Qatar Airways is expanding its Africa network, and Avios collectors can cash in

Picture a Qsuite flat bed to Cape Town, a four-night stop in the Seychelles, or a long weekend in Marrakesh, all paid for with Avios you already hold. From June 2026, that gets easier. Qatar Airways is restoring routes and adding frequencies right across Africa, and because the airline runs on the same Avios you collect with British Airways, more flights means more chances to find a reward seat.

Here is what is changing, why it matters if you want to redeem Avios to Africa, and how to actually find the seats before everyone else does.

What Qatar Airways is changing in Africa

According to Qatar Airways' official press release, the airline is rebuilding its African network through its Doha hub, with most changes starting on 16 June 2026. The headline moves are:

• Seychelles (SEZ): four weekly flights resume from 16 June.
• Kigali, Rwanda (KGL): two weekly flights resume from 16 June.
• Marrakesh, Morocco (RAK): a daily service returns from 1 July.
• Port Sudan, Sudan (PZU): a new three-times-weekly route launches from 2 July, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

On top of the new and restored routes, Qatar Airways is adding frequencies on several existing African services. More frequencies usually means more seats released for reward bookings, so this table is worth a look if your destination is on it.

The expansion sits inside a bigger plan: Qatar Airways is rebuilding to more than 160 destinations worldwide and has been investing in Africa, including a stake in the regional carrier Airlink. For collectors, the takeaway is simple. Doha is becoming an even stronger one-stop gateway to East, Southern and North Africa, which is exactly where Avios reward seats have been hardest to find.

The opportunity for Avios collectors

Qatar Airways uses Avios as its loyalty currency, the same Avios used by British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus. So extra Qatar Airways flights to Africa are not just good news for cash buyers. They are extra Qatar Airways award flights you can book with the Avios sitting in your account right now.

Before you book, the basics: you need to be a member of the relevant programme, and you will quote that membership number when you book. Joining The British Airways Club and Qatar Airways Privilege Club is free, and once you have both, the two link together neatly.

The reason this expansion is a genuine opportunity, rather than just another route announcement, comes down to a few things:

• More reward seats. Premium-cabin award space to Africa is notoriously tight. New routes and added frequencies put more inventory into the system, which is where some of the best Avios redemptions to Africa tend to appear.
• Underserved destinations open up. The Seychelles, Kigali and Port Sudan previously meant multiple connections or separate tickets. A single hop through Doha is far cleaner.
• Strong value at peak times. When cash fares spike over school holidays, paying in Avios can give you a high pence-per-Avios return, especially in Business Class.
• Often lower charges. Qatar Airways redemptions frequently carry lower taxes, fees and charges than equivalent long-haul routings that connect through London.

How to transfer British Airways Avios to Qatar Airways

If your Avios are with BA but the seat you want is easier to book through Qatar, you can move them. You can transfer British Airways Avios to Qatar Airways Privilege Club instantly and at no cost, at a 1:1 rate, once your two accounts are linked. There is no minimum spend and no waiting around, so you can search both programmes and book through whichever shows the better availability or price.

One sensible habit: search for the seat first, then transfer. Avios moved into Privilege Club have to stay there, so you only want to move what you need for a confirmed booking. Our full walk-through of how to use Qatar Airways Privilege Club to grow your British Airways Avios covers the linking process step by step.

Can I book Qsuite with Avios?

The answer is a firm yes, whether you book through BA Club as a Oneworld partner or directly through Qatar Airways Privilege Club. Qsuite is Qatar Airways' Business Class product, with a closing door for privacy and, on selected pairs of seats, a double-bed Quad layout. It is widely rated one of the best uses of Avios anywhere, and it is exactly the kind of long-haul Business Class redemption worth saving for.

Pricing depends on distance and on whether your dates are peak or off-peak, with taxes, fees and charges payable on top in cash. The figures below are a guide, so always check the live cost on the Avios Calculator before you commit.

For a closer look at the cabin itself, see our guide to the difference between Qatar Airways Economy and Qsuite.

Book through BA Club or Qatar Privilege Club?

This is where a little planning pays off. The same seat can look different depending on which programme you book through, so it is worth comparing before you transfer anything.

The practical move is to search both, then transfer only if Privilege Club wins. This is the heart of smart Oneworld award travel: you are not loyal to one programme, you are loyal to the best seat. The same instinct that makes Qatar a great pick is why we also rate other partners, as our guide to redeeming Avios on Cathay Pacific Business Class explains.

To book Qatar Airways flights with Avios, search award availability directly: through BA Club's partner booking for Qatar routes, or in Qatar Airways Privilege Club. Compare both, and move your Avios across only once you have found a seat to confirm, so you never lock them away too early.

Reward Flight Finder is built around British Airways reward seats, so it is the tool to lean on for the BA side of your trip. If you need a positioning flight to your departure airport, or you are weighing a BA reward flight against the Qatar option, use our Search and set Availability Alerts so you are told the moment BA space opens, rather than refreshing booking pages by hand. You can also check single legs with our Flight-by-Flight Search when a full itinerary will not load.

Your one actionable takeaway: decide your African destination, then check Qatar award space in BA Club or Privilege Club before you move any Avios. For the BA-operated parts of your journey, set an Availability Alert now so a seat finds you.

These are some of the most rewarding long-haul Business Class Avios redemptions going, and they have just become easier to reach. New to redeeming? Start with our guide to how to book a BA reward flight with Avios, and our roundup of British Airways reward flights to see how the wider network compares. Then head to Reward Flight Finder to put your BA reward seat alerts in place.

You can book Qatar Airways flights directly at qatarairways.com, and the route details above are drawn from the airline's official press release.

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