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World Cup 2022: England fans warned of Qatar flight price hikes, warned to book 'two years in advance'

Dimitri Kondonis
Qatar World Cup 2022: ‘Book flights two years ahead,’ urges airline boss
Qatar World Cup 2022: ‘Book flights two years ahead,’ urges airline boss

England supporters desperate to see Gareth Southgate’s men lift the 2022 World Cup may face exploitative flight fares, Qatar Airways’ CEO has warned.

The heat-laden conditions of Qatar have forced FIFA to host the tournament between November and December.

But as capital Doha acts as a stopover hub for travellers from all over the world between Christmas and the New Year, traffic into the country is set to be at an exceptional high.

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Qatar are committed as FIFA’s official airline for the trip, meaning they are committed to operating flights for officials, media and teams.

Akbar Al Baker, chief executive of Qatar Airways, warned football fans in advance that other airlines could take advantage of the high demand for flights to overcharge customers.

He told the Independent: “It will be a huge pressure on the airline, to cater not only for Fifa but also to cater for the passengers that will be travelling over the Christmas rush period.

“You have to make sure you have enough money kept aside.


“Airlines will take advantage of this huge capacity of Qatar Airways that is taken away, concentrating for Fifa, that they will charge you extra to do your travels because there will be a shortage of capacity.“I would give you a very strong advice to plan at least two years ahead.”

While Southgate led the Three Lions on a remarkable run to the semi-final in the tournament hosted by Russia this year, World Cup fever reached a level unseen for decades across the country.

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Increased optimism is likely to see fans eager to make the trip for Qatar in four years’ time, when the tournament will be the first ever winter competition.

These plans could hit a massive snag, however, as airlines often don’t operate ticket sales more than 50 weeks before the flight.

In addition, schedules for the World Cup finals will likely not be made available that far in advance as most teams will not have confirmed qualification.