Can I use Avios for Qatar Airways flights?

Can you spend your Avios points on flights on Qatar Airways?

In this article I want to look at how you can use your Avios to fly with partner airlines like Qatar Airways.

The good news is that you are not restricted to spending Avios points on British Airways.  BA is part of a global airline alliance called oneworld, and this allows you to redeem Avios for flights with all of the member airlines.

This means that you can book Avios flights on:

• Alaska Airlines
• American Airlines
• Cathay Pacific
• Finnair
• Iberia
• Japan Airlines
• Malaysia Airlines
• Qantas
• Qatar Airways
• Royal Air Maroc
• Royal Jordanian
• SriLankan Airlines

British Airways also has additional partnerships with Aer Lingus, LATAM and China Southern.

How do you book Qatar Airways flights with Avios?

In 2022, Qatar Airways adopted Avios as its own loyalty currency. You can transfer Avios from British Airways Executive Club to Qatar Airways Privilege Club and book directly from the Qatar Airways website.

You don’t need to do this though. You can book flights via ba.com in exactly the same way that you would when booking Avios redemption flights on British Airways.

Go to ba.com, log in to the British Airways Executive Club section and then go to the Avios booking page.

The cost, in both Avios and surcharges, should match what Qatar Airways would charge.

There are two reasons why you may want to book via the Qatar Airways website, however.

Firstly, Qatar Airways makes additional Avios redemption seats available via its own website for double the usual number of Avios. These are marked as ‘Flexi’ seats. If you are Avios rich and keen to travel on Qatar Airways then this is a way of getting a seat that can’t be done on ba.com.

Secondly, if you starting from some UK regional airports, ba.com will add an Avios surcharge by mistake. This issue has been around ever since Qatar Airways adopted Avios. You may want to check the price on both sites. It is not an issue if you are flying from Heathrow.

What are the cancellation rules on Qatar Airways flights booked with Avios?

The cancellation and change fee rules are the same as if you had booked a BA flight.  You can cancel your flight up to 24 hours before departure, either online or by calling BA.

100% of your Avios will be refunded.

Your taxes and charges payment will also be refunded, less a £35 cancellation fee per person.  If the taxes and charges were less than £35 per person, you do not need to pay any extra.

How many Avios will I need to book on Qatar Airways?

When Qatar Airways adopted Avios in 2022, it adopted a new reward chart. British Airways agreed to use the same chart for Qatar Airways flights booked on ba.com.

You can see the full pricing chart in this Head for Points article. There are some EXCEPTIONAL deals here, such as 180,000 Avios for a return Business Class ticket from the UK to Australia or New Zealand.

As you can see, it is very easy to book Qatar Airways flights with Avios points and it opens up a large number of new travel destinations for you.

(This article is part of our ‘BA Q&A’ series which explains how British Airways Executive Club works.  You can see all of our ‘BA Q&A’ articles here. )

(Head for Points is the UK’s biggest frequent flyer website with 2.5 million monthly page views.  Want to learn more about earning and spending Avios?  Click here to read our latest news stories and click here to join the mailing list for our weekly or daily email newsletters.)

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 26th September 2024, sign up for FREE Barclaycard Avios Mastercard and you will receive a sign-up bonus of 10,000 Avios. This is double the usual bonus! You only need to spend £1,000 within 90 days. Our full review is here. Click here to apply.

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How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (September 2024)

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.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 26th September 2024, sign up for FREE Barclaycard Avios Mastercard and you will receive a sign-up bonus of 10,000 Avios. This is double the usual bonus! You only need to spend £1,000 within 90 days. Our full review is here. Click here to apply.

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

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

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.

Run your own business?

We recommend Capital on Tap for limited companies. You earn 1 Avios per £1 which is impressive for a Visa card, along with a sign-up bonus worth 10,500 Avios.

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

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.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 22nd October 2024, the bonus on American Express Business Platinum is increased to up to 80,000 Membership Rewards points, worth 80,000 Avios. You will receive 8 points per £1 spent for the first three months, on up to £10,000 of spending. Click here to read our full card review. Click here to apply.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 22nd October 2024, the bonus on American Express Business Gold is increased to up to 40,000 Membership Rewards points, worth 40,000 Avios. You will receive 4 points per £1 spent for the first three months, on up to £10,000 of spending. The card is FREE for your first year. Click here to read our full card review. Click here to apply.

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