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If you want to fly internationally in style, Qatar Airways is a good choice. In 2023, it was awarded best business class in the world and second-best airline overall by Skytrax’s World Airline Awards, meaning you’re likely to have a stellar experience no matter which cabin you’re in.
Here's a look at Qatar Airways, its Privilege Club elite status program and the best ways to earn and redeem Avios for award flights on Qatar.
About Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways, the national airline of Qatar, is based out of Hamad International airport in Doha. The Middle East carrier is a Oneworld alliance member and flies to more than 170 destinations in more than 80 countries, including a dozen destinations in the U.S.:
- Atlanta.
- Boston.
- Chicago-O’Hare.
- Dallas-Fort Worth.
- Houston-Intercontinental.
- Los Angeles.
- Miami.
- New York-John F. Kennedy.
- Philadelphia.
- San Francisco.
- Seattle.
- Washington-Dulles.
» Learn more: The best airline credit cards right now
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Qatar Airways fare classes
Qatar Airways offers three cabins of service: economy, business and first. Additionally, each class is divided into “fare families” to give you flexibility when it comes to your travel needs. The more expensive the fare, the more amenities that will be included in the purchase price.
You can make a booking under the following Qatar fare families:
Economy class
- Lite.
- Classic.
- Convenience.
- Comfort.
This is what’s included in each economy fare type.
| Lite | Classic | Convenience | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Booking class | W. | O, T, Q, N. | S, V, L, M, K. | H, B, Y. |
| Baggage weight allowance | 44 pounds (20 kilograms). | 55 pounds (25 kilograms). | 66 pounds (30 kilograms). | 77 pounds (35 kilograms). |
| Baggage piece allowance* | One piece, 50 pounds (23 kilograms). | Two pieces, 50 pounds (23 kilograms) each. | Two pieces, 50 pounds (23 kilograms) each. | Two pieces, 50 pounds (23 kilograms) each. |
| Carry-on bags | One piece, 15 pounds (7 kilograms). | One piece, 15 pounds (7 kilograms). | One piece, 15 pounds (7 kilograms). | One piece, 15 pounds (7 kilograms). |
| Seat selection | Free at check-in. | Free at check-in. | Free at any time. | Free at any time. |
| Preferred seat selection | Available for purchase. | Available for purchase. | Available for purchase. | Free. |
| Avios earning rate | 25%. | 50%. | 75%. | 100%. |
| Refunds | Not available. | Available for a fee. | Available for a fee. | Yes. |
| Changes | Available for a fee. | Free for one change. | Free for up to two changes. | Yes. |
Business class
- Lite.
- Classic.
- Comfort.
- Elite.
Here’s what’s included in each business fare type.
| Lite | Classic | Comfort | Elite | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Booking class | P. | R. | I, D. | C, J. |
| Baggage weight allowance | 88 pounds (40 kilograms. | 88 pounds (40 kilograms. | 88 pounds (40 kilograms. | 88 pounds (40 kilograms. |
| Baggage piece allowance* | Two pieces, 70 pounds (32 kilograms) each. | Two pieces, 70 pounds (32 kilograms) each. | Two pieces, 70 pounds (32 kilograms) each. | Two pieces, 70 pounds (32 kilograms) each. |
| Carry-on bags | Two pieces, 33 pounds (15 kilograms) total. | Two pieces, 33 pounds (15 kilograms) total. | Two pieces, 33 pounds (15 kilograms) total. | Two pieces, 33 pounds (15 kilograms) total. |
| Seat selection | Free at check-in. | Free at check-in. | Free at any time. | Free at any time. |
| Avios earning rate | 75%. | 125%. | 175%. | 200%. |
| Lounge access | Available for a fee. | Yes. | Yes. | Yes. |
| Refunds | Available for a fee. | Available for a fee. | Available for a fee. | Yes. |
| Changes | Available for a fee. | Free for one change. | Free for up to two changes. | Yes. |
First class
- Elite.
The following are included in a first class elite fare ticket.
| Elite | |
|---|---|
| Booking class | A, F. |
| Baggage weight allowance | 110 pounds (50 kilograms). |
| Baggage piece allowance* | Two pieces, 70 pounds (32 kilograms) each. |
| Carry-on bags | Two pieces, 33 pounds (15 kilograms) total. |
| Seat selection | Free at any time. |
| Avios earning rate | 300%. |
| Lounge access | Yes. |
| Refunds | Yes. |
| Changes | Yes. |
| Premium customer service | Yes. |
*Baggage piece allowance is applicable on flights to and from the Americas and flights from Africa.
Privilege Club (Elite status)
The Privilege Club, Qatar’s loyalty program, has four membership tiers: Burgundy, Silver, Gold and Platinum. You automatically become a Burgundy member once you join the program.
After you sign up and start crediting paid flights to the program, you’ll earn Avios, which you can redeem for Qatar Airways flights as well as flights operated by partners. For example, you can transfer these Avios to British Airways and redeem them through the Club frequent flyer program.
How to earn Privilege Club status
To move up the elite status ladder, you need to earn Qpoints, which you can earn by flying Qatar Airways or any Oneworld member airline.
🤓 Nerdy Tip
What's the difference between Qpoints and Avios? QPoints are how you earn elite status, and don't post until you've completed an eligible flight. Meanwhile, Avios can be earned by spending on credit cards, flying, transferring between partners or booking flights (more on this below). You have a 12-month period to qualify for status — it doesn’t have to be a calendar year. Once you qualify for status, you have another year or two to requalify and keep your status.
Here’s how many Qpoints you need to reach or retain Privilege Club elite status.
| Elite status level | Qpoints needed to reach status (within a 12-month period) | Qpoints needed to retain status tier (earned in the 12 months prior to renewal date) | Qpoints needed to retain status tier (earned in the 24 months prior to renewal date) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burgundy | Entry level. | N/A. | N/A. |
| Silver | 150. | 135. | 270. |
| Gold | 300. | 270. | 540. |
| Platinum | 600. | 540. | 1,080. |
The requirements to requalify for status are a bit easier than they are to reach an elite tier initially.
However, you need to earn at least 20% of the required Qpoints by flying on Qatar Airways. Furthermore, at least four flight segments within the last 12 months or at least eight flight segments within the last 24 months must be flown on flights marketed or operated by Qatar. This means you can’t earn Privilege Club status by flying solely with other Oneworld members.
Privilege Club membership tiers
As a Privilege Club program member, you can enjoy the following perks with each status tier.
Burgundy
- 100% mileage per family member on all flights eligible for earning Avios.
- 100% mileage per family member on non-air partner transactions.
- Eligible for Flexi awards.
- Save 10% on seat selection fees.
- Pay with Avios at Qatar Duty Free and Oryx Galleria stores.
Silver
- Oneworld Ruby status.
- 25% tier bonus on eligible Qatar Airways flights.
- 100% mileage per family member on all flights eligible for earning Avios.
- Priority stand-by, check-in and boarding.
- Eligible for Flexi awards.
- Pay with Avios at Qatar Duty Free and Oryx Galleria stores.
- Save 20% on seat selection fees.
- Extra baggage allowance of 33 pounds (15 kilograms) or one additional bag (depending on route).
- Complimentary lounge access.
Gold
- Oneworld Sapphire status.
- 75% tier bonus on eligible Qatar Airways flights.
- 100% mileage per family member on all eligible flights.
- Priority stand-by, check-in and boarding.
- Complimentary access to preferred seats.
- Eligible for Flexi awards.
- Pay with Avios at Qatar Duty Free and Oryx Galleria stores.
- Extra baggage allowance of 44 pounds (20 kilograms) or one additional bag (depending on route).
- Complimentary lounge access.
- 40 Qcredits to redeem for seat upgrades, excess baggage and more.
- Al Maha “meet and assist” service.
- Discount on online redemptions.
Platinum
- Oneworld Emerald status.
- 100% tier bonus on eligible Qatar Airways flights.
- 100% mileage per family member on all eligible flights.
- Priority stand-by, check-in and boarding.
- Complimentary access to preferred seats.
- Eligible for Flexi awards.
- Pay with Avios at Qatar Duty Free and Oryx Galleria stores.
- Extra baggage allowance of 55 pounds (25 kilograms) or two additional bags (depending on route).
- Complimentary lounge access.
- 60 Qcredits to redeem for upgrades, excess baggage and more.
- Al Maha “meet and assist” service.
- Discount on online redemptions.
- Avios don’t expire.
How to earn Qatar Airways Avios
Privilege Club members earn Avios, which is the same currency shared by Aer Lingus AerClub, British Airways Club, Iberia Plus and Vueling Club. You can transfer your Avios between all these programs at no cost.
Earn by flying
You can earn Qatar Airways Avios by flying Qatar and its Oneworld partners, such as American Airlines, Alaska Airlines and British Airways, to name a few.
In addition to Oneworld member airlines, you also can earn Avios by flying Qatar’s nonalliance partners, including:
- Bangkok Airways.
- JetBlue Airways.
- LATAM Airlines.
- Middle East Airlines.
- Oman Air.
- RwandAir.
- S7 Airlines.
- Virgin Australia.
The mileage earning rates vary depending on the class of service booked, the airline flown and your elite level in the Privilege Club program. To determine how many Avios you’ll earn on a specific flight, use Qatar’s mileage calculator.
Earn by transferring points
There aren’t any co-branded Qatar Airways credit cards available to U.S.-based flyers, but Qatar Privilege Club is a transfer partner of four rewards programs: American Express Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou Points, Bilt Rewards and Capital One Miles. You can transfer both currencies at a ratio of 1:1, although some Citi cards transfer at 1:0.7. Terms apply.
Best cards for Qatar flights
Annual fee
$95.
$325.
$895.
Earn rate
• 10 ThankYou® points per $1 spent on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked through Citi's travel portal.
• 3 points per $1 on air travel and other hotel purchases.
• 3 points per $1 on supermarkets.
• 3 points per $1 on gas stations and EV charging stations.
• 3 points per $1 on restaurants.
• 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.
• 4 points per $1 at restaurants worldwide (on up to $50,000 in purchases per year).
• 4 points per $1 at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in purchases per year).
• 3 points per $1 on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express' travel portal.
• 2 points per $1 on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases made through American Express' travel portal.
• 1 point per $1 on other eligible purchases.
Terms apply.
• 5 points per $1 on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express, on up to $500,000 spent per year.
• 5 points per $1 on prepaid hotels booked through American Express.
• 1 point per $1 on other eligible purchases.
Terms apply.
Welcome offer
Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $12,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Terms apply.
Learn more
If you collect Marriott Bonvoy® points, you can transfer them to Privilege Club at a ratio of 3:1, with a bonus of 5,000 Avios for every 60,000 Marriott points transferred. This means that 60,000 Bonvoy points convert to 25,000 Qatar Airways Avios when transferred in one go.
It’s also possible to convert World of Hyatt points to Qatar Airways Avios. The points transfer at a rate of 2.5:1, with a bonus of 5,000 miles for every 50,000 World of Hyatt points converted, meaning you’ll end up with 25,000 Avios after transferring 50,000 Hyatt points.
Transfer Avios from Avios-earning partners
It’s possible to transfer Avios among all the loyalty programs that use Avios as their currency: Aer Lingus AerClub, British Airways Club, Iberia Plus, Vueling Club and Qatar Privilege Club. The first step is to link your Privilege Club account to your British Airways Club account.
Avios transfer at a ratio of 1:1 from either program and don’t have to be transferred in increments of 1,000. You could transfer as few as 1 Avios at a time if you wanted to.
At the moment, Qatar Avios can only be transferred to or from British Airways. If you need to move Iberia Plus Avios to Qatar, for example, you’d need to first transfer them to British Airways, then to Qatar.
Annual fee
$95.
$95.
$95.
Welcome offer
Earn 75,000 Avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
Earn 85,000 Avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
Earn 85,000 Avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
Still not sure?
» Learn more: Don't just redeem miles — redeem them wisely. Here's how
How to redeem Qatar Airways Avios for maximum value
To redeem Qatar Airways Avios, you must be logged in to your Privilege Club account. The mileage rates depend on the route you fly and the class of service.
When pricing out award flights, make sure to select a standard redemption rate and not a Flexi rate, which requires double the Avios for the same itinerary.
U.S. to Qatar in business class
Business class award flights between Doha and its U.S. destinations start at 70,000 Avios with minimal taxes. Considering these flights last between 12 and nearly 16 hours, it’s a great redemption rate. You might even get lucky and fly one of the aircraft equipped with Qsuites, Qatar’s fancy business class pod.
Economy-class redemption rates on these routes start at 35,000 miles.
U.S. to the Maldives in business class
If you’re dreaming of flying all the way to the Maldives, an archipelago nation in South Asia, and in business class to boot, then Qatar has a great option for you. A one-way flight from the U.S. to the Maldives in the premium cabin will set you back 85,000 Avios. Double that for a round-trip award.
» Learn more: 10 stunning Maldives resorts to stay on points
U.S. to India in business class
Another great redemption option is for flights between the U.S. and India.
A one-way flight from the U.S. to Delhi in Qatar’s business class requires 80,000 Avios, which is an excellent redemption rate if you can find it.
Qatar Airways recapped
Qatar Airways and its Privilege Club loyalty program offers a lot of value to points and miles enthusiasts and die-hard loyalists alike. The redemption rates for premium service are quite reasonable, and, because of its membership in the Oneworld alliance and a few transfer partners, Avios aren’t difficult to obtain.
Qatar flies around the world, meaning you can use Avios to fly to many regions in style.
(Top photo courtesy of Qatar Airways)
To view rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, see this page.
To view rates and fees of the American Express Platinum Card®, see this page.
How to maximize your rewards
You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2026:
- Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- No annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph® Card
- Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Luxury perks: American Express Platinum Card®
- Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
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