BAD news for United flyers yesterday. Posted on united.com as of June 15, 2012, United will be terminating its code share agreements with the rising 5 star Qatar Airways! This is definitely a devaluation of United Miles!
Right now on united.com Qatar Airways award redemption are showing to a number of destinations across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa for the lowest award levels in Economy and Business. If you can fly out of a Qatar Airways served city (Huston or DC) award space is PLENTIFUL!
Notice regarding Qatar Airways
Effective June 15, 2012, United will terminate its codeshare agreement with Qatar Airways. Reservations booked through United for Qatar Airways-operated flights scheduled to depart on or before September 14, 2012, will be honored as ticketed. Customers booked through United on Qatar Airways-operated flights scheduled to depart on or after September 15, 2012, will be accommodated on their scheduled flights with new flight numbers. Customers will be able to accrue mileage on Qatar Airways codeshare and interline flights until September 14, 2012. Award travel ticketed on or before September 14, 2012, will be honored as ticketed and valid for one year.
Why Is United terminating this agreement? In all honesty I do not know. However I will speculate that it’s because Qatar offers better service nonstop from IAD to Doha then United can offer its frequent flyers on its recently commenced IAD-DXB-DOH flight. United started one stop service via Dubai on a B777 from Washington on May 1, 2012 and now, only 30 days later United has announced termination of this agreement. Or maybe it’s the other way around. Maybe Qatar Airways doesn’t think they can keep a code-share agreement and compete effectively against United since they inaugurated service?
No matter what the reason is, this a sad day for United Miles and low level award space! Yet, it’s not the end of the world (yet) for interesting enough, United is actually going to allow Frequent Flyers to book flights on Qatar Airways and earn miles until September 15, 2012—3 months after it terminates it’s codeshare agreement! What does this mean? It means you can not only earn miles on Qatar Airways flights until September 15th but until September 14, 2013 United award tickets will be good on Qatar Airways (as long as booked by September 14, 2012!). So if you want to enjoy this 5 star gulf carrier, redeem those miles now and enjoy the airlines that “Takes you more personally”
