Qatar Airways is one of three major airlines in the Middle East. It’s based in Doha and part of the Oneworld airline alliance. With Privilege Club – the carrier’s frequent flyer program – you’ll unlock VIP benefits with elite status and earn Qmiles, which you can later redeem for award flights, class upgrades and more.
See our best credit card bonuses here.
Even if you don’t often fly with Qatar, Privilege Club could still be worth your while. Find out how and other tips and tricks in this complete guide to Qatar Airways Privilege Club.
| Airline Alliance | Oneworld |
| Hub | Doha (Qatar) |
| U.S. Destinations | Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Philadelphia, Washington D.C. |
| U.S. Credit Cards | None |
| Redemption Options | Award flights, miles & cash fares, cabin upgrades, excess baggage, award booking fees, merchandise, hotel stays & gift/transfer miles |
| Average Mile Value | $0.008 |
Privilege Club Elite Status
Privilege Club has four elite tiers: Burgundy, Silver, Gold and Platinum. As you move up from tier to tier, you’ll unlock additional benefits. Let’s take a closer look below:
To earn Privilege Club status, you must rack up a certain amount of Qpoints. These status points are earned for any flight marketed and operated by Qatar Airways or by any Oneworld member airline.
The number of Qpoints you earn depends on travel sector, airline and fare class. To figure out how many Qpoints you’ll receive for a specific flight, use the Qcalculator.
| STATUS | QPOINTS REQUIRED |
| Burgundy | 0 in any 12-month period |
| Silver | 150 in any 12-month period |
| Gold | 300 in any 12-month period |
| Platinum | 600 in any 12-month period |
Once you earn status, it’s valid for 12 months. Here’s what you need to retain your status:
| STATUS | REQUIREMENTS |
| Burgundy | 0 |
| Silver | 135 Qpoints in 12 months 270 Qpoints in 24 months |
| Gold | 270 Qpoints in 12 months 540 Qpoints in 24 months |
| Platinum | 540 Qpoints in 12 months 1,080 Qpoints in 24 months |
To renew your status membership, you’ll also need to earn at least 20% of your Qpoints, or fly 4 sectors in 12 months (or 8 sectors in 24 months) on flights marketed or operated by Qatar Airways.
*For updated information, click here for our source.
With Burgundy status, you’ll enjoy priority stand-by. And with each subsequent tier, you can take advantage of the perks of the previous level and more. Below are some notable Privilege Club status benefits:
| STATUS | BENEFITS |
| Silver | 25% bonus miles 10kg extra baggage Business class check-in Business class lounge access 2 lounge guest passes annually Priority boarding Access to Flex awards |
| Gold | 75% bonus miles 15kg extra baggage Business class lounge access +1 4 lounge guest passes annually Meet & greet service (DOH) 5% off online award bookings Increased award availability Award fee waivers Priority baggage handling |
| Platinum | 100% bonus miles 20kg extra baggage Qmiles do not expire First class check-in Business class lounge access +2 5 lounge guest passes annually |
For a complete list of status benefits, click here.
Earning Privilege Club Qmiles
Like most frequent flyer programs, there are a variety of ways to earn Qmiles: flights with Qatar, partner flights, hotel and car rental bookings, credit card spending and more.
Earn Qmiles when you fly with Qatar. To calculate how many miles you’ll earn for a specific flight, use the formula below:
Qmiles = (Flight Distance x Tier Bonus %) x Qmiles Accrual %
You may also accrue Qmiles with the following Oneworld member airlines:
- Iberia
- Japan Airlines
- LATAM Airlines
- Malaysia Airlines
And the following non-alliance partner carriers:
For more detailed information, click here.
Although Qatar Airways does not offer any co-branded credit cards in the United States, Privilege Club is partners with four transferable point programs: American Express Membership Rewards®, Capital One® Rewards, Citi ThankYou® Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy.
You can earn points by spending on corresponding credit cards, then converting them to Privilege Club Qmiles. Transfer rates are as follows:
| POINT PROGRAM | TRANSFER RATE |
| Amex Membership Rewards | 3:2 |
| Capital One Rewards | 2:1.5 |
| Citi ThankYou Rewards | 1:1 |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 3:1* |
*For every 60,000 points you transfer, get a 5,000-mile bonus. So instead of 20,000, you’ll get 25,000 Qmiles when you transfer 60,000 Marriott points.
See below for recommended ways to earn points/miles from partner’s reward programs for transferring to Privilege Club Qmiles.
You can also earn Qmiles with a variety of hotel, car rental, other travel, shopping and service partners.
For a full list of partners in more detail, click here.
Just shy of enough miles for an award? Buy additional Qmiles in blocks of 1,000, for up to 250,000 miles per calendar year. Pricing for Qmiles depends on the number of miles you purchase, starting from $35 for a block of 1,000 Qmiles.
Earn Qmiles With AmEx Membership Rewards
For the American Express Membership Rewards® program, the transfer ratio is 1:1. We recommend earning membership reward points with these cobranded credit cards.
THE PLATINUM CARD® FROM AMERICAN EXPRESS
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
The Platinum Card® from American Express has a special offer for 100,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 in purchases within your first 6 months.
Membership Rewards® points are some of the most valuable in the market. Redeeming these points by booking travel through American Express or by redeeming for gift cards will give you a standard 1 cent per point value. The 100k bonus points are worth $1,000 going this route.
You can potentially get more value by transferring your points to Membership Rewards travel partners. Using this strategy can get you up to an average value of 2 cents per point. Get around $2,000 in value with 100,000 points this way. Read more on this here.
With this card, earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.
The biggest drawback to this card is the $695 annual fee (see Rates & Fees, Terms Apply), which puts it in the premium class of credit cards. The card has a market because it offers premium travel benefits, such as 5X points for flights (up to $500,000 on these purchases) and eligible hotels, access to 40+ Centurion Loung and Studio locations worldwide, up to $200 airline fee credit annually, and an annual Walmart+ membership. These benefits are given as statement credits.
For frequent travelers, the added benefits make sense in terms of value and added luxury.
AMERICAN EXPRESS® GOLD CARD
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
The American Express® Gold Card has a welcome bonus for 60,000 Membership Rewards Points when you spend $4,000 within 6 months.
Membership Rewards Points have great flexibility. We value each point to be worth up to an average 2 cents per point. At this value, 60k Membership Rewards Points can be worth up to $1,200.
The Amex Gold Card has plentiful perks. You’ll get:
- Choice between Gold or Rose Gold.
- 4X points at restaurants, including takeouts and deliveries in the U.S.
- 4X points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per year in purchases (1X thereafter)
- 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com
- Up to $120 in annual dining credits (get up to $10 monthly statement credits)
- No foreign transaction fees
The annual fee is $250. See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply.
Earn Qmiles with Capital One Rewards
For the Capital One® Rewards program, the transfer ratio is 2:1.5. We recommend earning miles with these cobranded credit cards.
CAPITAL ONE® VENTURE® REWARDS CREDIT CARD
The Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card currently earns 100,000 bonus miles when you spend $20,000 on purchases in the first 12 months from account opening. Or if are unable to meet the $20k spending requirement, you can still earn 50,000 bonus miles for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months. These bonus miles are equal to $1000 or $500, respectively, in travel and are easy to redeem as a statement credit towards the cost of your travel purchases. Take advantage of Capital One’s travel partners and these up to 100k miles can be worth around $1400 in value.
This card will earn an ongoing 2 miles for every dollar you spend on all purchases. 100 miles is equal to $1 in travel rewards. If you don’t redeem towards travel purchases, your miles will have less value.
The annual fee is $95.
CAPITAL ONE® VENTUREONE® REWARDS CREDIT CARD
The Capital One® VentureOne® Rewards Credit Card has an offer for 20,000 bonus miles after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months. We value these 20k bonus miles at around $280.
This card has no annual fee. The annual fee version of this card is the Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card, with better features.
The VentureOne Rewards card offers unlimited 1.25X miles on all purchases. You can redeem for statement credits for travel and gift cards. Another option is to transfer miles to airline partners. Read more on this here.
Earn Qmiles with Citi ThankYou Rewards
For the Citi ThankYou® Rewards program, the transfer ratio is 1:1. We recommend earning ThankYou points with these cobranded credit cards.
CITI PREMIER® CARD
The Citi Premier® Card offers a 80,000 ThankYou Points after you make at least $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. These points are worth $800 in gift cards through Citi.
This card offers 3 points for every $1 spent on travel including gas stations, 2 points for every $1 spent at restaurants and on entertainment, and 1 mile for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
The card has an annual fee of $95 that is waived for the first 12 months.
CITI PRESTIGE® CREDIT CARD
The Citi Prestige® Card has a 50,000 bonus points offer. Spend $4,000 within 3 months of account opening to qualify. These 50k bonus points are worth $500 in travel.
For the most value out of your points, redeem for flights through Citi, where your bonus will be worth 1.33 cents per point. This is another card that competes in the premium travel category, and the annual fee will signify that at $495.
In effect, this card is only a good option for frequent travelers who can take advantage of the premium benefits : 5X points on air travel & restaurants, 3X points on hotels & cruise lines, $250 Air Travel Credit annually, and free access to 1,300+ airport lounges with Priority Pass Select. For those in this niche market, this card will provide high perceived value.
Earn Etihad Guest Miles with Marriott Bonvoy
For the Marriott Bonvoy rewards program, the transfer ratio is 3:1. We recommend earning bonvoy points with these cobranded credit cards.
| Rewards Program | Transfer Ratio |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 3 : 1* |
MARRIOTT BONVOY BOUNDLESS® CREDIT CARD
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card from Chase has an offer for 3 Free Nights after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
New to the card, you will earn 3x Bonvoy points on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining. The card is also offering an Elite Night Credit towards Elite Status for every $5,000 spent.
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card earns 17 points for every $1 spent at over 7,000+ participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels. You’ll receive 2 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
You’ll get a Free Night Award (valued up to 35,000 points) every account anniversary year and automatic Silver Elite Status. Additionally, you’ll receive 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year.
This card has no foreign transaction fees and the annual fee is $95.
MARRIOTT BONVOY BOLD® CREDIT CARD
The Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card has an offer for 30,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 within the first 3 months. We value these 30k points at around $270.
This card earns 14 points per $1 at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels. Other travel purchases (from airfare to taxis and trains) will earn 2 points per $1. All other purchases will earn 1 point per $1.
You’ll receive 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year, qualifying you for Silver Elite status.
There are no foreign transaction fees and no annual fee.
Redeeming Privilege Club Qmiles
The expiration date for Qmiles is a little hard to explain. They’re valid for three years and will expire twice a year at the end of the semester (June 30 or December 31) in which you earned the Qmiles.
Qmiles earned in November 2020 will expire December 31, 2023.
You do have the option to extend or reinstate your Qmiles for another 12 months for $0.015 each mile.
If you have Privilege Club Platinum membership, your Qmiles will not expire as long as you retain that status.
To find out your award flight cost, use the handy Qcalculator. All one-way flights to the United States from Doha require the same amount of Qmiles:
| FARE CLASS | QMILES REQUIRED |
| Economy | 35,000 |
| Business | 70,000 |
| First | 105,000 |
One-way flights from the United States to Europe, India or Asia (with a layover in Doha) require 40,000 to 47,500 miles in economy.
You can also use Qmiles to book flights with partner carriers. All partner awards use a distance-based award chart. The cost of your flight will depend on total distance and fare class.
Qmiles can be used for Qmiles + Cash fares, cabin upgrades, excess baggage at select airports and award booking costs.
When it comes to spending your Qmiles, you have a few non-airline options:
- Shop the Privilege Club eShop, at Qatar Duty Free and at Oryx Galleria
- Hotel stays with ALL
- Gift or transfer Qmiles
Privilege Club Tips & Tricks
Privilege Club offers plenty of Qmile-earning and -spending promotions, including:
- 2,000 bonus Qmiles for joining Privilege Club and booking your first flight online. Plus 500 bonus Qmiles for each subsequent online booking.
- Save up to 50% on award tickets to select destinations for a limited time with Easy Deals. The offers change every two weeks.
The Privilege Club family program allows up to nine members (spouse, children and parents of the main member) to pool their Qmiles for quicker rewards. The higher your Privilege Club status, the more Qmiles your family members will earn.
| STATUS | ACCRUAL ON FLIGHTS |
| Burgundy | 25% |
| Silver | 50% |
| Gold | 100% |
| Platinum | 100% |
For non-air partner transactions, members will accrue 100% Qmiles across all elite tiers.
For more information about the family program, click here.
Privilege Club has plenty of airline partners, which means you have plenty of options when it comes to award flights. Here are our favorite sweet spots:
| FLIGHT DETAILS | QMILES |
| U.S. to Europe | American Airlines | One Way | Economy | 35,000+ |
| U.S. to Europe | American Airlines | One Way | Business | 70,000+ |
| N. America to Asia | Cathay Pacific | One Way | First | 225,000+ |
| N. America to Asia | Japan Airlines | One Way | First | 180,000+ |
| U.S. to Finland | Finnair | One Way | Economy | 50,000 |
| U.S. to Finland | Finnair | One Way | Business | 100,000 |
| U.S. to Spain | Iberia | One Way | Economy | 35,000+ |
| U.S. to Spain | Iberia | One Way | Business | 70,000+ |
| U.S. to Doha | Qatar | One Way | Business | 101,500+ |
Because you need to have Qmiles in your account to search for award space, booking award flights via the Qatar website can be frustrating.
If you don’t have Qmiles in your account, you can:
- Call Qatar at 1-800-988-6128 and ask the representative to search for award space
- For Oneworld flights, use British Airways or Qantas websites instead
- For SkyTeam flights, use Delta or Flying Blue
- For Star Alliance flights, use United or Aeroplan
Once you find award space, you can transfer points to Qmiles. Bear in mind, Marriott Bonvoy and Citi ThankYou Rewards transfers are not instant, and the award availability might change while you wait for the conversion to complete.
*We independently collected information from public sources to form our tips and tricks. This information is subject to change without notice.
Bottom Line
Qatar Airways Privilege Club might make sense if you hold a credit card that earns transferable points. While looking for award space is a bit of a hassle, it might be worth it if you can score an Easy Deal.
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