Qatar shares the Avios currency — which unlocks award-winning Qsuite business class at low surcharges. Here is how to transfer, what to book, and the distance-based fees to watch.
Qatar Airways runs one of the best business-class products in the sky, and because Privilege Club uses Avios you can get into it with the points you already earn on British Airways. The trick is knowing how to move the Avios and how the 2024 fee change affects the maths.
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Qatar Airways Privilege Club is part of the Avios family, alongside British Airways Club, Iberia Plus and Aer Lingus AerClub. The Avios in each programme are the same currency, so they move between accounts at 1:1, free of charge. You are not converting or losing value — just pooling points where they book best.
That means the Avios you earn from BA flights or a UK co-branded card can be used to fly Qatar’s multi-award-winning Qsuite business class, often for far lower cash fees than the equivalent BA redemption.
Because it is one shared currency, family moves are generally reversible — unlike a one-way credit-card transfer into Avios. Still, only move points once you can see the seat you want.
In September 2024 Qatar switched to a distance-based redemption fee, so the cash charged on longer routes rose the most. Qatar remains far cheaper than BA on carrier surcharges, but the total is no longer negligible — always check the full cash figure before you commit.
For why Qatar still beats BA on cash cost, see Qatar’s low-surcharge Avios redemptions.
A co-branded Avios card is the fastest way to a Qsuite-sized balance from everyday spend.
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The AviosArcana Editorial Team
We decode the British Airways loyalty programme in plain English, cross-checking every figure against published rules and the tools as they actually behave.