journey matters. Tourism is a $46 billion NZD industry, but growth depends on travellers’ willingness to spend long hours in the air to get here.
“Skynest is designed to help make that easier. It reflects the practical innovation New Zealand is known for, and shows how thoughtful design can improve the travel experience. By giving more people the chance to properly rest on ultra long-haul flights, it helps make travel to and from New Zealand more manageable.”
With only 6 bunks and 2 sessions available, only 12 passengers will have the opportunity to use the Skynest per flight, so it is likely to sell out very quickly.
Air New Zealand is certainly innovative, and if it goes well, I imagine other airlines will come up with similar concepts, and the concept may be expanded to other routes. Itβs also particularly interesting to see how something like Skynest could influence future aircraft cabin layouts, potentially encouraging airlines to rethink how space is used across Economy and Premium Economy rather than simply increasing seat density.
8 comments
Iβve seen feedback from some who tested them out at the launch event that suggests they offer no privacy, are claustrophobic, and are pretty grim. And the photo youβve used doesnβt convince me otherwise. Their SkyCouch product seems to offer a much better experience.
Qatar promotion is good, although overlooks the Foreign Office travel warning (echoed by governments around the world) that invalidates travel insurance.
Example: Trip to South Africa via Doha, you fall ill in South Africa and claim on your insurance, your insurance denies your claim. FACT.
Not factual.
Mainstream UK insurers often use broad exclusions.
Examples:
* Staysure says that if you travel against FCDO advice, βyour policy would become invalidβ.
* Allianz Assistance says you are not covered if you fail to follow advice at any destination you are travelling βfrom, through or toβ; its general exclusions also apply where the FCDO advises against all or all but essential travel, unless the journey is truly essential.
Sadly the Qatar Airways offer is only applicable to Privilege Club main members who are residing in Qatar as per their Privilege Club account. Terms and conditions are clear.
They amended the Tβs and Cβs yesterday and it doesnβt state you have to reside in Qatar anymore
If someone has just slept in the bunk before you, do the crew come along and put fresh sheets on etc?
Etihad offer doesnβt cover any European departure, nevermind just not uk.
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