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 (JFK), 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 with Qatar Airways is the fact it requires quite a few miles to fly its own flights, and the fuel surcharges in premium cabins are heavy on certain routes.
In this article, I’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.
Sign up for a Qatar Avios Account
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!
Earn Qatar Avios With Credit Cards
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 out of the 5 major programs: Citi and Marriott.
Both of these programs offer an array of personal and business credit cards, which significantly reduces the difficulty of earning Avios.
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!
Hot Tip: Marriott has several lucrative personal and business credit card offers with double partnerships with American Express and Chase.
1. Citi Credit Cards
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 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 bonuses that come with the Citi Premier card and Citi Prestige card are substantial and their bonus categories align well with the spending of most consumers.
2. Marriott Credit Cards
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 75,000-100,000 points on most of the co-branded credit cards.
Another item worth mentioning about the Marriott program is that for every 60,000 points you transfer to an airline partner like Qatar, you’ll receive a 5,000-point bonus!
Marriott 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 Avio bonus = 25,000 Avios).
Here are the Marriott credit cards we recommend adding to your lineup of cards:
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.
3. Non-U.S. Based Credit Cards
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:
| Qatar Airways Co-Branded Bank Partners |
| Ahli United Bank | HSBC Greece |
| Ahlibank | HSBC Sri Lanka |
| Al Khaliji | Housing Bank |
| American Express | ICBC |
| Barwa Bank | International Bank of Qatar |
| Burgan Bank | JD Finance |
| Cathay United Bank | Masraf Al Rayan |
| China CITIC Bank | QIB |
| Commercial Bank | QNB |
| Doha Bank | Standard Chartered Bank |
| HANA | WanLiTong |
| HBL | |
Earn Qatar Avios Through Shopping
You can earn Avios for regular shopping purchases you’d already make! Image Credit: freestocks via Pexels4. Shopping Through Mileslife
Mileslife is a Chinese lifestyle and travel app where members can earn bonus Avios for everyday spending across 7,500 restaurants, premium spas, tour packages, retail outlets, e-commerce, hotels, resorts, and even gift cards.
You can earn up to 7 Avios per $1 (or equivalent in other currencies) through this method.
5. Shop at the Bicester Village Shopping Collection
Boutique shoppers may find value in the partnership with the Bicester Village Shopping Collection that has shops in London, Dublin, Paris, Munich, Frankfurt, Cologne, Brussels, Milan, Bologna, Barcelona, Madrid, Suzhou, and Shanghai.
After you’ve finished shopping, present your receipts for all qualifying purchases with your Privilege Membership Card to earn 1.25 Avios per €1 in Europe, £1 in London, or CNY10 in China, up to 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 CNY50 spent.
6. Shop at Qatar Duty Free
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 Avio per QR5 spent.
Earn Qatar Avios Through Travel
An easy way to earn Qatar Avios is to book paid airfare for your ordinary travel. Image Credit: Alex MillerAs 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 miles this way is how the airline you’re flying calculates the miles that you’ll earn.
7. Airline and Airfare Purchases
Privilege Club members earn Avios when flying on Qatar Airways or a Oneworld airline partner (full airline partnership list here).
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.
Image Credit: Qatar AirwaysAs 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 a 500-mile bonus for each subsequent booking from their desktop computer or mobile device.
Privilege Club has a Family Programme that 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.
8. Car Rentals and Other Transportation
Qatar Airways leverages partnerships with many large car rental companies to offer bonus Avios. Image Credit: Qatar AirwaysIf 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 | 500-800 Avios per rental |
| Budget | 500 Avios per rental |
| Europcar | 500 Avios per rental |
| Hertz | 500 Avios per rental |
| Rentalcars.com | 3 Avios per dollar spent |
| Salik Rent A Car | 1 Avio per QR1.5 (~$0.41) spent |
| Sixt | 500-1,000 Avios per rental |
Avios earned from Avis rentals vary depending on your Privilege Club status: Burgundy members earn 500 Avios per rental and Platinum members earn 800 Avios per rental.
Europcar rentals have an additional bonus that’s worth mentioning, too. Privilege Club Platinum and Gold members will earn an additional 500 Avios bonus when booking a Premium Rental.
With Hertz, Privilege Club members receive a 10% discount on their rental. That’s in addition to the Avios that you’ll earn!
Salik Rent A Car offers 10% discounts to Privilege Club Silver members, 15% discounts to Privilege Club Gold members, and 25% discounts to Privilege Club Platinum members.
For those needing a Mercedes or BMW rental, Sixt offers a 10% discount for Privilege Club Silver members and a 15% discount for Privilege Club Gold and Platinum members.
9. Book With Hotel Partners
Earn bonus Avios by staying at top-tier hotel chains, such as Hyatt. Image Credit: HyattQatar has more than 50 hotel partners, with each partner providing its own variety of point earning opportunities.
Whether you are an elite with World of Hyatt, Marriott Bonvoy, or another hotel program, Privilege Club has a partnership with lots of hotel brands.
| Hotel | Avios/Stay | Hotel | Avios/Stay | Hotel | Avios/Stay |
| AC Hotels by Marriott | 1 Avio/$1 | Kaligo | Up to 10,000 Avios/night | Rocketmiles | 1,000-10,000 Avios/night |
| Accor Hotels | 2,000 ALL points = 1,000 Avios | Kempinski | 500 Avios/stay | Rotana Hotels | 500 Avios/stay |
| Agoda | Up to 10,000 Avios on PointsMAX | Langham | 500 Avios/stay | Rotana’s Suites and Resorts | 250 Avios/stay |
| Aloft | 1 Avios/$1 | Le Méridien | 2 Avios/stay | Shangri-La | 500 Avios/stay |
| Anantara | 700 Avios/stay | The Luxury Collection | 2 Avios/$1 | Sheraton | 2 Avios/$1 |
| Autograph Collection Hotels | 2 Avios/$1 | Marriott Executive Apartments | 1 Avio/$1 | Souq Waqif Boutique Hotels | 500 Avios/stay (suite rooms only with 2-night minimum) |
| AVANI Hotels & Resorts | 700 Avios/stay | Marriott Hotels | 2 Avios/$1 | SpringHill Suites by Marriott | 1 Avio/$1 |
| Booking.com | 1 Avio/$1 | Marriott Vacation Club | 2 Avios/$1 | St. Regis | 2 Avios/$1 |
| Courtyard by Marriott | 1 Avio/$1 | Millennium & Copthorne | 500 Avios/stay | Swissôtel Hotels | 500 Avios/stay |
| Design Hotels | 2 Avios/$1 | Mövenpick Hotels | 500 Avios/stay | Tivoli | 700 Avios/stay |
| Delta Hotels by Marriott | 2 Avios/$1 | MOXY Hotels | 1 Avio/$1 | TownePlace Suites by Marriott | 1 Avio/$1 |
| EDITION | 2 Avios/$1 | Peninsula Hotels | 500 Avios/stay | Tribute Portfolio | 2 Avios/$1 |
| Element by Westin | 1 Avio/$1 | Protea Hotels by Marriott | 1 Avio/$1 | Trip.com | 1.5 Avios/$1 |
| Fairfield by Marriott | 1 Avio/$1 | Radisson Blu | 500 Avios/stay | W Hotels | 2 Avios/$1 |
| Fairmont | 500 Avios/stay | Raffles Hotels | 500 Avios/stay | Westin | 2 Avios/$1 |
| Four Points by Sheraton | 1 Avio/$1 | Renaissance Hotels | 2 Avios/$1 | World of Hyatt | 500 Avios/stay |
| Gaylord Hotels | 2 Avios/$1 | Residence Inn by Marriott | 1 Avio/$1 | | |
| JW Marriott | 2 Avios/$1 | The Ritz-Carlton | 2 Avios/$1 | | |
Hot Tip: Several hotel partners offer you the opportunity to earn up to 10,000 Avios, so make sure to check these offers out!
10. Book Vacation Packages
Image Credit: Qatar Airways HolidaysQatar 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 Avio 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 miles-earning opportunities in this section, flying Qatar or one of its partners will be the most efficient way to earn Avios.
Specialty Earnings for Qatar Avios
Image Credit: Qatar AirwaysIn addition to its airline, banking, car rental, and hotel partnerships, Qatar has several out-of-the-box ways that its members can earn Avios.
11. Ship Your Car From Doha With Qatar Airways Cargo
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.
12. Learn a Language
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.
13. Booking Reservations
ResPlus is a rewards program for executive and administrative assistants.
The program allows Privilege Club members to earn points for reservations they book on behalf of their colleagues when they travel on business at Fairmont, Raffles, and Swissôtel properties.
You can transfer 500 ResPlus Points to earn 500 Avios.
14. Purchase Full-Service Shipping Solutions for Your Goods
Need to ship to/from Qatar? With CONNECTED by Qatar Post, you will earn 1 Avio 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.
15. Get Rewarded for Making Roaming Calls With Travelling Connect
Traveling Connect makes getting rewarded for international calling easy. Depending on which country you’re making calls to and which network you’re on, your Avios accrual structure will change.
With Travelling Connect, you can earn anywhere from 1 to 7 Avios per minute for outgoing calls and up to 4 Avios per MB of data.
Bottom Line: Earning Avios in these ways is extremely niche, but it can be a great way to pad your balance of Avios.
Final Thoughts
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 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 regarding the Citi Prestige® 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.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card, click here.
