Qatar Airways has announced it will be expanding service to Canada with three weekly non-stop flights between Doha (DOH) and Toronto Pearson (YYZ) starting this December.
This route becomes the carrier’s second to Canada, and is one that is sure to be popular amongst Canadian travellers.
Qatar Airways Launches Doha–Toronto Route
Qatar Airways is set to begin flying to Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) starting on December 11, 2024, with three weekly non-stop flights from Doha’s Hamad International Airport (DOH).
The new Toronto route marks the airline’s second destination in Canada, joining Montreal, which has seen more than 1.6 million passengers enjoy Qatar Airways’s daily flights to and from Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL) since 2011.
Starting December 11, 2024, Qatar Airways will offer three non-stop flights every Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday between Doha (DOH) and Toronto Pearson (YYZ) with the following flight times:
- QR767 Doha (DOH) to Toronto Pearson (YYZ), departing 9:50am, and arriving 3:55pm
- QR768 Toronto Pearson (YYZ) to Doha (DOH), departing 8pm, and arriving 4:30pm the next day.
The 10,899-kilometre (6,772 miles) westbound flight from Doha is blocked at 14 hours 5 minutes, while the eastbound flight from Toronto is set to run 12 hours and 30 minutes.
The new route will be operated on the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, equipped with 42 Qsuites business class seats and 312 seats in economy class.
Qsuites, one of the most sought-after premium cabin experiences, take cabin innovation to a new level with their unique seating option, such as their “double-bed in the sky” and their rear-facing and forward-facing seat combo in their quad configuration.
Passengers in Qsuites can experience ample privacy thanks to the full-length suite, and they can also enjoy Qatar Airways’s luxurious turndown service complete with pillows, a quilted mattress, plush blanket, sleepwear, and slippers.
The new Toronto service will provide travellers from Canada and beyond with seamless access to destinations across Qatar Airways’s extensive global network, including Colombo (CMB), Bangkok (BKK), Delhi (DEL), Kathmandu (KTM), and Mumbai (BOM).
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer, Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, says:
The Toronto route is a strong and enduring commitment towards providing Qatar Airways’ Canadian customers with the enhanced connectivity they deserve, as well as access to our world-leading service and Qsuite in-flight product. The addition of a fourteenth gateway to our Americas network is also a testament to our aim in maintaining a key presence across the local market, and cements our reputation as a reliable global connector.
Booking the New Doha–Toronto Route
While the newly added Toronto route is already showing up on the Qatar Airways website, at the time of writing, you’re not yet able to proceed with completing a booking, so be sure to check back within a day or so, since availability appears to be good from the outset.
The best loyalty program to use for booking Qatar Airways award flights is Qatar Airways Privilege Club, since you have access to the best inventory of flights.
A quick search of the newly loaded routes shows a one-way flight from Toronto Pearson (YYZ) to Doha (DOH) costing 70,000 Avios for a seat in business class and 35,000 Avios for economy at the “Saver” rates.
If you’d like to continue onward to other destinations in the Middle East, the cost bumps up to a very reasonable 37,500 Avios in economy or 75,000 Avios in business class (marketed as First Class, which gives access to Al Safwa First Class Lounge on your layover).
Moving a bit further afield to South East Asia brings the cost up to 47,500 Avios in economy or 95,000 Avios for business class.
If you’d like to really maximize your time in the skies with the world’s best airline, you can fly from Toronto to Australia via Doha for 60,000 Avios in economy or 120,000 Avios in business class.
As always, the trickiest part will be finding award availability at the “Saver” rate. You may also come across “Flexi” awards, which are twice the usual cost.
Keep in mind that Qatar Airways recently hiked up the taxes and fees on award bookings, and you can expect to pay $200–500+ for a one-way flight, depending on the route and class of service.
Fortunately, Avios are fairly easy to come by thanks to the ability to transfer points from many partner programs in Canada and the United States to British Airways Executive Club:
- American Express Membership Rewards
- American Express US Membership Rewards
- Bilt Rewards
- Capital One Miles
- Chase Ultimate Rewards
- RBC Avion
Once you’ve transferred points to British Airways Executive Club, you can then transfer them again to Qatar Airways Privilege Club accounts at a rate of 1:1, as the airlines are two of five airlines that use Avios as their currency.
Alternatively, you can transfer your Citi ThankYou Rewards directly to Qatar Airways Privilege Club at a rate of 1:1.
Keep an eye out for frequent transfer bonuses from any of the above programs to British Airways Executive Club, which further reduces the already-competitive prices.
Conclusion
Qatar Airways, winner of the “World’s Best Airline” for the eighth time at the 2024 World Airline Awards, is set to expand service to Canada with the launch of flights to Toronto beginning this December.
Beginning December 11, 2024, the airline will operate three weekly non-stop flights between Doha (DOH) and Toronto Pearson (YYZ).
The new Toronto route marks the airline’s second destination in Canada, joining Montreal, and it will be operated on the Boeing 777-300ER, which will be equipped with 42 Qsuites seats, giving travellers flying out of Toronto new access to this sought-after airline experience.