Booked: The Winter World Cup

Greetings from the United Arab Emirates!

After almost four and a half years since the final match of the last World Cup, I’m all set to join fans from all over the world in Qatar for the FIFA World Cup 2022.

This will be my third time attending the world’s greatest sporting event, after thoroughly enjoying my previous experiences in Brazil in 2014 and Russia in 2018.

The planning process for this trip was particularly complex, as I’ll be stationed in the UAE throughout most the action, and strategically repositioning to Qatar as needed due to the inflated cost of accommodations during the World Cup.  

The Trip

Just like most fans of the beautiful game, I’ve been counting down the days to the World Cup ever since the last one ended.

It’s a glorious period of football fever – though uniquely taking place in the winter this year, rather than the summer, and the first edition in the Arab world – and a time to revel with other fans from all corners of the globe.

This will be my first time attending a World Cup with “skin in the game”, as I’ll be supporting Team Canada at our first World Cup in 36 years at our matches against Croatia and Morocco in the coming weeks.

Surely, I won’t be the only Canadian in attendance, and I’ll be keeping a keen eye out for fellow fans – and likely some Prince of Travel readers – to cheer with.

With millions of fans descending on the tiny country of Qatar, flights and accommodation were relatively difficult to come by at a reasonable price. Thus, I opted to use the nearby metropolises of Dubai and Abu Dhabi as my home bases for this trip. 

This is yet another instance when Miles & Points has unlocked incredible value, providing me access to premium flights and luxury hotels at a fraction of the price during a time when the cost of everything is otherwise inflated.

The Flights

As usual, I aimed to maximize my in-flight experiences as I was planning out my trip to the World Cup in Qatar.

Getting from the West Coast to the Middle East undoubtedly requires some long-haul flying, and I wanted to ensure a comfortable ride along the way, all while reviewing a few new airline products and taking advantage of some redemption sweet spots.

This part of the world is home to some of the world’s most renowned airlines, including Qatar Airways, Emirates, and Etihad Airways, so naturally, that’s where I focused my…