Anyone had luck booking 90K J Savers to Europe next summer?

[BriarFlyer]

@Duffa. Interested to know how you found 108,000. I'm only seeing 180,000 for flexi between 27 June and 25 August (seems to have been a two-month blackout on Saver releases.)

Answering my own question as I just saw this pricing which came up, same route, with a long transit in Doha.

 

[masco131]

Well done @Kuz !

Last year, Qatar basically didn't make any business class awards available (apart from the "Flex" awards which cost double the points) to/from Europe in Summer. Lots of us surmised that it was because of the Paris Olympics.

I'm now beginning to wonder if this is a yearly pattern, of Qatar not making awards available during the peak European summer period, but then making them available again once that period is over.

I think you might be right there. Iw as looking at flights from MEL to Europe and plenty of availability from start of year till May using avios.
Fair enough tho because they probably will be able to get pax paying cash fares.

 

[Duffa]

That would late July? Did you book a while back?

12th July 2025. Sorry, should have made that clear ..

 

[BriarFlyer]

Have, happily, booked 2 x J at Saver rate DUB-MEL for our preferred date in Sept 2025. Thanks again @Kuz for the heads-up post!

 

[avioslover]

Here's my MEL <-> EUR Qsuite reference, takes into account recent redemption fee hike and includes Velocity costs for comparison.

Reward availability​

Velocity | -331 days, 0000 AE(S/D)T
QAvios | -361 days, 0300 AST (-361, 1000 AEST / 1100 AEDT)

Off-peak periods​

• 28 Apr 2025 - 26 Jun 2025 (QAvios avail. 2 May 2024 | Velocity avail. 1 Jun 2024)
• 26 Aug 2025 - ? (QAvios avail. 30 Aug 2024 | Velocity avail. 29 Sep 2024)

Best value return: 180k QAvios + 1k AUD
Cash comparison: 2.3k AUD for Y, 10k AUD for J, 5.5k AUD (Buy Avios+40% +Fee) for J

Flights (Qsuite)​

Outbound​

MEL → EUR​

Velocity | 139k (-14%) + 784.68 AUD (~=)
QAvios | 90k (-20%) + 523.48 AUD (-17%)

MEL → DOH​

Velocity | 104k + 442.98 AUD
QAvios | 70k + 399.18 AUD

• 1515 → 2245 | QR989 | 777-300ER
• 2100 → 0430 | QR905 | 777-300ER

DOH → LHR​

Velocity | 57k + 346.70 AUD
QAvios | 43k + 580 QAR [231.32 AUD]

• 0110 → 0625 | QR105 | A350-900 [Connect QR989 +1]
• 0855 → 1410 | QR7 | 777-300ER [Connect QR905 +1]
• 1245 → 1800 | QR1 | A350-1000
• 1310 → 2025 | QR15 | 777-300ER
• 1645 → 2200 | QR5 | 777-200LR/A350-900

DOH → AMS​

Velocity | 57k + 346.70 AUD
QAvios | 43k + 580 QAR [231.32 AUD]

• 0810 → 1355 | QR273 | 777-300ER [Connect QR905 +1]

DOH → FRA​

Velocity | 55k + 317.60 AUD
QAvios | 43k + 580 QAR [231.32 AUD]

• 0155 → 0715 | QR69 | 777-300ER [Connect QR989 +1]
• 0910 → 1435 | QR67 | 777-300ER [Connect QR905 +1]

DOH → CDG​

Velocity | 57k + 346.70 AUD
QAvios | 43k + 580 QAR [231.32 AUD]

• 0135 → 0725 | QR41 | 777-300ER [Connect QR989 +1]
• 1505 → 2055 | QR37 | 777-300ER

DOH → MAD​

Velocity | 57k + 346.70 AUD
QAvios | 43k + 580 QAR [231.32 AUD]

• 0755 → 1425 | QR149 | 777-300ER [Connect QR905 +1]

Inbound​

LHR → DOH​

High taxes (Velocity 760.90 AUD | QAvios 356.09 GBP [691.83 AUD])

AMS → DOH​

Velocity | 57k + 412.70 AUD
QAvios | 43k + 179.56 EUR [290.71 AUD]

• 1615 → 2330 | QR274 | 777-300ER [Connect QR988 -1]

FRA → DOH​

Velocity | 55k + 415.10 AUD
QAvios | 43k + 199.55 EUR [323.14 AUD]

• 1025 → 1720 | QR70 | 777-300ER [Connect QR904]
• 1715 → 0010 | QR68 | 777-300ER [Connect QR988 -1]

CDG → DOH​

Velocity | 57k + 485.90 AUD
QAvios | 43k + 224.97 EUR [364.49 AUD]

• 0905 → 1630 | QR42 | 777-300ER [Connect QR904]
• 2255 → 0550 | QR38 | 777-300ER

MAD → DOH​

Velocity | 57k + 338.60 AUD
QAvios | 43k + 133.85 EUR [216.79 AUD]

• 1610 → 2355 | QR150 | 777-300ER [Connect QR988 -1]

MAD → MEL​

Velocity | 139k (-14%) + (==)
QAvios | 90k (-20%) + 297.71 EUR [482.08 AUD] (-25%)

DOH → MEL​

Velocity | 104k + 423.10 AUD
QAvios | 70k + 940 QAR [374.91 AUD]

• 0305 → 2330 | QR988 | 777-300ER
• 2015 → 1645 | QR904 | 777-300ER