Qatar Airways is one of three major airlines in the Middle East and a part of the Oneworld airline alliance. The Doha based airline has a frequent flyer program called Privilege Club. As a member of the Privilege Club, you’ll be able to unlock VIP benefits with elite status and earn Qmiles, which you can later redeem for award flights, class upgrades and more.
Privilege Club could still be a beneficial program to join even if you don’t fly with Qatar Airways fruqently. Find out how and other tips and tricks in this complete guide to Qatar Airways Privilege Club.
See our best credit card bonuses here.
Privilege Club Quick Facts
| Airline Alliance | Oneworld |
| Hub | Doha |
| U.S. Destinations | Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Philadelphia, Washington D.C. |
| U.S. Credit Card(s) | 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 consists of four elite tiers: Burgundy, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Move up from tier to tier in order to unlock additional benefits.
In order to reach elite status, you’ll need to earn 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 have access to priority stand-by. As you move higher in tier, you can take advantage of the perks of the previous level and more. Here are some Privilege Club status benefits:
| Silver | (Burgundy benefits)
25% bonus miles |
| Gold | (all Silver benefits)
75% bonus miles |
| Platinum | (all Gold benefits) 100% bonus miles 20kg extra baggage Qmiles do not expire First class check-in Business class lounge access +2 5 lounge guest passes annually |
*Your travel companions also enjoy these benefits.
When you’re moving from one club tier to the next, Marco Polo Club will reward you for reaching certain club-point milestones:
| Club Status | Club Points | Benefit |
| Green | 200 | 1 Business Class lounge pass |
| Silver | 300 | 2 Business Class lounge passes |
| Gold | 600 | 2 Business Class lounge passes |
| Diamond | 1,200 | 2 First or Business Class lounge passes |
For a complete list of status benefits, click here.
Earning Privilege Club Qmiles
Similarly to other frequent flyer programs, the best way to earn Qmiles is to fly with the carrier. Besides flying, you can earn rewards completing other tasks as well– hotel stays, car rentals, shopping, credit card partner transfers and more.
Earn Qmiles by flying with Qatar Airwats. The amount of miles you’ll receive is based on the formula below:
Qmiles can also be accrued with the following Oneworld member airlines:
- Iberia
- Japan Airlines
- LATAM Airlines
- Malaysia Airlines
- Qantas
- Royal Jordanian
- S7 Airlines
- SriLankan Airlines
And the following non-alliance partner carriers:
- Bangkok Airways
- GOL
- MEA
- Royal Air Maroc
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.
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
You have the option to transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to your QMiles account. For every 300 Membership Rewards points, get 200 QMiles.
Credit cards that earn Amex Membership Rewards include:
 The Platinum Card® from American Express offers 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. You'll earn: • 5X Membership Rewards Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year. • 5X Membership Rewards Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. This card comes with an annual fee of $695 (See Rates & Fees), but you cardholders can enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member and Additional Centurion Cards only. Terms Apply. Terms Apply. |
 The American Express® Gold Card offers 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months. Terms apply. You'll earn: • 4X Membership Rewards Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., • 4X Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X). • 3X Membership Rewards points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com. $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings and 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, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. Enrollment required. This card has an annual fee of $250 with no foreign transaction fees (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.
 The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers a one-time bonus of 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening. You're able to earn: • 5 Miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel • 2X miles on every purchase, every day This card does come with a $95 annual fee. Enjoy no foreign transaction fees and receive up to $100 application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre?®. |
 The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Card offers 40,000 miles once you spend $1000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $400 in travel. Enjoy 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 18 months; 19.24% - 29.24% variable APR after that; 3% fee on the amounts transferred within the first 18 months. You'll earn 1.25 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day and pay no annual fee. This card comes with no annual fees and no foreign transaction fees which is a great choice as your go-to travel card! |
Earn Qmiles With Citi ThankYou Rewards
You have the option to transfer Citi ThankYou Rewards points to your QMiles account. For every 1,000 ThankYou Rewards points, get 1,000 QMiles.
Credit cards that earn Citi ThankYou Rewards include:
 The Citi Premier® Card offers 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. 60,000 ThankYou Points are redeemable for $600 in gift cards when redeemed at thankyou.com. You'll earn: • 3X Points at Restaurants • 3X Points at Supermarkets • 3X Points at Gas Stations • 3X Points on Air Travel and Hotels • 1X Points on All Other Purchases This card comes with a $95 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees. |
CITI PRESTIGE 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 Qmiles 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.
Credit cards that earn Citi ThankYou Rewards include:
 The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card offers 100,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. You'll earn: • Up to 17X total points per $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy • 3X points per $1 on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining. • 2X points for every $1 spent on all other purchase • 1 Elite Night Credit towards Elite Status for every $5,000 you spend. You gain an automatic Silver Elite Status each account anniversary year. Path to Gold Status when you spend $35,000 on purchases each account year. You'll receive 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year & an additional Free Night Award (valued up to 35,000 points) every year after account anniversary. This card does carry a $95 fee; there are no foreign transaction fees. |
 The Marriott Bonvoy Bold® credit card offers 60,000 Bonus Points after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. You'll earn: • Up to 14X total points per $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy • 2X points for all other travel purchases • 1X points per $1 spent on all other purchases This card comes with no annual fees or foreign transaction fees and you'll get 15 elite night credits each calendar year! |
Redeeming Privilege Club Qmiles
The expiration date for Qmiles is a bit more complex than typical rewards points. Qmiles are 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.
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 | asdfjaf |
| 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.
[/su_table]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 FLIGHT |
| 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 can be beneficial to travelers who hold a credit card that earns transferable points. While finding award space can be a bit of work, it can be worth it if you score an Easy Deal.
In the case that you don’t often travel with Qatar Airways often, be sure to check out our page for more travel tips from other loyalty programs like Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan or Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards. For more posts like this, check out our list of credit card bonuses.
Leave a Reply