If you collect British Airways Avios, there’s a good chance you’re earning in the usual places: flights, credit cards, and shopping partners, all of which then lead back to the end goal: BA reward seats. What’s less obvious is that you don’t always have to keep your earning activity inside the BA ecosystem to get there. Because Avios is a shared currency across several airline programmes, you can also earn points through the Qatar Airways Privilege Club.
The Privilege Club can act like a second “collection bucket” that you can use to access additional earning routes. These are often services you’d be booking anyway, but Privilege Club gives you another way to earn Avios from them rather than leaving points on the table. And the best part is that you can then move everything back to BA at a 1:1 ratio when you’re ready to book reward flights.
In this article, we’ll explore how you can use the Qatar Airways Privilege Club to supplement your British Airways Avios balance through additional flights, partners, and transfers.
Why Use The Privilege Club If You Mostly Fly BA?
Qatar Airways is undoubtedly a major player in its own right, being part of the oneworld alliance with a vast global network and a major hub at Hamad International Airport. However, the real reason it matters to BA flyers is that Privilege Club is one of the Avios “family” programmes, alongside Iberia, Aer Lingus and Finnair, so your Avios can be moved between them at a 1:1 rate.
That means you can earn Avios through several additional sources while your redemption goal (BA reward flights) stays the same. And yes, you can redeem through Privilege Club too, including premium cabins, but for most Reward Flight Finder (RFF) readers, the win is using Privilege Club as the “earning expansion pack,” then consolidating for BA availability.
So how do you actually put this into practice? Here are the best ways to grow your Avios balance using the Qatar Airways Privilege Club.
Just to be clear, we’re not including oneworld airlines, as you can already earn and spend Avios on them through The British Airways Club. Instead, we’re looking at the additional airlines Qatar Airways Privilege Club gives you access to that let you earn and redeem your Qatar Airways Avios:
Airlink:
In February 2025, South Africa-based Airlink joined the Avios ecosystem as a redemption partner, following Qatar Airways’ acquisition of a 25% stake in the airline. Headquartered in Johannesburg, Airlink is now the second-largest airline in Africa by the number of flights it operates each year.
It features an extensive route that, in addition to serving major South African cities, connects Johannesburg with destinations across the continent. These include Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, St Helena, Eswatini, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Airlink operates an all-Embraer fleet, meaning the onboard experience is broadly comparable to flying with BA CityFlyer out of London City Airport.
Bangkok Airways:
British Airways does have a codeshare agreement with Bangkok Airways, but Avios earnings are limited. You’ll only collect Avios if the flight carries a BA flight number and connects to a British Airways long-haul service. However, you’ll have a lot more options with the Qatar Airways Privilege Club. Members can earn Avios on all Bangkok Airways flights, regardless of routing or flight number. Even better, Privilege Club also allows Avios redemptions on Bangkok Airways, an option that isn’t available when booking through ba.com.
Garuda Indonesia:
Despite being part of the SkyTeam alliance, Garuda Indonesia joined the Avios programme as a full earn-and-redeem partner in March 2025. For Avios collectors, this means a whole lot of options in Asia. With limited British Airways coverage across much of the region, Garuda opens up new redemption opportunities to destinations such as Jakarta and Bali, with onward connections across Asia and into Australia.
The only limitation for European travellers is that Amsterdam is currently Garuda’s only departure point in Europe. A common workaround is to book a separate flight to Amsterdam using Avios or cash, then connect onto Garuda from there, which can still work well for longer trips to Asia or Australia.
Beyond Europe, Garuda operates international services to the Middle East (including Doha, Jeddah and Medina), across Asia (Bangkok, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo), and into Australasia with flights to Melbourne and Sydney.
JetBlue:
One of the most intriguing Privilege Club partnerships is with JetBlue. The US airline operates transatlantic services from London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Edinburgh and Dublin to New York and Boston. And as a Qatar Airways Privilege Club member, you can both earn and redeem Avios on jetBlue’s transatlantic routes. This creates an appealing alternative for travellers looking to experience JetBlue’s well-regarded Economy and Mint Business Class products, while still collecting Avios.
LATAM:
LATAM was formerly a member of the oneworld alliance and a full Avios earning and redemption partner until 2020, when it exited the alliance following a major investment from Delta Air Lines, which also took an equity stake in the airline. You can still collect and spend Avios through The British Airways Club, although coverage isn’t universal across all LATAM subsidiaries. Some regional airlines within the group are excluded, which can make earning Avios inconsistent depending on the specific operating carrier.
Qatar Airways Privilege Club appears to apply fewer restrictions. There are no published exclusions on Avios earning for LATAM flights, meaning that in certain situations it may be more reliable to credit a LATAM flight to Privilege Club rather than to The British Airways Club. However, you won’t earn Qpoints (Qatar’s status points) unless the flight carries a Qatar Airways flight number.
Avios redemptions on LATAM flights are available through both the British Airways Club and Qatar Airways Privilege Club. At present, it’s unclear whether the two programmes offer access to different LATAM subsidiaries or inventory, so availability may vary.
Middle East Airlines:
Middle East Airlines (MEA), Lebanon’s national carrier, is another partner available through Qatar Airways Privilege Club. Members can both earn and redeem Avios on MEA-operated flights, which means additional travel options across the Middle East and beyond.
RwandAir:
RwandAir is a relatively small airline based in Kigali, operating a fleet of just 12 aircraft. Despite its size, it provides a notable long-haul link to London Heathrow, which means it could potentially be an interesting option for Avios collectors heading to or from Africa.
Virgin Australia:
Virgin Australia has been part of the Avios network via Qatar Airways Privilege Club since July 2022. This means members can earn and spend Avios on domestic and regional Australian flights. Because of that, UK-based Avios collectors can access several useful redemption options for short-haul travel within Australia, where cash fares can be high and alternatives limited.
Xiamen Airlines:
One of the newest additions to the Privilege Club partner list is China’s Xiamen Airlines. Avios can be earned and redeemed across its network of around 400 routes serving 105 cities. Although Xiamen Airlines no longer operates flights to the UK, it does serve Europe via Paris and Amsterdam, which is still a useful gateway to China and onward destinations within Asia.
S7 Airlines:
For completeness, Russia’s S7 Airlines, currently suspended from the oneworld alliance, remains an Avios earning and redemption partner through Qatar Airways Privilege Club.
Hotel Stays
A Qatar Airways Privilege Club membership also provides access to a small number of additional hotel partners for earning and using Avios. While the list isn’t extensive, there are a few notable additions worth understanding, especially if you regularly stay with certain hotel groups.
Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts:
Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts is no longer a partner of The British Airways Club, but you can still earn Avios with it through the Qatar Airways Privilege Club. Members can earn 500 Qatar Airways Avios per qualifying stay at participating Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts, as well as Kerry Hotels, JEN and Traders Hotels worldwide. If you prefer to earn Shangri-La Circle points instead, these can be converted into Avios via Qatar Airways Privilege Club at a 1:1 ratio. Transfers require a minimum of 1,000 Circle points, with further conversions available in increments of 500 points.
Rotana Hotels & Resorts:
Rotana operates over 100 properties across the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe and Turkey. Its portfolio includes Rotana Hotels & Resorts, Centro Hotels by Rotana, Rayhaan Hotels & Resorts by Rotana, Arjaan Hotel Apartments by Rotana and The Residences by Rotana. Eligible stays at Rotana Hotels earn 500 Avios per stay when credited to Qatar Airways Privilege Club, while qualifying stays at Rotana’s Suites and Resorts earn 250 Avios.
ALL Accor:
Transferring ALL Accor Live Limitless points into Avios has long been possible via Iberia Plus and The British Airways Club. What’s new with Qatar Airways Privilege Club is the ability to move Avios in the opposite direction, converting Avios into ALL Accor points. The conversion rate isn’t generous, but it does provide an additional redemption option in situations where topping up an Accor balance is useful. Full details of the Accor and Qatar Airways Privilege Club partnership are available on the Qatar Airways website.
World of Hyatt:
The option to transfer large balances of World of Hyatt points directly into The British Airways Club is no longer available. However, this route has effectively reopened via Qatar Airways Privilege Club. World of Hyatt points can be transferred into Privilege Club and then moved on to British Airways at the standard airline conversion rate of 2,500 Hyatt points to 1,000 Avios, restoring a pathway that disappeared when the Hyatt–BA partnership ended.
Car Rentals
One of the most useful upsides of having a Qatar Airways Privilege Club account is how much easier it becomes to earn Avios from car rentals. If you’ve mainly relied on British Airways and other IAG airlines, your options may have felt fairly narrow. Avis Budget has been the main go-to partner for a long time, and it does come with some solid benefits, including a free additional driver with Avis and the ability to earn 5 Avios per £1 spent.
That said, Avis and Budget are not always the most convenient or the best value. Prices can be higher than competitors’ in some destinations, or the nearest depot might not be where you actually need the car. This is where Qatar Airways Privilege Club can come in handy. It gives you access to a wider range of car rental partners. The full list of partners is available on Qatar Airways’ website, and the main earning options are covered below:
Avis:
Avis is already a long-standing British Airways partner, with Avios earned at 5 Avios per £1 spent when credited to The British Airways Club. There is, however, a small point worth noting. Platinum-tier members of Qatar Airways Privilege Club can earn five Avios per US dollar on Avis rentals, which may outperform the British Airways rate depending on exchange rates. But the British Airways earning rate usually remains the better option for members in lower Privilege Club tiers.
Budget:
Budget makes a stronger case for crediting rentals to Qatar Airways Privilege Club rather than to the British Airways Club. Under the BA partnership, Budget rentals earn just two Avios per £1 spent. In contrast, Privilege Club members earn Avios based on status tier:
- Burgundy members earn two Avios per US dollar
- Silver members earn three Avios per US dollar
- Gold members earn four Avios per US dollar
- Platinum members earn five Avios per US dollar
In most cases, this makes Qatar Airways Privilege Club the more rewarding option for Budget rentals across all membership levels.
Europcar:
Europcar was not previously a direct Avios partner. While it was technically possible to earn Nectar points and convert them, the return was poor and rarely worthwhile. That has now changed. When crediting Europcar rentals to Qatar Airways Privilege Club, members earn a flat 500 Avios per rental.
Hertz:
Hertz is one of the most useful additions you get access to through the Qatar Airways Privilege Club. Members receive:
- Up to 10% off Hertz rental rates
- 500 Avios for standard rentals
- 250 Avios for contract rentals
If you already tend to book with Hertz, this is a great way to pick up extra Avios without changing how you travel. It also gives you more flexibility than relying only on British Airways and IAG’s usual car rental partnerships.
SIXT:
Another new partner available through Qatar Airways Privilege Club is SIXT. Members earn 500 Avios per rental when crediting to Privilege Club. pre-paid rentals do not earn Avios with SIXT, regardless of loyalty programme, so this option works best for pay-on-return bookings.
How To Transfer Your Avios
Once you’ve built up a healthy Avios balance in Privilege Club through flights, hotels, and car hire, the final step is the simplest: transfer them back into BA at 1:1, instantly, and use them for the reward seats you actually want. This is what makes the strategy worthwhile: you can earn in Privilege Club, then shift your Avios back when you spot a BA seat you want. It’s especially handy when you’re close to a target and don’t want to wait weeks to earn the final chunk of British Airways Avios.
Here’s a step-by-step:
- Link your Qatar Airways Privilege Club and British Airways Club accounts
- Choose which account you want to move Avios from and to
- Enter how many Avios you want to transfer
- Confirm your Avios move instantly to the chosen account
Final Thoughts
If you’re focused on BA reward seats, Qatar Airways Privilege Club is less of a detour and more of a shortcut. It gives you extra ways to earn British Airways Avios (through a wider partner ecosystem), then lets you redeem them at 1:1 whenever you’re ready to book. Think of it as widening the funnel at the top, while keeping the same destination at the bottom.
And if you’ve ever found yourself one step away from redemption and asking, How many Avios to upgrade to business? The most useful answer is often: “enough that you don’t have to compromise.” Privilege Club helps you get there faster.
