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Qatar Airways Privilege Club: The Ultimate Guide for Indians

January 19, 2025

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Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers. Last Updated 18th January 2025.

Overview

Qatar Airways, the national carrier of Qatar, is renowned as one of the world’s most luxurious airlines. Its Business Class, known as Qsuites, is widely recognized as one of the top premium cabin offerings globally, while its First Class cabins aboard the A380 aircraft deliver an exceptional level of luxury. The airline’s loyalty program, Qatar Airways Privilege Club, uses Avios as its currency, offering members various opportunities to earn and redeem miles. As a part of the Oneworld alliance, Qatar Airways provides extensive global connectivity, allowing travellers to redeem Avios with a wide range of Oneworld partner airlines.

Qatar Airways’ frequent flyer program, Privilege Club, uses Avios as its currency, the same currency used by British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Plus, Aer Lingus AerClub, and Finnair Plus. This allows members to easily transfer points between these programs at a 1:1 ratio, providing flexibility to redeem Avios for flights on preferred itineraries across any of the participating programs.

Qatar Airways Privilege Club: The Ultimate Guide for Indians — Qatar Airways F.C. Barcelona special livery

Privilege Club Elite Status

Qatar Airways Privilege Club offers four main membership tiers: Burgundy, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. These status levels are earned through Qpoints, which members accumulate by flying with Qatar Airways or select partner airlines. In addition to meeting the required Qpoints for each tier, members must earn 20% of their Qpoints—or fly at least four sectors in 12 months or eight sectors in 24 months—on Qatar Airways marketed or operated flights.

Members enjoy Oneworld elite benefits from the Silver tier and above, with the most exclusive perks available to Gold (Oneworld Sapphire) and Platinum (Oneworld Emerald) members.

Burgundy (Base Tier)

Qualification: Just enrolling in the Privilege Club program.

As the base level, Burgundy allows you to earn and redeem Avios and accumulate Qpoints to advance to higher tiers.

25% bonus Avios for each family member on eligible flights.

Silver (Oneworld Ruby)

Qualification: 150 Qpoints within 12 months
Maintenance: 135 Qpoints in 12 months or 270 Qpoints in 24 months

Silver members gain access to a wide array of perks, including:

Priority standby and boarding.
An extra 15kg or one additional baggage piece on Qatar Airways flights.
25% bonus Avios on Qatar Airways flights.
50% bonus Avios for family members on eligible flights.
Priority check-in at Business Class counters and dedicated counters at Hamad International Airport.
Business Class lounge access is at Doha and select airports (no guests are allowed, and premium lounges are excluded unless flying in premium cabins).
2 guest lounge passes at Hamad International Airport.

Gold (Oneworld Sapphire)

Qualification: 300 Qpoints within 12 months
Maintenance: 270 Qpoints in 12 months or 540 Qpoints in 24 months

Gold status, equivalent to Oneworld Sapphire, provides enhanced benefits, such as:

An extra 20kg or one additional baggage piece on Qatar Airways flights.
75% bonus Avios on Qatar Airways flights.
100% bonus Avios for family members on eligible flights.
Business Class lounge access with one guest (excluding Premium Lounges unless flying in a premium cabin).
4 guest lounge passes at Hamad International Airport.
Al Maha meet-and-greet services with one guest at Hamad International Airport.
5% off online reward seat redemptions and increased availability.
Waived award fees and access to preferred Economy seats.
Priority baggage handling and priority service via contact centres.

Platinum (Oneworld Emerald)

Qualification: 600 Qpoints within 12 months
Maintenance: 540 Qpoints in 12 months or 1,080 Qpoints in 24 months

Platinum members with the highest status enjoy Oneworld Emerald privileges, including access to First Class lounges with partner airlines. Additional benefits include:

An extra 25kg or two additional baggage pieces on Qatar Airways flights.
100% bonus Avios on Qatar Airways flights.
First Class lounge access with one guest (excludes Premium Lounges, unless flying Business Class with access to Al Safwa First Lounge).
5 guest lounge passes at Hamad International Airport.
Al Maha meet-and-greet services for two guests at Hamad International Airport.

Note: Qatar Airways Platinum Status offers an excellent opportunity for aspirational redemptions, such as Air France’s La Première. This exclusive award redemption is available only to members with Air France Platinum Status or higher. Currently, Qatar Airways Platinum members can secure a status match to Air France Platinum, but this benefit may be discontinued at any time. If you’re planning to take advantage of this, act quickly to secure your redemption.

How to Earn Avios

Flying Qatar Airways Flights

You can earn Avios on paid Qatar Airways flights worldwide, with the amount earned depending on your cabin class and ticketed fare. Qatar Airways Privilege Club still calculates Avios based on the distance flown, though lower-tier discounted fare classes earn significantly fewer Avios than higher-tier fares. Earning rates typically range from 25% to 300% of the distance flown.

The easiest way to find out how many Avios you’ll earn on a Qatar Airways flight is by using the “My Calculator” feature on the airline’s website. The calculator will estimate how many Avios your journey will accrue by entering details such as your flight origin, destination, travel class, and elite status.

Flying Partner Airlines

As an Oneworld alliance member, Qatar Airways Privilege Club allows its members to earn and redeem Avios across all Oneworld airline partners. In addition, Privilege Club members can also earn Avios with several of Qatar’s non-alliance airline partners. However, flights with non-alliance partners are not eligible to earn Status Points. You can check how many Avios you’ll earn on a partner airline’s flight just by using the “My Calculator” feature on the airline’s website by changing the airline’s option from Qatar to the desired partner airline.

Qatar Airways Non-Alliance Partners

Bangkok Airways
JetBlue
LATAM
MEA Middle East Airlines
Oman Air
RwandAir
Virgin Australia

Transferring Bank Reward Points

In India Axis Bank, HDFC Bank and American Express allow you to transfer loyalty points to the Qatar Airways Privilege Club. At the same time, IndusInd Bank provides the only co-branded credit card with Qatar Airways in the country.

Here’s how you can use these cards to maximize your points for Qatar Airways.

CoBranded Credit Card

IndusInd Bank Avios Visa Infinite

The co-branded card offers a base earn rate of 0.5%, which means you earn 1 Avios for every ₹200 spent. While the reward rate may seem modest at 0.5%, the card offers significant value by granting you Privilege Club Gold status, which comes with exclusive benefits.

IndusInd Avios Credit Card Review

Bank Transfer Partners

Axis Bank

Axis Burgundy Private Credit Card, Axis Magnus Burgundy: 5:4 ratio
Axis Reserve, Axis Magnus: 5:2 ratio
Axis Atlas: 1:2 (Edge Miles)
Axis Olympus: 1:4 (Edge Miles)
Axis Primus: 1:5 (Edge Miles)
Axis Horizon: 1:1 (Edge Miles)
Axis IOCL Premium: 2:1 (Edge Miles)
Axis Select, Privilege & REWARDS: 10:1 ratio
Other Edge Reward Points Earning Cards: 20:1 ratio

HDFC Bank

HDFC Infinia, HDFC Diners Club Black, HDFC Diners Club Black Metal: 2:1
HDFC Regalia Gold: 3:1

AMEX

With all the AMEX cards you can transfer MR points at a 2:1 ratio to Qatar Privilege Club
Some popular AMEX cards are AMEX Platinum Travel, AMEX Platinum Charge, AMEX MRCC and the AMEX Gold Charge.

Transferring Hotel Loyalty Points

You can also transfer points from various hotel loyalty programs to your Qatar Airways Privilege Club account:

ALL – Accor Live Limitless: 2,000 Reward Points = 1,000 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 & you’ll get 5,000 Bonus Avios per 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points transferred)
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)

From Hotel Stays

You can boost your Avios balance by linking your preferred hotel loyalty programs or hotel booking platforms with your Avios account. Here are some key options:

Accor Hotels: 1 Avios per €1 spent
Marriott Bonvoy: 1 to 2 Avios per $1 spent (varies by brand)
Hilton Honors: 1 Avios per $1 spent
Hyatt Hotels: 500 Avios per stay
Shangri-La: 500 Avios per stay
Trip.com: 1.5 Avios per $1 spent

Car Rental

If you frequently rent cars while travelling, there’s good news—Qatar Airways partners with several car rental companies, allowing you to earn Avios with each rental. Some of the key partnerships are:

Avis:
- Burgundy members: 2 base Avios per USD spent
- Silver members: 2 base Avios + 1 bonus Avios per USD spent
- Gold members: 2 base Avios + 2 bonus Avios per USD spent
- Platinum members: 2 base Avios + 3 bonus Avios per USD spent
Europcar:
- 500 Avios per rental
- Platinum and Gold members earn an additional 500 bonus Avios on Premium Rentals
Hertz:
- 500 Avios per rental

Buying Avios

Qatar Airways often offers promotions for purchasing Avios. While buying points typically isn’t the best way to maximize their value, there are situations where it can make sense. For example, if you’re just short of the points needed to book an award ticket, purchasing Avios to top up your account can be a good option. Keep in mind, that the maximum number of Avios you can buy in a calendar year is capped at 250,000 points. To purchase Qatar Avios, click here.

How to Use Qatar Airways Avios

Flying Qatar Airways Flight

You can redeem your Avios for flights on Qatar Airways, known for its world-class Business Class product, the QSuite. This enclosed suite offers exceptional comfort and luxury, complemented by a fine dining experience. Qatar Airways also operates its unique First Class, which, while a bit dated, still delivers an outstanding experience. If you’re departing from Doha, you’ll gain access to the Al Safwa First Class Lounge, one of the finest in the world. This exclusive lounge offers gourmet dining and the chance to relax in a luxurious spa. Access is limited to First Class passengers, Privilege Club Platinum members travelling in Business Class with Qatar Airways, and oneworld First Class passengers—underscoring its exclusivity.

To determine how many Avios you’ll need for a flight, check the My Calculator tool. Qatar Airways recently introduced peak and off-peak seasons for award redemptions. Off-peak redemptions offer excellent value, so being flexible with your travel dates can help you save Avios. Availability, especially in premium cabins, can be limited, so it’s best to book as early as possible to secure seats.

Off-peak Business Class redemptions are one of the best ways to maximize your Qatar Avios, thanks to the airline’s exceptional service and product quality.

Please note that Qatar Airways has recently (September 2024) increased its already somewhat high taxes on award redemptions. Although they rolled back an earlier doubling of taxes, the overall tax on redemptions has still risen by 10-20%.

Upgrading Qatar Airways Flight

You can also use your Qatar Avios to upgrade paid flights operated by the airline. To find the cost of upgrading a specific flight, use Qatar Airways’ Miles Calculator, which calculates the Avios required based on your route and fare class. However, this option is generally not the most economical in terms of miles redemption. At TechnoFino, we suggest keeping this as a last resort for unplanned upgrades, as it’s not the best way to maximize your Avios.

Book Partner Airlines

You can redeem Avios for many partner awards, including flights operated by American Airlines, JetBlue, British Airways, and Virgin Australia, directly online. If a partner flight doesn’t appear online, you can contact Qatar Airways Privilege Club at +91 95128 72827 to book over the phone. However, keep in mind the call centre operates only during regular working hours on weekdays.

Qatar Airways has recently aligned its Avios redemption rates with other Avios partners, using a distance-based award chart for partner airlines. Below is the updated award chart:

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-plus	51,500	103,000	154,500	206,000

For short-haul flights operated by American Airlines and Alaska Airlines, the updated pricing is as follows:

Distance (miles)	Economy Class (Avios)	Business Class / Domestic First (Avios)
0-650	9,500	20,000
651-1,151	13,000	27,000
1,152-2,000	14,500	34,000
2,001-3,000	16,000	43,000

Sweet Spots

Qatar Airways may not have many sweet spots due to its taxes, carrier-imposed fees, and moderate Avios requirements, but there are still some aspirational redemptions worth considering. These include the award-winning QSuite in Business Class, Qatar Airways’ First Class, and a few short-haul flights offering great value.

For those looking to experience Qatar Airways First Class, especially on the Boeing 777, you can fly from Doha (DOH) to Bangkok (BKK) for 97,500 Avios (peak) or 75,000 Avios (off-peak) plus 600 QAR in taxes one-way. On this route, Qatar also operates the A380, which offers a superior first-class product, but these tend to sell out quickly.

To try Qatar’s QSuite from India, a great option is the Mumbai (BOM) to Auckland (AKL) route via Doha (DOH). This flight can be booked for 80,000 Avios during off-peak periods.

Additionally, you can book inter-country or intra-country flights within Southeast Asia for as low as 6,000 Avios. However, these flights are not bookable online and require a call to Qatar Airways’ helpline for redemption.

Family Pooling

Qatar Airways’ Family Programme, one of the best features of the Privilege Club, allows you to pool Avios with up to nine family members. Eligible members include your spouse, children over 2 years old, parents, and your spouse’s parents. Once your family account is set up, Avios earned by all members are combined, helping you reach redemption goals more quickly. For more details, click here.

Infant Fees

Children under 2 are classified as infants, but whether they qualify for an infant fare depends on how they are travelling. If a baby is seated on an adult’s lap, they are considered a lap infant and eligible for an infant fare, which is typically 15% of the adult fare. For children under 2 travelling in their seats, a child fare will apply, usually about 75% of the adult fare.

Qatar Airways classifies children under 11 as eligible for child fares on routes where this option is available. Once a child turns 12, they are considered an adult and must pay the full fare.

Points Expiry

Qatar Airways Avios expire after 36 months of inactivity. To keep your Avios from expiring, ensure you have some form of qualifying activity, such as flying with Qatar Airways or its partners, purchasing, gifting, or sharing Avios, or converting points from a Qatar transfer partner. For Platinum members, Avios never expire as long as the status is maintained. However, combining Avios with your British Airways account typically won’t extend the expiration.

Contact Qatar Airways

To reach Qatar Airways’ support centre, you can call +91 95128 72827. Alternatively, log in to your account and go to the “Contact Center” section to fill out the contact form. If you need the complete list of contact centres, simply click here.

Bottomline

Qatar Airways offers exceptional products both on the ground and in the air. If you’ve never experienced long-haul business class, the world-renowned Qsuite to Doha and beyond is a top choice. The ability to seamlessly transfer Avios between five different airline loyalty programs makes Qatar’s Privilege Club even more appealing, especially with its short-haul pricing now aligning with the popular rates in the British Airways Executive Club program. While the Privilege Club has had its ups and downs in terms of user experience and value, it remains a solid option overall, even with the recent changes.

Subhankar Dutta