Qatar Adopts Avios - A Quick Guide

There’s a new airline on which to earn and book flights with Avios, and it’s especially good news if you’re planning an upgrade. Say hello to Qatar Airways reward seats!

In March, Qatar Privilege Club swapped its loyalty points currency from Qmiles to Avios. The airline has won awards for its economy and business classes and is particularly highly regarded for its Qsuite, which offers you extra privacy in the premium cabin on certain flights. The switch to Avios should further raise the airline’s profile in Europe and offer UK travellers even more options to see the world. 

The move means that you can now earn Avios when you fly with Qatar Airways reward flights. You can also choose the airline for Avios reward flights. You can experience a different onboard product and have a wider choice of routes on which you can bag a bargain. 

How does it work, and what does it mean for me?

You can spend your existing Avios on Qatar Airways first class flights and accrue them by flying with the carrier. You can also spend the Avios you earn by flying on other airlines that use Avios as a currency, which you’ll typically find in the Oneworld Alliance. 

If you held Qmiles before March, your points should now have changed to Qatar Avios at the same points value.

What is Qatar Privilege Club?

Qatar Privilege Club is the airline’s equivalent of the British Airways Club, previously known as the British Airways Executive Club, i.e. the scheme you must join to accrue and redeem its loyalty points. 

As a Qatar Airways first class member, you can also move up tiers for more benefits, starting with Burgundy and moving up to Silver, Gold and Platinum. Perks for club members include an hour’s Super Wi-Fi, extra baggage allowance, member-only offers and - once you have Silver status or higher - access to international lounges. 

What hasn’t changed since the Qatar upgrade with Avios is how you advance your tier status. This is still based on how many Qpoints you earn from actually flying with Qatar Airways or with a partner airline on a codeshare flight. 

Redemption rates for Qatar Airways reward flights also remain equivalent to what they were with Qmiles (they’re the same Avios value) and are to be aligned with British Airways. 

How do I combine Avios with my Qmiles?

To link your Qatar Airways Privilege Club and British Airways Club loyalty accounts, simply look for the ‘link my accounts’ option in the Avios balance part of the Qatar Club website. Once that is done you should be able to view all your Avios at once to check your total spending power. There’s a further option to actually combine your Avios. 

Once your Avios are combined, you can move them instantly between loyalty schemes whenever you like. It’s also worth remembering, for extra seamlessness, to link any regular Avios-earning facilities like credit cards or Nectar cards to your British Airways Club account.

Can I transfer my Avios in both directions?

Yes. If you have Avios in the British Airways Club and you’d rather book flights with Avios in Qatar, you can move them to the airline’s Privilege Club to redeem them. Or, if you previously held Qmiles with Qatar, you can move them to British Airways now that they’ve transitioned to BA’s currency at the same Avios value. 

Aer Lingus, Iberia and Vueling also use Avios as their loyalty club points and you can transfer them between any of the airlines’ schemes.

This not only means you can switch to the airline with your route and product preference but also, if you’re flexible about departure airport, to the one with the best availability or Avios value. Just remember to check the taxes and surcharges. 

Can I redeem Avios on Qatar Airways flights?

Yes. Like BA, Qatar is a member of the Oneworld alliance, so you could, even before the latest development, book flights with Avios through the BA Club. Now, however, you can do so directly through the Qatar Privilege Club, which makes searching for more complex itineraries with Qatar easier. It also means that when you part pay with Avios, rather than booking a full reward flight, you can advance your Qatar Airways tier status. 

Perhaps more importantly, flying Qatar will now earn you Avios and, as the currency is valid on a range of airlines, it’s more useful than the previous Qmiles. 

Can I move all my Avios to BA Club?

As you can move your Avios between airlines, you can move them all to the BA Club, should you wish. This could be handy if you’re UK based and had some of Qatar’s Qmiles that have now converted to Avios, as you’ll have far more ex-UK routes on which to spend them with BA. You could essentially use your old Qmiles to book British Airways reward seats!

How can I search for reward flight availability on Qatar Airways?

You can search for reward flights through the Qatar Airways Privilege Club website. For less complex routings you should also be able to search through the BA Club website as both airlines are in the Oneworld alliance.

Since the move to Avios, Qatar Airways has also introduced an award seat guarantee, similar to British Airways. This is good news because there should now be at least two economy class award reward seats and two business class award seats available on every flight. It allows travellers to plan ahead and play the system. 

Can I use a Companion Voucher on Qatar Airways flights? 

Companion Vouchers are one of the perks of holding a British Airways American Express Card. You earn them by spending a certain amount on your card within a year, and they effectively buy you two reward flights for the Avios value of one. Unfortunately, while they can be redeemed on BA’s Avios rewards flights, they are not valid on Qatar Airways.  Read our guide to the BA Companion Voucher rules.

Which UK airports does Qatar Airways use?

The airline flies to and from Heathrow, Manchester and Edinburgh. In more good news, Qatar also recently resumed flights between Doha and Gatwick from June 5. 

British Airways also offers daily flights from Gatwick to Doha, and with either airline now earning you Avios (or letting you redeem them) this gives you extra flexibility if you’re Middle East-bound from this airport. 

Where can I fly with Qatar Airways?

Over the last few years, Qatar has seen substantial growth in tourism, particularly given its role as host of the 2023 World Cup. The airline has useful connections to Africa, the Indian Ocean and the Asia Pacific. 

South Africa, Sri Lanka, Seychelles, the Maldives, Thailand, Goa, Bali, Phnom Penh (gateway to Angkor Wat), Australia and New Zealand are among many holiday favourites on its network. 

So now, with more options to earn and spend Avios, you can broaden your travel horizons and bag more reward seats than ever before.

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