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A handful of airlines use the Avios currency, but no two have quite the same award chart. Combined with the option to transfer Avios freely between Avios partner airlines, award travelers can leverage each program's specific sweet spots. Of late, Qatar Airways Privilege Club has been the go-to for short-haul American Airlines and Alaska Airlines awards.
Unfortunately, Qatar Airways decided these sweet spots shouldn't exist anymore and upped the pricing on several awards — by a wide margin.
Here's what you need to know about Qatar Airways' partner award chart devaluation.
Qatar Airways Devaluation of Alaska and American Awards
As first caught by Dan's Deals, Qatar Airways' award pricing for American and Alaska Airlines is higher than it was until just recently. And it appears the higher prices are a new feature of routes under 3,000 miles. That means long-haul flights on American Airlines are unimpacted by the devaluation. (Alaska doesn't fly that far.)
We can't say this is too much of a surprise. Qatar's pricing for short-haul awards was a little too good. And coupled with British Airways' repeated devaluations of similar awards, it was only a matter of time until something changed. So, here we are.
Alright, so what does the new pricing look like? Here's what Qatar Airways' partner chart for American and Alaska flights looks like now; you'll also see the percent change for good measure.
| Flight Distance | Economy | Economy Percent Change | Business Class/Domestic First | Business Class/Domestic First Percent Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-650 miles | 9,500 | 58% | 20,000 | 60% |
| 651-1,151 miles | 13,000 | 44% | 27,000 | 64% |
| 1,152-2,000 miles | 14,500 | 31% | 34,000 | 55% |
| 2,001-3,000 miles | 16,000 | 23% | 43,000 | 11% |
Simply put, this stings. However, the silver lining is that there's still a price differential between what British Airways charges for these awards and what Qatar Airways now charges. That said, this only applies to economy seats. If you want to use Avios to book domestic first class or business class seats, you're better off going through British Airways.
And, yes, this award chart change puts a damper on Privilege Club's standing as one of the best ways to get to Hawaii on points and miles. It'll still be a good option, but not as good of one as it was just yesterday.
Final Thoughts
Without any sort of heads-up, Qatar Airways pulled out a Sharpie and changed the pricing on its partner award chart. Effective immediately, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines flights 3,000 miles and under will require more Avios. The damage was brutal, too, as select awards now cost up to 64% more.
If we had to guess, it's not a matter of “if” Qatar Airways will erase the gap between what it charges for partner award flights and what British Airways charges, but a matter of “when.” But until that happens, you should continue to leverage the Avios-centric frequent flyer program that gives you the best price for the award ticket you want to book.
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