{"id":262433,"date":"2026-09-16T23:22:17","date_gmt":"2026-09-16T23:22:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/?p=262433\/"},"modified":"2026-09-16T23:22:17","modified_gmt":"2026-09-16T23:22:17","slug":"qatar-privilege-club-adds-new-restrictions-on-booking-awards-for-friends-and-family","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/news\/airlines\/qatar-airways-family-booking-restrictions\/","title":{"rendered":"Qatar Relaxes Restrictions on Using Avios for Friends and Family \u2014 Here\u2019s How the Rules Work Now"},"content":{"rendered":"

Update: As reported on Reddit<\/a>, Qatar Airways removed the qualifying-activity requirement for creating a Family & Friends group or My List around September 14, 2026. Members no longer need to credit an eligible flight or use a qualifying Qatar Airways co-branded credit card first. However, the 30-day account-age requirement and other restrictions remain. Here are the current restrictions.<\/em><\/p>\n

Qatar Airways Privilege Club offers plenty of valuable ways to redeem Avios. Between Qsuite awards<\/a>, partner sweet spots<\/a>, and the ability to transfer Avios between several airline programs<\/a>, it can be a useful program even if you rarely credit flights to Qatar.<\/p>\n

However, Qatar no longer lets most Privilege Club members freely redeem Avios for anyone. Instead, you generally must add the traveler through either the Family & Friends program or My List before booking an award for them.<\/p>\n

Qatar has backed away from the most burdensome part of these restrictions. You no longer need qualifying flight or credit card activity to unlock either feature. But you still need to plan ahead, particularly because new accounts must wait 30 days and travelers added to either program generally face a six-month lock-in period.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how Qatar\u2019s current rules work.<\/p>\n

Qatar Drops Its Qualifying-Activity Requirement<\/span><\/h2>\n

When Qatar introduced these restrictions, members needed more than an account that was at least 30 days old. They also needed to credit an eligible Qatar Airways or partner flight to Privilege Club or complete a transaction with an eligible Qatar Airways co-branded credit card before creating a Family & Friends group or My List.<\/p>\n

That caused significant problems for travelers who primarily obtain Qatar Avios through bank transfers or transfers from another Avios program. Neither option satisfied Qatar\u2019s qualifying-activity requirement.<\/p>\n

Thankfully, Qatar quietly removed that requirement around September 14, 2026. Qatar\u2019s current published rules now list the 30-day account-age requirement but no longer require eligible flight or credit card activity.<\/p>\n

This makes the process considerably easier. Still, Qatar hasn\u2019t restored the previous ability to book awards for virtually anyone. Most members must use one of the following two options.<\/p>\n

Track your Qatar Privilege Club Avios balance (and 600+ other loyalty programs) for you and your friends and family. Not already an AwardWallet user? Sign up for a free AwardWallet account<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

How To Book Qatar Awards for Other Travelers<\/span><\/h2>\n

Qatar provides two ways to add travelers for whom you want to redeem Avios:<\/p>\n