Qatar launches Avios transfers, British Airways lowers the price of Qsuite awards
Qatar Airways has officially implemented Avios as its new frequent flyer point program, replacing Qmiles.
Avios is the frequent flyer currency used by British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Plus, Aer Lingus Aer Club and Vueling Club. As of this morning, Qatar's Privilege Club members can link their account to their British Airways account and transfer Avios between the two. Right now, it isn't possible to transfer Avios from other programs directly to Qatar.
In addition to this change, British Airways has lowered the award price of Qatar Qsuite business class redemptions — including the taxes and fees on those tickets. These redemptions are now in-line with booking through Qatar Privilege Club, which has historically offered a better deal on Qsuites awards. This positive change was first reported by Thrifty Traveler.
Let's take a closer look at how to transfer Avios between accounts and what this means for you.
How to link your Qatar and British Airways accounts and transfer Avios
If you hold frequent flyer memberships with Qatar and British Airways, you can link your accounts here.
When I logged into my Qatar Privilege Club account, I was prompted to link my British Airways Executive Club account to my Qatar account.
After selecting "Link account with British Airways Executive Club," I was asked to log into my BA account.
With another click, I had linked my British Airways and Qatar accounts and could see my balance in each.
Then, you can transfer your Avios between accounts by clicking the "Combine Avios" button. The next page will ask which account you'd like to transfer to and from, and how many Avios you'd like to transfer. You can confirm your transfer by clicking the "Move my Avios" button. In our testing, transfers from British Airways to Qatar and vice-versa processed instantly.
Note that you can also link your British Airways and Qatar Airways accounts on the "Combine my Avios" tab on the British Airways website.
What this means for you
Overall, we view Qatar joining the Avios currency to be a favorable development.
With numerous partners and a plethora of sweet spots, Avios points are some of the more valuable points out there. Additionally, you can transfer American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy to British Airways, and from there, you could transfer the points to Qatar.
However, you should keep in mind that even if your Qatar and British Airways accounts are linked, lower award rates might be available when booking directly with British Airways on some tickets.
For example, a partner Alaska Airlines from Los Angeles (LAX) to Maui (OGG) would require 13,000 Avios when booking with British Airways. The same flight would require 35,000 Avios when booking with Qatar. In this case, you would want to use Avios with British Airways for the ticket.
The same goes for Cathay Pacific awards. In this example, British Airways charges 7,500 Avios for an economy flight between Hong Kong and Taipei while Qatar Airways charges 15,000 Avios.
It's possible that we may see Qatar more closely align its partner award chart with British Airways in the future, but it's in your best interest to cross-compare prices for the time being.
As discussed, British Airways has also reduced taxes and fees when booking Qsuite business class, bringing its rates in line with what's available when booking with Qatar Airways. On a Qsuite flight from New York to Doha, the taxes and fees on British Airways are within $5 of what was available when booking directly with Qatar. It also appears that Qatar Airways has matched British Airways' price on BA-operated tickets.
Bottom line
With Qatar Airways shifting to Avios as its loyalty currency, you can now transfer your rewards between Qatar Airways and British Airways. And along with this new functionality, British Airways has significantly lowered both the award rate and surcharges on Qsuite redemptions, bringing its rates roughly in line with those of Qatar Privilege Club. This is great news for anyone with Avios (or with transferable points that can be converted to Avios), as it opens up a new, cheaper way to redeem points for one of the world's best business-class products.
We'll monitor these changes and keep you posted on additional updates as we receive them. Additionally, TPG has reached out to Qatar Airways for more information on what this means for the future of Privilege Club.
Additional reporting by Andrew Kunesh.
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 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.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- 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.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.