Qatar Airways axes Philadelphia route, adds another daily flight to JFK
The speculation is over, and it's official: Qatar Airways will cease operations between Doha's Hamad International Airport (DOH) and Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), the airline confirmed, allowing Oneworld partner American Airlines to take over the route.
Instead, Qatar will shift that flight over to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), assuming the frequency that American itself originally relocated to PHL.
Qatar will add the JFK frequency starting Oct. 30, while American will begin flying between DOH and PHL on Oct. 28.
American announced earlier this month that it was moving its splashy JFK-DOH route over to PHL, part of the aftermath of the airline's Northeast Alliance with JetBlue coming to an end.
American has relatively poor connectivity to JFK, operating its hub there primarily to connect New York-originating passengers to its global network via partner hubs. Under the NEA, connectivity on partner airline JetBlue added enough that American thought it could support the route.
For Qatar, its own partnership with JetBlue, independent of Oneworld or the now-defunct NEA, is enough to support the new third-daily flight from JFK.
Maximize your points: Best travel rewards credit cards of 2023
The airline also said that it plans to expand its codeshare with Alaska Airlines in the coming weeks to increase its West Coast connectivity.
"Our unwavering commitment to our longstanding U.S. partners, American Airlines, JetBlue and Alaska Airlines is built on our mission to connect the world through our hub to our 160 destinations and more," Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker said in a press release. "We look forward to building more connections and uniting global passengers from across the world."
Qatar will operate the New York flight with the same Boeing 777-300ER it used on the PHL route, which is equipped with the airline's splashy Qsuite business-class product.
American, meanwhile, will assign its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner to its new route from PHL, outfitted with 30 reverse herringbone business-class pods, 21 premium economy recliners, 36 extra-legroom Main Cabin Extra seats and 198 standard economy seats. It used a 777-300ER on the route from JFK before ending it, which featured the airline's Flagship First product.
TPG featured card
at Capital One's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 5X miles | Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
| 2X miles | Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day |
Pros
- Stellar welcome offer of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Plus, a $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in your first cardholder year upon account opening.
- You'll earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, which means you won't have to worry about memorizing bonus categories
- Rewards are versatile and can be redeemed for a statement credit or transferred to Capital One’s transfer partners
Cons
- Highest bonus-earning categories only on travel booked via Capital One Travel
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Top rated mobile app