British Airways Club vs Qatar Privilege Club

How does each programme earn Avios?

The British Airways Club. Joining is free, and members collect Avios to spend on flights, hotels, holidays and car rental [1]. Avios is the reward currency of the Club [1]. Members earn tier points with British Airways and some of its partners, and those tier points move a member through the Club's tiers towards benefits such as lounge access, priority check-in and free seat selection [1]. British Airways also lets new members claim Avios and tier points for British Airways flights flown in the three months before they joined [1].

Qatar Airways Privilege Club. Privilege Club members collect Avios through Qatar Airways and its partners [5]. Where a member belongs to a Family & Friends group, Avios earned by group members are added to the Main Member's account only after travel is completed for the flight concerned [5]. Group members earn base Avios only: they do not receive additional or bonus Avios based on the Main Member's tier, and their flight and non-flight activity does not earn Qpoints [5]. Separately, the Cash + Avios option lets a member use Avios to save up to 50% of the cash amount on flight tickets purchasable with Qatar Airways, under separate terms [6].

How do household and family pooling compare?

Both airlines run a sharing arrangement, but the rules on who controls the balance are written differently. A British Airways household account is set up so that up to seven members of a household, including a maximum of six people under 18, can earn Avios and redeem them for rewards for any one person in the household and for nobody else [6]. British Airways describes pooling Avios with family and friends as a way to reach rewards more quickly [1].

A Family & Friends group is created by a Main Member who invites up to nine people; all Avios collected are pooled into the Main Member's account, and the Main Member keeps full control of that account, including the sole authority to redeem [5]. The Main Member's account must have been created at least 30 days before invitations can be sent, children over two may be included, and infants are not permitted in the group [5].

Privilege Club also offers My List, a separate feature that lets a member name up to four individuals for whom they can redeem Avios for award flights, restricted to Qatar Airways and partner award flights [4]. Only the list owner redeems, and the people on the list cannot draw on the owner's Avios balance themselves [4]. Members who already belong to a Family & Friends group cannot be added to a My List [4].

How do tier rules differ?

In The British Airways Club, tier points are the measure that moves a member up through the tiers, and they can be earned with British Airways and some of its partners [1]. Higher tiers unlock lounge access, priority check-in and free seat selection [1].

Qatar Airways Privilege Club names four tiers in its My List terms: Burgundy, Silver, Gold and Platinum [4]. On redemption for other people, the My List terms state that Gold and Platinum members may book award flights for members added to their List and also for any additional individual of their choice, online or through the Contact Centre or Member Service Centre [4]. Tier status does not pass through a family group — group members' activity does not earn Qpoints, and their Avios earning stays at the base rate rather than picking up bonus Avios tied to the Main Member's tier [5]. A member who leaves a Family & Friends group keeps their membership number but starts again at the Burgundy tier [5].

How do you move Avios between the two programmes?

British Airways and Qatar Airways publish joint terms for linking a British Airways Executive Club account to a Privilege Club account and moving Avios between them; those terms are effective as at 29 January 2025 [6]. To link, a person must be at least 18, must already be a member of both programmes, and must have matching personal details (first name, last name, date of birth and email address) on both accounts [6]. Linking is done through ba.com, qatarairways.com or the Qatar Airways app, the feature becomes available 30 days after the account creation date, and it is not available offline [6].

Linked members can move Avios in either direction at a rate of 1:1, credited to the target account immediately, with no fee, no minimum and no maximum amount, and no limit on the number of transfers outside suspected fraud [6]. Only the Main Member of a Privilege Club Family Programme can move Avios to a British Airways account [6]. A member of a British Airways household account who is over 18 can link their individual membership number, but only their own individual Avios balance can be moved [6]. Where the email address on a British Airways account has been updated, Avios can be moved seven days after the profile change [6].

Linking also changes how Avios are spent. A linked member can redeem Avios from either or both linked accounts for award tickets or Cash + Avios without moving Avios first, choosing whether the balance is taken in proportion to each account, from the Privilege Club account first, or from the British Airways account first [6]. Changes and refunds for award tickets and Cash + Avios tickets are handled offline only, and refunded Avios are credited to the Privilege Club account [6].

Exceptions and limits

• Linking limits. Only one Privilege Club account and one British Airways account can be linked at any given time, and a Privilege Club account can be linked to a British Airways account a maximum of twice in any 50-year period [6].
• Unlinking. Accounts can be unlinked at any time, but if a member unlinks before a refund is issued, the refunded Avios that land in the Privilege Club account cannot be moved to British Airways unless the accounts are linked again [6]. On the death of a linked member, the two accounts are unlinked and each programme's own terms apply [6].
• Whose terms apply. Once Avios are moved to an account, the terms of that programme govern them; Privilege Club Avios are issued, redeemed and expire under Privilege Club terms, and British Airways Avios are issued by, and redeemed with, Avios Group (AGL) Limited and expire under that programme's terms [6].
• Lock-in periods. A new Family & Friends group member is subject to a six-month lock-in and cannot leave or be removed during it; early removal is at Qatar Airways' discretion and the vacated slot stays unavailable for six months [5]. A My List member must also stay on the list for at least six months [4].
• One list only. A Privilege Club member may be part of only one My List at a time, and anyone who deletes their account during the six-month lock-in cannot join another list until that period ends [4]. A member cannot be in another Family & Friends group or be the Main Member of an existing one [5].
• Enforcement. Qatar Airways reserves the right to audit family group accounts and to suspend accounts or block earning and redemption for an entire group where it detects unusual patterns of Avios accrual or redemption [5]. Security verification, in the form of British Airways multi-factor authentication and a Qatar Airways one-time password, may be required during linking, moving Avios and redemption [6].
• No cash value. Avios have no fixed or par value and cannot be redeemed for cash [6].

Frequently asked questions

Can you transfer Avios from Qatar Airways Privilege Club to British Airways Club?

Yes. Once a Privilege Club account and a British Airways Executive Club account are linked, Avios can be moved in either direction at 1:1, credited immediately, with no fee and no minimum or maximum amount [6].

Do family members in a Privilege Club group earn tier points?

No. Flight and non-flight activity by Family & Friends group members does not earn Qpoints, and group members earn only base Avios rather than bonus Avios based on the Main Member's tier [5].

How long must an account be open before linking?

The account linking feature becomes available 30 days after the account creation date, and the personal details on both accounts must match [6].

Can you use Avios from both accounts on one booking?

Yes. Linked members may redeem from either or both linked accounts for award tickets or Cash + Avios without moving Avios first, and can choose proportional deduction, Privilege Club first, or British Airways first [6].

How many people fit in a British Airways household account?

Up to seven members of a household, including a maximum of six people under 18, with Avios redeemable for any one person in the household and no other individual [6].

Related pages

Look up programme vocabulary such as Avios, tier points and household accounts in the frequent flyer glossary, and use it alongside this comparison when reading the individual programme rules.

Sources

Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. Other airline and hotel loyalty programmes are not covered here.

1. The British Airways Club – British Airways, checked 18 October 2026
2. My List terms and conditions – Qatar Airways Privilege Club, checked 18 October 2026
3. Family & Friends Programme terms and conditions – Qatar Airways Privilege Club, checked 18 October 2026
4. Linking of British Airways Executive Club and Qatar Airways Privilege Club accounts – terms and conditions, checked 18 October 2026