AwardWallet receives compensation from advertising partners for links on the blog. Terms Apply to the offers listed on this page. The opinions expressed here are our own and have not been reviewed, provided, or approved by any bank advertiser. Here's our complete list of Advertisers.
This promotion has ended; please review current/active promotions.
Qatar Airways Privilege Club has launched a series of promotions making it easier for you to retain status for the next 12 to 24 months.
The offers include purchasing Qpoints at a discounted rate and earning double Qpoints. Also, Qatar is offering reduced tier qualification criteria for a short period of time.
Reduced Tier Qualification Requirements
Qatar has announced it is reducing the tier qualification requirements for members whose status is up for renewal through March 31, 2023.
However, standard terms apply to members whose status is up for renewal after that date. To retain your status, you need to meet the following Qpoints thresholds.
12-month retention requirements:
- Silver, earn 100 Qpoints instead of the usual 135 Qpoints.
- Gold, earn 200 Qpoints instead of the usual 270 Qpoints.
- Platinum, earn 400 Qpoints instead of the usual 540 Qpoints.
24-month retention requirements:
- Silver, earn 200 Qpoints instead of the usual 270 Qpoints.
- Gold, earn 400 Qpoints instead of the usual 540 Qpoints.
- Platinum, earn 800 Qpoints instead of the usual 1080 Qpoints.
Combined with the double Qpoints promotion (see below), the reduced qualification requirements make it easy to retain even the highest status. For example, it just takes one long-haul round trip in a premium cabin.
Earn Double Qpoints
Key Terms
- Receive double Qpoints on eligible Qatar Airways flights.
- Tickets must be booked by March 31, 2023, to qualify for double Qpoints.
- The promotion travel window is through June 30, 2023.
- Bonus Qpoints are calculated based on the booking date, fare class, flight date, and family purchased.
- The offer only applies to flights marketed and operated by Qatar.
- Bonus Qpoints are calculated based on earned base Qpoints and exclude any promotional Qpoints.
- Existing bookings issued prior to the promotion do not qualify, even if they are reissued during the promotion.
One Round Trip to Retain Status
Earning double points in conjunction with the reduced qualification requirements is an excellent way to retain your status.
For instance, take a trip from Houston to Bangkok connection in Doha in business class. Using the Qatar Qpoints calculator, flying in business class from Houston to Doha will earn you anything between 38 and 98 Qpoints. These points will depend on your class of travel.
Assuming you are traveling on the second cheapest business class fare class(R), you would earn 55 Qpoints each way for a total of 110.
However, your earnings do not end there. The flights from Doha to Bangkok in business class fare class(R) will earn you 30 Qpoints each way for a total of 60 Qpoints.
That brings the total earnings for the round-trip fare to 170 Qpoints. With the promotion offering you double Qpoints, you would finish your trip with a massive 340 points. That is enough to retain Gold for 12 months or Silver for 24 months. In addition, it is just 60 Qpoints shy of retaining Platinum for 12 months.
Keep in mind that if you tweak your booking, you can easily renew your Platinum status for 12 months on this trip. If you book one of the Houston to Doha legs in a slightly more expensive business class fare bucket, D or I, you will earn an additional 64 Qpoints.
This would give you a total earning with the promotion of 404 Qpoints which is enough to retain Platinum for 12 months.
Purchase Qpoints at a Discount
- You can purchase discounted Qpoints through March 31, 2023.
- Qpoints are discounted to $15 a point from the usual price of $25 a point.
- Burgundy, Silver, and Gold members can purchase Qpoints to upgrade to the next membership level.
- Silver, Gold, and Platinum members can purchase Qpoints to retain their existing membership level.
- Only Privilege Club members can purchase Qpoints, and Qpoints are non-transferable or refundable.
If you are a little short of retaining your status, purchasing a few points may be a great option. However, this only makes financial sense if you are just a few tens of points short.
Purchasing 20 points with the promotion will set you back $300. However, buying 200 points would cost you a whopping $3,000. If you need that many points, you may be better off taking a flight with Qatar or an airline partner and crediting it to your Privilege Club account.
Our Take
Is Qatar Airways having problems with the number of elites in its program? Maybe.
Regardless, it is now easier than ever to retain your status through the new range of promotions that have launched. Between the reduced qualification requirements and the double earning points, you should be able to hit your required Qpoints easily.
Even if you are a little short, you still have an ace in the hole and can purchase a few Qpoints to reach your tier qualification requirements. Although considering the high cost, you can decide if that is a worthwhile use of your cash or not.
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Can you transfer Qpoints to Avios?
Qpoints are the elite-status qualification currency for Qatar, so they don’t have any redemption value. You now earn Avios (instead of Qmiles) when crediting flights to the Qatar program. And those Avios can be transferred to British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus.