A new door into China has opened for Avios collectors. As confirmed by Qatar Airways, you can now earn and redeem your Avios on Xiamen Airlines via the Qatar Privilege Club linkage. This addition means Avios collectors have more choice of airlines using SkyTeam-operated flights sold with a Qatar Airways code.
This partnership brings straightforward earn-and-redeem options, realistic points costs, and practical planning tactics.
The partnership
Qatar Airways and Xiamen Airlines have rolled out a codeshare and loyalty tie-up that allows earning and spending across selected routes. The official partner page outlines connectivity through Doha on routes such as Xiamen (XMN) and Beijing, with schedules expanding over time (Qatar partner page).
For Avios collectors, if you see Xiamen Airlines sectors ticketed under a Qatar (QR) flight number, you can pursue Avios partner awards and earn on paid itineraries, subject to fare class rules.
How to collect and how to spend
If you’re new to this partnership and exploring how to collect Avios points, start with revenue tickets on eligible fare classes marketed by Qatar Airways but operated by Xiamen Airlines—these will credit Avios according to QR’s accrual chart.
For redemptions, follow the familiar flow on Qatar’s site: search the city pairs and date range, toggle to use Avios, and look for Xiamen-operated options.
As usual, taxes and carrier charges apply; factoring in taxes and fees helps you judge if a cash fare beats a redemption on your dates.
Where you can go (and how to plan it)
There’s now direct connectivity between Doha and Xiamen, with additional options to Beijing Although Xiamen Airlines doesn’t currently fly to the UK, its routes pair neatly with Qatar connections for Avios itineraries—perfect when you secure a BA flight to Doha first, using Reward Flight Finder (RFF).
China gateways worth targeting
- Xiamen (XMN): coastal city of classical gardens, colonial-era architecture and island escapes (Gulangyu), with easy links to Quanzhou and Zhangzhou.
- Fuzhou (FOC): gateway to Fujian tulou clusters and tea country—ideal for cultural itineraries.
- Qingdao (TAO): seaside promenades, German-era architecture and nearby mountain hikes.
Long-haul options from Xiamen: Paris, Amsterdam, New York, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Maldives, Doha, Melbourne, Sydney.
Short-haul links across Asia: Osaka, Tokyo, Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Bali, Phnom Penh, Ho Chi Minh City, Seoul. These are useful for combining China with a regional side trip.
For current highlights and codeshare details, see the Xiamen Airlines partner page at Qatar Airways.
Booking plan and seat-finding
RFF currently operates with British Airways reward flight availability only. But, you can still build an end-to-end Avios trip to China by using RFF for the BA segments, then completing the partner booking on Qatar:
- Find the BA positioning leg first (with RFF):
Search on RFF for BA seats to hubs (e.g. London–Doha or London–a European gateway with strong Qatar connectivity). This covers your BA Avios positioning flights and locks in the hardest BA piece. - Book the Xiamen Airlines sector via Qatar:
After securing the BA flights, use your Qatar account to book on a partner airline for the Qatar-ticketed, Xiamen-operated sector. If needed, transfer Avios between BA and Qatar (the linked-account balance sync) before checkout. - Use Avios + cash smartly:
Short on points? Consider Avios + cash on the Qatar side to open up better dates or cabin choices while keeping Avios spend under control. - Compare routes and dates before you transfer/sync:
Check multiple gateways (Doha, Qatar Airways hubs in Europe) and nearby dates to spot lower pricing or better timing for your flights to China. - Plan open-jaws and multi-city itineraries:
If you’re visiting more than one city, explore multi-carrier booking and open-jaw routings (e.g., into Xiamen and out of Qingdao) to reduce backtracking.
Tip: When BA space is tight, a BA hop to a European hub plus Qatar/Xiamen onward segments often beats waiting on London-origin long-haul availability. Secure the BA hop with RFF first, then complete the partner leg on Qatar using Avios.
Earning & moving points between programmes
Since Qatar Privilege Club runs on Avios, it’s straightforward to move your Avios between BA and Qatar using the linked-account flow.
This flexibility lets you search and redeem Avios on Qatar Airways for itineraries that include Xiamen-operated legs, and also lets you pick the best channel for fees and change rules across Qatar Airways Avios partners.
Strategy: get more from your balance
Here’s a practical approach for value:
- Price both cash and redemption for your dates, then check the Avios off-peak calendar. On marginal dates, a cash fare might be stronger value; on off-peak, a redemption shines.
- If peak dates block you, look at off-peak and compare stopover options; a Stopover in Doha can split a long sector and add a mini-break at minimal extra cost.
- Track both Avios partner awards and QR-operated awards, since mixed itineraries often unlock better departure times.
- When planning longer trips, use RFF alerts to monitor multiple gateways to China via Xiamen, Beijing, or other hubs—then stitch the best availability into a single booking.
What to expect on Xiamen Airlines
On a Doha to Beijing flight sold as QR 5578 and operated as MF 846 on a Boeing 787-9 (scheduled 7h55), Mr Plane Guy reported the following: very tight legroom in Economy, exit-row seats blocked off during boarding, a dated in-flight entertainment catalogue and no onboard Wi-Fi on that rotation; catering was mixed.
Two important caveats:
- Product varies by aircraft/frame and date. A separate reader flight in the opposite direction noted good onboard Wi-Fi but middling seat/amenities—illustrating that experience isn’t uniform across all Xiamen 787s.
- Codeshares can mask the operating carrier until you expand flight details—always check before you commit.
The bottom line
Xiamen Airlines opens new Avios options via its tie-up with Qatar Airways, but your toolkit stays the same: use RFF to secure BA reward flight availability for the positioning leg, then book the Qatar-marketed, Xiamen-operated sectors in your Qatar account after syncing balances.
Always expand flight details to confirm operating carrier, aircraft type, and that “Book using Avios” appears, since pricing and fees vary by date and routing.
Focus on value, not hype. Use Avios + cash on Qatar if it unlocks better dates or cabins. Keep gateways flexible—if London doesn’t fit, take a BA hop (via RFF) to Doha, Paris or Amsterdam, and consider a brief Doha stopover to widen availability.
If Wi-Fi or sleep quality are must-haves, prioritise a Qatar-operated long sector and keep any Xiamen leg short.
