Qatar Airways’ Privilege Club program will adopt Avios as its main reward points currency from next month, in a surprise move that almost nobody in the industry anticipated.

Privilege Club will remain the frequent flyer program of Qatar Airways. The Qatari airline’s frequent flyers will also continue to earn Qpoints for the purpose of earning Qatar Airways status. Elite members will also continue to receive Qcredits which can be used towards upgrades, excess baggage, award flight fees or guest lounge access. But the program’s reward currency will switch from Qmiles to Avios in late March 2022.

Avios is the existing currency of the British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus and Vueling loyalty programs. These airlines are all owned by International Airlines Group (IAG). Qatar Airways owns around a 25% stake in IAG.

Qatar Airways also has a close partnership with British Airways, and is a partner of Iberia through its membership in the Oneworld alliance.

At present, Qmiles is the currency of the Qatar Airways Privilege Club program. From late March 2022, all Qatar Airways Privilege Club members will have their Qmiles converted to Avios at a 1:1 rate. No changes to Avios redemptions have been announced.

The full details are not yet known, but more information will become available in the coming weeks and months.

Avios can currently be transferred between British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Plus and Aer Lingus AerClub accounts. Down the track, we expect that it would also become possible to transfer Qatar Airways Avios to British Airways Avios, and vice versa.

“The transition from Qmiles to Avios marks a ground-breaking new era for Privilege Club, enabling our loyal members to participate in the most compelling loyalty network and the largest portfolio of partners in the industry,” Qatar Airways CEO His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker said.

“As the World’s Best Airline, Qatar Airways continues to redefine loyalty through the adoption of exciting digital innovations to create unique world-class experiences for our members. We look forward to revealing more details of this exciting change over the coming weeks, as we explore even more ways to reward our valued members both on and off the ground.”

For now, flight redemption costs for Privilege Club members won’t be changing. As it stands, many award flights booked through Qatar Airways Privilege Club require more Qmiles than an equivalent award booked using British Airways, Iberia or Aer Lingus Avios. So, if you can transfer Avios between different loyalty accounts, this could open up some interesting opportunities.

Join the discussion on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum: Qatar airways adopts Avios as new currency

Matt Graham

The editor of Australian Frequent Flyer, Matt's passion for travel has taken him to over 90 countries… with the help of frequent flyer points, of course!
Matt's favourite destinations (so far) are Germany, Brazil & Kazakhstan. His interests include economics, aviation & foreign languages, and he has a soft spot for good food and red wine.

You can connect with Matt by posting on the Australian Frequent Flyer community forum and tagging @AFF Editor.