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11 Best Ways To Redeem Qatar Airways Avios for Maximum Value

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Key Takeaways

  • Qatar Airways Avios can be redeemed for award flights on Qatar Airways and Oneworld partners, with the best value often found on long-haul routes in business class, such as Qsuites.
  • Qatar Airways also has partnerships outside the Oneworld alliance, including Bangkok Airways, JetBlue, and Virgin Australia.
  • You can transfer points and miles from programs such as American Express Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and Chase Ultimate Rewards.

The Qatar Airways Privilege Club program is highly underrated and does not get as much attention as other well-known programs. Qatar is part of Oneworld, allowing for many creative points and miles redemption opportunities.

The program has gone through some significant changes over the years. In March 2022, the program transitioned from Qmiles to Avios, the same currency used by other airlines such as Aer Lingus, Iberia, and British Airways. More importantly, Avios can now be transferred between all Avios miles programs.

While all the airlines use the same Avios currency, each program uses a different award chart. This allows for redemption options, as you can choose to book award flights with whatever program has the cheapest redemption rates.

Qatar has also implemented a new award chart for all Privilege Club partner airline award redemptions. As with other distance-based award programs, the total Avios required to redeem for a partner award ticket will depend on the total distance (miles) flown.

Here is the updated partner award chart. Prices are shown for one-way flights:

SCROLL FOR MORE

Distance (Miles)

Economy Class (Avios)

Premium Economy (Avios)

Business Class (Avios)

First Class (Avios)

0-650

6,000

9,000

12,500

24,000

651-1,151

9,000

12,500

16,500

33,000

1,152-2,000

11,000

16,500

22,000

44,000

2,001-3,000

13,000

25,250

38,750

51,500

3,001-4,000

20,750

41,250

62,000

82,500

4,001-5,500

25,750

51,500

77,250

103,000

5,501-6,500

31,000

62,000

92,750

123,750

6,501-7,000

36,250

72,250

108,250

144,250

7,001 or more

51,500

103,000

154,500

206,000

It is worth noting that partner award tickets can only be booked on a single airline. This means you cannot combine flights between airlines (Qatar Airways, Oneworld, or other partner airlines).

This updated pricing matches British Airways Executive Club’s partner redemption rates. As expected, the most value comes from nonstop flights operated by their Oneworld partners.

Following are some of the best ways to redeem Qatar Avios from the U.S.

Earning Qatar Avios

Qatar Avios can be transferred from Citi ThankYou Rewards at a rate of 1:1 or from Marriott Bonvoy at a transfer rate of 3:1. For every 60,000 Bonvoy points transferred, you get a 5,000-mile bonus.

However, now that you can pool Avios together from other Avios programs, it has gotten significantly easier to earn Avios. You can now earn Avios from other programs, such as British Airways and Iberia, and convert them to Qatar Avios. Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, and Capital One Miles can all indirectly get you the Qatar Avios you need.

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Cons
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  • Earn 95,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
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The 11 Best Ways To Redeem Qatar Avios 

With an understanding of some ways to earn Avios, here are some of the best ways to use them.

1. Short-Haul Flights in North America for 6,000 Avios

AA Main Cabin Rio to Miami
You can use Qatar Avios to book American Airlines flights. Image Credit: Chris Hassan

Unlike British Airways, the Qatar partner award chart doesn’t treat short-haul flights in North America differently. With British Airways, award flights in North America under 650 miles can be booked for 7,500 Avios.

With Qatar Avios, you can book those same award flights under 650 miles for just 6,000 Avios each way. These award flights will be operated by American Airlines or Alaska Airlines.

This allows for a ton of possible redemptions. For example, from American’s hub in Dallas-Forth Worth (DFW), you could fly nonstop to:

  • Austin (AUS), in Texas
  • Denver (DEN)
  • Memphis (MEM), in Tennessee
  • St. Louis (STL)
  • Nashville (BNA), in Tennessee
  • New Orleans (MSY)

As all the above-mentioned cities are less than 650 miles from Dallas, they can be booked for just 6,000 Avios each way.

Hot Tip:

Look for nonstop flights from American Airlines and Alaska Airlines hubs to maximize U.S. domestic Avios awards.

2. Caribbean or Mexico Award Flights for 9,000 Avios

Punta Cana Beach
You can fly between Miami and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, for just 9,000 Avios one-way. Image Credit: s4svisuals/Adobe Stock

Another great use of the distance-based Avios award chart is for nonstop flights in the next distance band. Flights under 1,151 miles can be booked for 9,000 Avios in economy. This is an especially valuable option for flights to the Caribbean, where cash tickets are typically costly.

From American’s hub in Miami (MIA), you could fly nonstop to some Caribbean and Mexican destinations, including:

  • Cancun (CUN), in Mexico
  • Providenciales (PLS), in Turks and Caicos Islands
  • Punta Cana (PUJ), in the Dominican Republic
  • San Juan (SJU), in Puerto Rico
  • Santo Domingo (SDQ), in the Dominican Republic

These are in addition to flights wholly within the U.S. that also price out at 9,000 Avios if under 1,151 miles.

3. Hawaii From 13,000 Avios One-Way From the West Coast

Alaska Airlines jets
You can fly from the West Coast to Hawaii for as few as 13,000 Avios one-way. Image Credit: Daniel Ross

You can fly nonstop to the Hawaiian Islands starting at 13,000 Avios one-way in economy from many West Coast airports. The key is to look for flights between 2,001 and 3,000 miles, as this is the shortest distance band for flights from the West Coast to Hawaii.

Plenty of American Airlines and Alaska Airlines routes from the U.S. West Coast are bookable. This includes nonstop flights to Hawaii from airports including:

  • Anchorage (ANC), in Alaska
  • Los Angeles (LAX)
  • Portland (PDX), in Oregon
  • Phoenix (PHX)
  • San Diego (SAN)
  • Seattle (SEA)

4. Domestic American Airlines Business Class for as Few as 12,500 Avios

American Airlines 777 Flagship Business Class
A lie-flat seat with direct aisle access will keep you comfortable in business-class. Image Credit: Chris Hassan

Another great use of Avios domestically also relates to flights in the 651-to-1,151-mile distance band. However, this time, we are looking at business class.

According to the partner award chart, you can book flights within this distance band for 16,500 Avios in business class. This opens up a lot of redemption options. However, one thing to consider is what aircraft is being flown on a particular route.

For example, you could fly between New York (JFK) and Miami (MIA) with just 16,500 Avios in business class. However, that is not even the best part. The best part is that American regularly flies wide-body aircraft (such as their 777s and 787s) on specific routes, including New York and Miami.

5. Transcontinental American Airlines First Class for 51,500 Avios

American Airlines Flagship First Class A321T Cabin
American Airlines Flagship First-Class is a great way to fly between the East and West Coasts. Image Credit: Upgraded Points

Another great redemption is for those looking to fly from coast to coast. American Airlines operates 3-cabin Airbus A321 aircraft on its most premium domestic routes between New York and Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO).

It is worth noting that award space on these routes is generally hard to come by. But if you can find the award space, this redemption provides a ton of value for just 51,500 Avios one-way.

With this redemption, you get access to many perks, including priority check-in and access to American’s Flagship Lounges.

Hot Tip:

Check out our step-by-step guide for booking American Airlines first class.

6. Qatar Qsuites Business Class for 70,000 Avios

Qatar Airways Boeing 777 Qsuite Business Class Cabin
Qsuites are widely regarded as the best business-class seat out there. Image Credit: Greg Stone

Another great use of Avios is booking Qatar’s Qsuites business class from the U.S. to its hub in Doha for 70,000 Avios.

Qsuites is arguably the best business class in the world. From a private suite with doors to incredible inflight dining featuring both Arabic and Western cuisines, Qsuites has it all. The suites are arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration, meaning you have direct aisle access no matter which seat you pick.

Qatar Airways flies numerous wide-body aircraft, but Qsuites’ availability differs among their many aircraft types. Qatar Airways Qsuites can be found on 4 different types of aircraft: the Boeing 777-200LR, the Boeing 777-300ER, the Airbus A350-900, and the Airbus A350-1000.

Nonstop Qatar Qsuites flights to Doha (DOH), Qatar, that can be booked with Avios include:

  • Atlanta (ATL)
  • Boston (BOS)
  • Chicago (ORD)
  • Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW)
  • Houston (IAH)
  • Los Angeles (LAX)
  • Miami (MIA)
  • New York (JFK)
  • Philadelphia (PHL)
  • San Francisco (SFO)
  • Seattle (SEA)
  • Washington, D.C. (IAD)
Hot Tip:

Partner airlines British Airways and American Airlines make searching for Qsuites availability much easier.

8. Qatar Qsuites Business Class to India or Maldives for 85,000 Avios

Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi beach
Flying from the U.S. to the Maldives in Qsuites is a great way to use Avios. Image Credit: Hilton

We just covered Qsuites flights to Doha, but what if you wish to travel farther? For 15,000 additional Avios, you could fly to popular destinations on or near the Indian subcontinent, including India or Maldives.

9. JetBlue Redemptions Starting at 8,500 Avios

JetBlue Mint Studio Airbus A321LR cabin
You can now book JetBlue awards using Avios! Image Credit: JetBlue

Although JetBlue and Qatar Airways have partnered for quite some time, including a codeshare agreement, you couldn’t book awards with the reciprocal programs. Earlier this month, Qatar broke the news that Qatar Privilege Club members could finally book award flights on JetBlue.

This was huge news, as no other programs let you redeem on JetBlue, aside from JetBlue’s own TrueBlue program.

However, just a week later, without warning, Privilege Club increased the number of Avios required to book JetBlue flights. Privilege Club priced redemptions on JetBlue with a fixed award chart similar to those for all its partner airlines.

Yet even that has changed, as Qatar uses unique pricing for its JetBlue partner flights that does not correlate with other partner airlines.

Flights between 1 and 1,151 miles can be booked for 8,500 Avios in economy or 17,000 Avios in JetBlue’s Mint business class. Flights between 1,152 and 2,000 miles can be booked for 13,000 Avios in economy or 26,000 Avios in Mint. Lastly, transcontinental flights between 2,001 and 3,000 miles can be booked for 18,500 Avios in economy or 74,000 in Mint.

10. Japan Airlines First Class From Los Angeles for 103,000 Avios

Japan Airlines Boeing 777 300ER First Class JAL Suite 2A
Japan Airlines first-class can be a great way to use Avios to fly to Japan. Image Credit: Cherag Dubash

In general, booking with Avios isn’t the best value for long-haul flights. However, there are some exceptions within certain distance bands. For example, flights between Los Angeles (LAX) and Tokyo (NRT) come out to 5,451 miles.

This route can be booked for 25,750 Avios in economy, 77,250 Avios in business class, and 103,000 Avios in first class on Japan Airlines. Although better ways to book Japan Airlines First Class exist, this provides a reasonable alternative.

Flights to Japan from other U.S. gateway airports such as New York (JFK) and Chicago (ORD) require at least 20,000 additional Avios because of the greater distance from Tokyo.

Hot Tip:

Check out our review of this exact Japan Airlines First Class flight between Los Angeles and Tokyo.

11. Royal Air Maroc Business Class Between the U.S. and Morocco for 62,000 Avios

Royal Air Maroc B787 business class cabin
Royal Air Maroc’s business class product is a new, unique way to use your Qatar Airways Avios for Oneworld flights. Image Credit: Ryan Smith

Lastly, there is a solid way to redeem Avios for those wanting to go to northern Africa.

Royal Air Maroc, Morocco’s national airline, operates nonstop routes between Casablanca (CMN), in Morocco, and the following airports in the U.S.:

  • Miami (MIA)
  • New York (JFK)
  • Washington, D.C. (IAD)

However, the best pricing applies to flights between Casablanca and New York (JFK) and Washington, D.C. (IAD). Both U.S. cities fall within the 3,001-to-4,000-mile distance band. This means they can be booked for 20,750 Avios in economy or 62,000 miles in business class.

This also allows you to connect to some harder-to-get places in Africa, albeit for additional Avios.

Booking Award Flights With Qatar

Our main Qatar Airways Privilege Club page outlines the membership tiers, how to earn both Qpoints and Avios, redeem Avios, and more.

Using Your Qatar Avios 

Privilege Club is the frequent flyer program of Qatar Airways, and Avios are the miles you earn by flying on Qatar or its partner airlines’ flights.

Qatar is a member of the Oneworld alliance. The airline also has partnerships with airlines outside of the Oneworld alliance.

Oneworld Qatar Airline Partners

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Oneworld Partners

Alaska Airlines

Malaysia Airlines

American Airlines

Oman Air (joining in 2024)

British Airways

Qantas

Cathay Pacific

Qatar Airways

Fiji Airways (Oneworld Connect Partner)

Royal Air Maroc

Finnair

Royal Jordanian

Iberia

S7 Airlines (temporarily suspended)

Japan Airlines

SriLankan Airlines

Hot Tip: For more information about using Qatar’s Oneworld partners, check out our guide to the best ways to search for award availability in the Oneworld Alliance.

Qatar Airline Partners Outside an Alliance

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Partners Outside an Alliance

JetBlue

LATAM

Bangkok Airways

Middle East Airlines

RwandAir

Virgin Australia

Booking Awards Online or by Phone

You can now search for award availability online for Qatar Airways flights. Having Avios in your account is not required to search for award space.

You can also call Qatar at 800-988-6128 to check award availability.

Award Redemption Rules

Qatar has several rules, indicated on its website, that are important to know before making an award booking:

  • If a member has no activity for 36 consecutive months, then all of that member’s balance of Avios expire as of the set expiration date.
  • Privilege Club has 4 membership tiers: Burgundy, Silver, Gold and Platinum.
  • You progress to a higher tier if you earn enough Qpoints in a consecutive 12-month period. Once you move to a higher tier, it’s valid for 12 months. 
  • Main members earn Qpoints for travel at eligible fares on flights marketed and operated by Qatar Airways; flights marketed by Qatar Airways and operated by a Oneworld carrier; flights marketed by an Oneworld carrier and operated by Qatar Airways; and flights marketed and operated by any Oneworld carrier.
  • You earn Avios for travel on flights marketed and operated by Qatar Airways; flights marketed by Qatar Airways and operated by an airline partner or a codeshare airline; flights marketed and operated by any Oneworld carrier; flights marketed and operated by a non-Oneworld airline partner; and flights marketed by an airline partner and operated by Qatar Airways.
  • If you are a main member, you can buy up to 250,000 Avios from Qatar Airways in 1 calendar year to be added to your account.
  • You can redeem Avios for various awards on Qatar Airways and its partners. Depending on the type of award, you can use it yourself or redeem it for any other individual of your choice.
  • You can redeem Avios for award tickets and cabin upgrades on Qatar Airways. Qatar Airways only offers award tickets and cabin upgrades on specific flights.
  • Award tickets are not eligible for award cabin upgrades.
  • You can redeem Avios for airline partner award tickets. The number of Avios required for airline partner awards is determined by the total flight distance specified in your itinerary. When you combine cabin classes on the same ticket, each cabin is priced separately and then 1 final price is quoted to you.

Final Thoughts

The Qatar Airways Privilege Club program has made significant changes to its program, from switching to Avios to publishing a new award chart for all partner airline award redemptions.

Thanks to the new pricing for partner-operated flights, it has become much easier to get high-value redemptions from Avios. Whether you’re flying short-haul in economy domestically or flying to Japan in first class, Qatar Avios have you covered.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How can I earn miles on Qatar?

You can earn Avios for flights on Qatar and its partner airlines by booking trips with its hotel and car rental partners, and/or using credit cards that earn points that can be transferred to Qatar.

Is it possible to earn Qatar Avios by using credit cards?

Qatar does not offer co-branded credit cards that earn Avios for U.S.-based travelers.

Currently, the only transfer partners are Citi ThankYou Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy. Citi ThankYou Rewards transfers at a 1:1 ratio almost instantly.

Marriott Bonvoy transfers are at a 3:1 ratio, taking approximately 6 days to complete. When you transfer 60,000 Marriott points to Qatar Airways, you also receive a bonus of 5,000 Qatar Airways Avios.

What are Avios worth?

You should be able to find redemption values of around 3 cents per mile, particularly for premium cabin award flights.

When searching for economy award space, you should be able to get 1 to 2 cents per mile in value.

Are Avios refundable?

The date for expiring Avios can be extended for a nonrefundable fee. After the miles are extended, the miles are valid for an additional 12 months.

If your Avios have already expired, you may extend the expiration date for a nonrefundable fee. Revalidated Avios are valid for an additional 12 months.

When do Avios expire?

Avios are valid for 3 years and expire in the 6-month period in which the miles were earned. For example, miles earned between January and June 2021 expire on June 30, 2024.

Is Qatar part of American Airlines?

Qatar is not part of American Airlines, but both are part of the Oneworld alliance.

The alliance means you can redeem your Qatar Avios for flights on American Airlines and your American Airlines miles for flights on Qatar.

While you can use miles from 1 airline to fly another airline, it’s not possible to combine miles between the 2 programs.

How much does it cost to buy Avios?

You can buy up to 60,000 Avios in 1 calendar year for your own account. You can also buy up to 60,000 Avios in 1 calendar year as a gift for another Privilege Club member.

You must have earned at least 3,000 Avios since you enrolled to purchase additional Avios.

Avios can be purchased in blocks of 1,000 starting at $35, and prices drop as low as $30 depending on the number of Avios you purchase.

What are Qatar Airways Qmiles?

Qmiles were the name of Qatar Airways’ old loyalty program currency. In March 2022, Qatar Airways switched to Avios.

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About Ehsan Haque

Ehsan is an avid traveler who has traveled to 100 countries, diligently using points and miles to fund his journeys. Currently, he holds 32 active credit cards and earns over a million points and miles annually, primarily using them for luxury hotels and long-haul premium cabins.

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