Qatar Extends Its Unofficial A350-1000 Tour of the US With a New Destination
On Monday, the US will experience its first-ever Airbus A350-1000 flight thanks to Qatar flying a one-off flight using its newest aircraft type. If you're still interested in making last-minute plans to make the flight, there's currently 29 unassigned seats in Qsuite and the flight still has three business class award seats available.
But, if that's too short notice, you'll be happy to know that Qatar has extended its unofficial US A350-1000 tour with flights to Miami. We were clued into one of these flights this morning thanks to a tweet from Airlineroute:
Sure enough, Qatar has loaded the following flight into its schedule for July 29:
- QR777 Doha (DOH) 8:00 Departure → 16:20 Miami (MIA) Arrival
However, there's no flight for sale on the return leg from Miami to Doha on the A350-1000... or any other aircraft. The next day, Qatar resumes its service between the airports with its solid (but not as good as Qsuite) Airbus A350-900:
When I dug into the situation a little more, I found that this isn't the only time that Qatar is flying the A350-1000 to Miami. The airline has added a flight a few days earlier on July 26 from Miami to Doha on the A350-1000:
- QR778 Miami (MIA) 19:55 departure => 16:50 Doha (DOH) arrival on July 27
Note: the middle seats in the Qsuite quad are blocked for couples and larger groups to reserve. These seats are still available and can be selected during booking.
And there's currently one business class award available on this flight:
So, what would explain this strange flight scheduling? The most likely explanation is that Qatar is operating an A350-1000 charter flight from Doha to Miami on July 26 and a return charter flight on the A350-1000 from Miami to Doha on July 29.
Update: As David points out in the comments below, there's a soccer match in Miami on July 28 between FC Bayern and Manchester City. Qatar just became a major sponsor of FC Bayern in March 2018. But, as ASR points out, the Bayern team will already be in the US for the tournament. So, this would likely be a charter for Qatari officials and fans.
But even if this is the reason that the A350-1000 is coming to Miami, we can be hopeful that Qatar is also using these flights to test how the brand new aircraft performs on these long-haul flights. After all, back when the airline took delivery of its first A350-1000 in February, Qatar CEO Akbar Al Baker pledged that the US East Coast would see an A350-1000 flight scheduled "soon". And, we're still waiting.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.