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Qatar Airways is a Middle Eastern airline that flies nonstop to several destinations across the world, including numerous U.S. airports: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.
Many people appreciate that the airline has been so innovative with respect to its top-notch Qsuites business class product.
The main downside of Qatar Airways is the fact it requires quite a few Avios to fly its own flights, and the fuel surcharges in premium cabins are heavy on certain routes.
In this article, we’ll cover all of the ways that you can earn Qatar Airways Avios, so you’ll have plenty of options if you’re looking to use Avios for an award flight.
The first step to start earning Avios is to head to the application page and sign up for a free account.
Once you’re registered with Qatar Airways’ Privilege Club program, you’ll have the ability to earn Avios from a variety of activities.
For example, when you fly on a Qatar Airways paid flight, you’ll earn Avios after the completion of your itinerary.
It’s important to keep track of your Avios account number, as this is what you’ll use to link your account with the points-earning activities.
Hot Tip: Students aged 18 to 30 may be eligible for Student Club where benefits include special fares, excess baggage allowance, date change flexibility, complimentary Super Wi-Fi, and more!
As with any loyalty program, you’ll want to focus on credit cards that partner with as many flexible point programs as possible to make it easier to earn the Avios that you need.
Qatar Airways partners with 2 major programs: Citi ThankYou Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy.
Both of these programs offer an array of personal and business credit cards, which significantly reduces the difficulty of earning Avios.
You can also easily transfer Avios to Qatar Airways Privilege Club from any Avios-earning loyalty program, such as British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Plus, or Aer Lingus AerClub (check out our transfer partner tool for details on these partners)
In essence, the more avenues that an airline offers to earn its miles, the smoother the process is to access any redemption in its award chart!
Citi and its ThankYou Rewards program have also made some noise by continuing to add airline transfer partners and offering transfer bonus points with certain airlines.
The main drawback of ThankYou Rewards is that there aren’t as many cards that earn ThankYou Rewards points as, say, American Express. The Citi Premier® Card and Citi Prestige® Card (no longer open to new applicants) are going to be the 2 main options you’ll be picking between. These 2 cards are still phenomenal choices of cards to hold, thanks to unique perks such as the fourth-night free benefit.
The welcome offer that comes with the Citi Premier card is substantial, and its bonus categories align well with the spending of most consumers.
Frequent flyers will enjoy 3x ThankYou Points at restaurants, gas stations, supermarkets, air travel, and hotels.
The Citi Premier® Card is an excellent option for anyone looking for an all-around travel rewards credit card. The card helps you earn points fast with great 3x bonus categories such as restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, airfare, and hotels. Plus, it offers access to airline and hotel transfer partners, doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, and has a reasonable annual fee!
The Marriott Bonvoy program is the second transferable point program that Qatar Airways partners with.
One of the best aspects of Marriott Bonvoy is that there are quite a few business and personal credit cards.
If you’re patient with your credit card applications, you should be able to land welcome bonus offers of 75,000 to 100,000 points on most of the co-branded credit cards.
Another item worth mentioning about the Marriott Bonvoy program is that for every 60,000 points you transfer to most airline partners (including Qatar Airways), you’ll receive a 5,000-point bonus!
Marriott Bonvoy points transfer to most airline partners at a 3:1 ratio, so with the bonus, you’re looking at 25,000 Qatar Avios (60,000 points / 3 = 20,000 Avios + 5,000 Avios bonus = 25,000 Avios).
Here are the Marriott Bonvoy credit cards we recommend adding to your lineup of cards:
A great option for Marriott hotel fans who want a no annual fee card and automatic Marriott Bonvoy elite status.
Casual travelers who like to frequent properties that are part of the Marriott Bonvoy collection of brands may want to consider the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card.
The Marriott Bold card rewards cardholders for Marriott stays and gives them a boost towards Marriott Bonvoy elite status.
Marriott loyalists will love this card's annual free night award, automatic elite status, and up to 17x points per $1 on Marriott hotel stays.
If you’re a frequent traveler and a Marriott loyalist, there’s a lot to love about the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card. The card comes packed with several great benefits like a free hotel night once a year, automatic Silver Elite status (with a fast-track to Gold Elite status), and multiple options for redeeming points.
Terms Apply / Rates & FeesThe Marriott Bonvoy Bevy card gives you automatic Marriott elite status and helps you earn more Marriott Bonvoy points on your everyday purchases.
The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card, the latest mid-tier offering in the Marriott Bonvoy lineup of cards, offers cardholders automatic elite status and ways to earn more Marriott Bonvoy points on each of their stays and daily purchases.
Terms Apply / Rates & FeesA premium card for Marriott fans who want perks like an annual statement credit and Free Night Award, plus a fast track to Marriott elite status.
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card is a premium card designed with road warriors and Marriott Bonvoy loyalists in mind.
So is the card a worthwhile addition to your wallet?
Bottom Line: Spending on credit cards that earn transferable rewards will likely be the easiest way to earn the Avios you need for your next award flight.
Qatar Airways is based in Qatar, so most co-branded credit card offerings are going to be based in the Middle East. If accessing U.S. credit cards is not possible for your specific circumstances, check out the following chart of all Qatar Airways co-branded bank partners:
Boutique shoppers may find value in the partnership with the Bicester Village Shopping Collection which has shops in Barcelona, Bologna, Brussels, Cologne, Dublin, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Milan, Munich, Paris, Shanghai, and Suzhou.
After you’ve finished shopping, present your receipts for all qualifying purchases with your Privilege Membership Card to earn 1 Avios per €1 in Europe, £1 in London, or 1.25 Avios for every ¥10 in China, up to an annual spend of €30,000 (or local equivalent). After you’ve crossed this threshold, you’ll earn 1.25 Avios for every €5, £5, or ¥50 spent.
It’s no secret that Qatar is a huge shopping hub filled with global luxury brands.
When you’re at Doha’s main international airport, Hamad International Airport (DOH), you can revel in over 40,000 square meters of combined facilities dedicated to Qatar Duty Free.
Whether you’re buying fragrances, skincare, cosmetics, fashion, accessories, jewelry, confectionery, souvenirs, or other luxury gifts, you’ll earn 1 Avios per QR5 spent.
Privilege Club has a number of additional retail partners, mainly based in Qatar:
As you would expect, one of the most straightforward ways to earn Avios, other than credit card spending, is to fly with Qatar or a partner airline, such as American Airlines.
The key point to understand when earning Avios this way is how the airline you’re flying calculates the Avios that you’ll earn.
Privilege Club members earn Avios when flying on Qatar Airways or a Oneworld airline partner (full airline partner list).
The number of Avios a member earns on a Qatar Airways flight will be based on the booking class and distance of the flight.
The best way to determine the amount of Avios you will earn is to use a combination of the Qcalculator and the earning table below:
| Cabin | Fare | Booking Class | Avios Accrual |
| First | First Flexi | F | 300% |
| First Value | P | 200% | |
| First Saver/Promo | A | 200% | |
| Business | Business Flexi | J, C | 200% |
| Business Value | D | 175% | |
| Business Saver | I | 125% | |
| Business Promo | R | 125% | |
| Economy | Economy Flexi | Y, B, H | 100% |
| Economy Value | K, M, L, V | 75% | |
| Economy Saver | S, N, Q | 50% | |
| Economy Promo | T, O, W | 25% | |
| Group or Tour | G | 25% |
As with any airline, make sure to provide your Avios membership number when you book your flight, at check-in, or when using any Qatar travel partner so that you’ll earn Avios.
In addition to the Avios that you earn when you fly, Qatar offers other ways to earn its Avios, too.
The first way to earn additional Avios is to make your flight reservation online. When you make your first online reservation, you’ll earn 2,000 bonus Avios.
Members also receive 500 bonus Avios for each subsequent booking from their desktop computer or mobile device.
Privilege Club has a Family Programme which is another way you can earn Avios. Anytime a family member flies with Qatar, Oneworld airlines, or uses the services of any of Qatar’s 60 global partners, you can earn Avios. You can nominate up to 9 close family members, including your spouse, children older than 2 years, and parents.
Hot Tip: If you would prefer to earn miles for a different airline, check out this in-depth guide to help you know where to credit your airline miles.
If you use rental cars frequently, take note — Qatar partners with several car rental companies that allow you to earn Avios with each rental.
The number of Avios you’ll earn will vary, so check the car rental partner page for more info.
| Rental Company | Avios |
| Avis |
|
| Budget | |
| Europcar | 500 Avios per rental; Platinum and Gold members will earn an additional 500 bonus Avios when booking a Premium Rental |
| Hertz | 500 Avios per rental |
| Rentalcars.com | 3 Avios per dollar spent |
| Salik Rent A Car | 1 Avios per QR5 (~$1.37) spent |
| SIXT | 500 Avios per rental |
Each hotel partner provides its own variety of point-earning opportunities.
Whether you are a member of World of Hyatt, Hilton Honors, or another hotel program, Privilege Club has a partnership with lots of hotel brands.
| Hotel | Avios Earned | Hotel | Avios Earned |
| Accor Hotels | 1 Avios per €1 spent | Marriott Bonvoy | 1 to 2 Avios per $1 spent (depends on brand) |
| Dusit Hotels and Resorts | 500 Avios per stay | Raffles Hotels | 500 Avios per stay |
| Fairmont | 500 Avios per stay | Rocketmiles |
1,000 to 10,000 Avios per night
|
| Hilton Honors | 1 Avios per $1 spent | Rotana Hotels & Resorts |
500 Avios per stay at Rotana Hotels and 250 Avios per stay at Rotana’s Suites and Resorts
|
| Hyatt Hotels | 500 Avios per stay | Shangri-La | 500 Avios per stay |
| Kaligo | Up to 10,000 Avios per night; Qatar Airways co-brand credit cardholders enjoy 20% extra Avios, with up to 12,000 Avios per night | Swissôtel Hotels | 500 Avios per stay |
| Kerzner International | 1 Avios per $1 spent | Trip.com | 1.5 Avios per $1 spent |
If you need to top-up your account for a redemption, transferring points from a hotel loyalty program might be worthwhile, though we would not advise this method due to low value.
| Partner | Transfer Rate |
| ALL – Accor Live Limitless | 2,000 Reward Points = 1,000 Avios |
| Centara Hotels & Resorts | 5,000 CentaraThe1 Points = 300 Avios |
| Hilton Honors | 10,000 Hilton Honors points = 1,000 Avios |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 3 Marriott Bonvoy points = 1 Avios (minimum transfer of 1,000 points) |
| Shangri-La Golden Circle | 1 Shangri-La Circle Point = 1 Avios (starting from 1,000 points) |
| World of Hyatt | 2.5 World of Hyatt points = 1 Avios (minimum transfer of 5,000 points) |
Qatar Airways Holidays, the leisure division of Qatar Airways, offers tailor-made holidays to worldwide destinations. It has travel packages ranging from city life to touring, adventure, cruises, spa breaks, and exclusive honeymoons.
Members also receive complimentary city tours, airport transfers, insurance, and car rentals at select destinations. You can book a vacation package at qatarairwaysholidays.com or at any of the Qatar Holiday shops in Bahrain, Dammam, Doha, Dubai, Kuwait, and Muscat.
When booking a vacation package, Privilege Club members earn 1 Avios for every QR5 spent (~$1.37), 2 Avios for every KD1 spent (~$3.24), and 2 Avios for every RO1 spent (~$2.60).
Bottom Line: Of the Avios-earning opportunities in this section, flying Qatar or one of its partners will be the most efficient way to earn Avios.
In addition to its airline, banking, car rental, and hotel partnerships, Qatar has several out-of-the-box ways that its members can earn Avios.
One of the most interesting ways to earn Qatar Airways Avios is by using Qatar Airways Cargo to ship your car directly from Doha.
You’ll earn 5 Avios for every QR12 spent.
Privilege Club members can subscribe to a language course and earn 250 to 4,500 Avios with each course that you purchase from Language Direct.
Need to ship to/from Qatar? With CONNECTED by Qatar Post, you will earn 1 Avios per QR3.50 spent on shipping charges.
You can pick between doorstep delivery, 24/7 Smart Lockers, or one of Qatar’s numerous Qatar Post branches.
Bottom Line: Earning Avios in these ways is extremely niche, but they can be a great way to pad your balance of Avios.
For an airline that’s not covered that much in the points and miles world, Qatar offers its Privilege Club members several ways to earn Avios.
The most efficient way to earn Avios (assuming you don’t fly Qatar or its airline partners regularly), is to put your spending on a transferable points credit card offered by Citi or Marriott.
While Qatar Avios is not our favorite airline currency to hold, there are several uses of Avios that we covered in the best ways to use Avios that are worth looking into.
The information for the Citi Prestige® Card has been collected independently by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® card, click here.
Avios are the airline miles that you earn in the Qatar Airways Privilege Club loyalty program.
When you are ready to book an award flight, you will use Avios for that redemption.
Avios can be transferred to other Privilege Club member for a fee. You can also combine Avios from British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, or Qatar Airways into any of your accounts across the programs.
Yes! Award ticket change fees range from $25 to $100 per ticket. You can check out the breakdown of costs on the award tickets fees page.
Partner award flights start at 12,500 Avios for flights that are 0 to 500 miles in length. If you are flying on Qatar, use the Avios Calculator to see what route requires the fewest number of Avios.
Qatar is a Oneworld alliance member, so that means that you can use Avios to fly on any partner in the alliance.
In addition to the Oneworld alliance, Qatar partners with Air Botswana, Asiana Airlines, Bangkok Airways, Globus Airlines, GOL Transportes Aereos, IndiGo, Middle East Airlines, and Oman Air. Members can earn and redeem Avios with these partners as well.
Avios are valid for a period of 3 years and will expire twice a year at the end of the semester in which those Avios were earned, either June 30 or December 31 each year.
For example, Avios earned between January and June 2023 will expire on June 30, 2026, and Avios earned between July and December 2023 will expire on December 31, 2026.
Platinum members’ Avios will not expire as long as they retain the Platinum tier at the time of each Avios expiration period.
Contact Privilege Club customer service at 800-988-6128.
Avios should post within 7 days of the date of your travel.
If the Avios don’t post in that time frame, new Privilege Club members can claim missing Avios within 30 days prior to the date of joining Privilege Club and 180 days after the date of travel on Qatar Airways for existing members.
Qatar has 4 elite tiers in its program: Burgundy, Silver, Gold, and Platinum.
Privilege Club membership is free; just complete this application.
Head to the Privilege Club login page to access your account.
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Born and raised in Mobile, Alabama, Michael took his first international trip in 2013 with friends to the Bahamas. Although he didn’t travel much in his younger years, on that trip, he caught the travel bug and has been hooked ever since.
Michael first caught wind of the points and miles game in 2014 while at a bar in Washington, DC where the conversation amongst friends was quickly derailed because of an alert on a friend’s phone about a mistake fare. That’s where the love affair with points and miles began.
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