EXTENDED: Get British Airways lounge access for 12 months via a Qatar Airways status match

The Qatar Airways status match has been extended ….. again.

It was due to end on Saturday but has now been pushed back to midnight UK time on Wednesday 27th May.  The list of participating airlines has not changed again and remains at five.

Here is our original article on the match, which I have amended to reflect the new qualification requirements ….

Qatar Airways is running a status match at the moment.  This means that, if you have elite status with selected other airlines, Qatar Airways will give you equivalent status in Qatar Airways Privilege Club.

The reason this is interesting, of course, is that Qatar Airways is a member of the oneworld alliance alongside British Airways.

Having status with Qatar Airways gets you all of the benefits of having status with British Airways when flying BA, including BA lounge access, fast track security, priority boarding, additional luggage allowances etc.  You also get status benefits when flying with any of the other airlines in the oneworld alliance.

You can find full details on the Qatar Airways website here.

Which airlines is Qatar Airways offering to match?

That’s the good news.  The bad news is that only a small number of airlines qualify.  These are:

• Emirates
• Etihad
• Turkish Airlines
• Singapore Airlines
• South African Airways

Whilst the rules talk about matching ‘top tier’ status, it appears that they will match ANY level of status with these five airlines.  This is because matches are being made to Qatar Airways Privilege Club Platinum, Gold and Silver tiers.

Annoyingly, there is no list of how a match will work so we don’t know exactly what will match to what.  If an airline only has three tiers then you can reasonably assume it will be a straight match to Platinum, Gold or Silver.  For airlines with four tiers it gets more complicated.

How do Qatar Airways benefits link to British Airways?

This is a little complex, because Qatar Gold doesn’t mean BA Gold!

This is how it matches:

Qatar Airways Privilege Club Platinum = oneworld emerald = British Airways Gold benefits

Qatar Airways Privilege Club Gold = oneworld sapphire = British Airways Silver benefits

Qatar Airways Privilege Club Silver = oneworld ruby = British Airways Bronze benefits

How do you apply for a Qatar Airways status match?

The details are on the Qatar Airways website here.

You need to open a Qatar Airways Privilege Club account first, which can be done here.

You need to email Qatar Airways with a copy of your competing airline membership card, a statement of your frequent flyer activity with that airline for the last two months (presumably nil!) and your Qatar Airways Privilege Club account details.

How long does your status match last?

It isn’t clear, but the implication is that it will last for a full 12 months.  Rather like British Airways, Qatar Airways Privilege Club membership is NOT based on strict January to December calendar years but reflects when you joined or when you achieved your status.

Members who are matched can retain their status for a further year by collecting just HALF of the usual number of tier points during the next 12 months.  This isn’t hugely generous, given you are unlikely to be flying much for the next 3-4 months, but it is better than nothing.

Even better, if you are matched to Qatar Platinum, you may (or may not) get a ‘soft landing’ to Qatar Gold for a further 12 months which would still allow you to access British Airways business class lounges.  This would effectively get you 24 months of British Airways lounge access via this match.

Full details of how to apply are here.  Note that the deadline is midnight on Wednesday 27th May.

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How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (July 2025)

As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Avios points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses!

In February 2022, Barclaycard launched two exciting new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards with a bonus of up to 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.

You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:

Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard

Get 25,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £10,000 Read our full review

Barclaycard Avios Mastercard

Get 5,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £20,000 Read our full review

There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:

British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card

30,000 Avios and the famous annual Companion Voucher voucher Read our full review

British Airways American Express Credit Card

5,000 Avios for signing up and an Economy 2-4-1 voucher for spending £15,000 Read our full review

You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points. These points convert at 1:1 into Avios.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card

Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express

50,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review

Run your own business?

We recommend Capital on Tap for limited companies. You earn points worth 0.8 Avios per £1 on the FREE standard card and 1 Avios per £1 on the Pro card. Capital on Tap cards also have no FX fees.

Capital on Tap Visa

NO annual fee, NO FX fees and points worth 0.8 Avios per £1 Read our full review

Capital on Tap Pro Visa

10,500 points (=10,500 Avios) plus good benefits Read our full review

There is also a British Airways American Express card for small businesses:

British Airways American Express Accelerating Business Card

30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review

There are also generous bonuses on the two American Express Business cards, with the points converting at 1:1 into Avios. These cards are open to sole traders as well as limited companies.

The American Express Business Platinum Card

50,000 points when you sign-up and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

The American Express Business Gold Card

20,000 points sign-up bonus and FREE for a year Read our full review

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.