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Qatar Privilege Club is a solid loyalty program. From Qsuite bookings to sweet spots on partner bookings, there is a lot of value to be found. Plus, the ability to transfer Avios between several airlines means it's easy to acquire the currency needed to book an award flight through Qatar.
However, Privilege Club members now face new restrictions when booking award flights for other people using their Avios. Although these changes were first announced in May, they've now gone into full effect — with a surprising new restriction that wasn't previously announced.
Luckily, despite the new restrictions, there is a workaround for those with Qatar Privilege Club elite status. Let's dive into the specifics.
Qatar Changes Requirements for Using Avios for Friends and Family
Under the old model, you could use your Avios to book a Qatar award flight for anyone; all you needed was the traveler's identification information. However, reportedly due to concerns about fraud, Qatar changed the process. As is often the case, the new process for using Avios for others is more restrictive and complicated.
There are now two programs you can utilize to book Qatar award flights for your loved ones: “Family and Friends” and “My List.” Here are the rules and restrictions of each.
Family & Friends program
The Family & Friends program allows you to invite up to six members (ages two and up) into a group to pool your points. These invited members cannot already be part of the Privilege Club but will receive a membership number upon acceptance into the group.
Children under 18 can be added to the Family & Friends group only if their parent or guardian is either the main member or a group member. The main member may then redeem Avios for award flights for any member in their Family & Friends group. This program allows you to earn Avios as a group to save up for future redemptions.
To create a Family & Friends group, your Privilege Club account must have been active for at least 30 days, and you must have earned Avios by flying Qatar Airways or a partner airline or through an eligible co-branded Qatar credit card. All members are subject to a six-month lock-in period where they can't leave or be removed from the group.
Essentially, if you're looking to pool your points with friends and family to book group travel, the Family & Friends program is the best option. However, if you're surrounded by other points and miles enthusiasts, it might be difficult to find people who aren't already Privilege Club members. Plus, all members besides the main member are essentially starting from scratch, so you aren't able to pool existing point balances to book group travel under the same reservation.
Related: Loyalty Programs That Offer Family Pooling
My List
The new My List feature allows members to create a personalized list of up to four individuals for whom they can redeem Avios when booking award flights. This follows the same “invite and accept” process as above.
To be invited to join “My List”, you must already be a Privilege Club member and be 18 years or older. Members can be part of only one My List at a time and not be part of an existing Family & Friends group. Members added to a My List must remain on the list for a minimum of six months from the date they are added.
Just like the Family & Friends program, Privilege Club accounts are subject to a 30-day account maturity period before members are eligible to create a My List, so brand-new accounts must wait before forming a list. You must also have qualifying activity to be eligible, such as Avios earned through flying or co-branded credit card activity.
If you want to book an award flight for a loved one 18 or over but don't care about points pooling, setting them up in My List is a better option.
Qatar has added language to its terms and conditions that bypasses the need to add people to My List — but only for elite members:
“Gold and Platinum members can book award flights for as many people as they’d like – even if they’re not on the List. This can be done through our Contact Centre, Member Service Centre or Online call.”
This means those with elite status don't have to add people to their My List to book awards for them, but they will need to contact Qatar separately, as they cannot be booked online.
To achieve Qatar Gold status, you must earn 300 Qpoints in a 12-month period. This can be done through credit card spend or crediting flights to Qatar Privilege Club. Because those qualifying activities will enable the ability to set up My List as mentioned above, this workaround is most beneficial for those who already have status.
What This Means for Privilege Club Members
Qatar Airways has tightened control over who members can redeem Avios for, replacing the program’s previously open-ended booking flexibility with a more restrictive “Family & Friends” and “My List” system.
For most travelers, the new limits probably won’t be a dealbreaker. Being able to redeem awards for up to 10 other people will still cover many families and small travel groups. But the added friction — invite requirements, account setup rules, waiting periods, and separate pools with different restrictions — undeniably makes the process more cumbersome than before.
Plus, Qatar didn't mention that members would need to earn Avios through flying or co-branded credit card activity when it announced these changes in May. That means those looking to experience Qatar for the first time by transferring points from a partner program will have a hard time booking award travel for anyone other than themselves. The chance for elite members to bypass these restrictions certainly helps, but may not apply to many U.S.-based travelers.
If you regularly use Qatar Privilege Club miles to book flights for extended family, friends, or clients, it’s worth understanding these new rules now. Going forward, booking Qatar award flights may require a bit more planning and coordination than before.
