Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
GUIDE
How to earn Qatar Airways Privilege Club status
Qatar Airways Privilege Club is the Doha-based airline's frequent flyer programme, with four membership tiers — Burgundy, Silver, Gold and Platinum — that a member moves up by earning Qpoints in a consecutive twelve-month period. [1] [3] New members join at Burgundy, a tier reached through Qpoints stays valid for twelve months, and Silver, Gold and Platinum correspond to oneworld Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald respectively. [3]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- Qpoints decide your Privilege Club tier, while Avios is the currency you redeem for awards and other benefits. [1] [3]
- A tier reached through Qpoints lasts twelve months, and renewing it means passing one of two Qpoints tests plus meeting a minimum-activity requirement on Qatar Airways-operated and marketed flights. [3]
- A member who misses renewal drops one tier where the account has had accrual or redemption activity in the previous 24 months, and falls to Burgundy where it has not. [3]
- Qatar Airways lists lounge access for Silver, Gold and Platinum, and Qcredits for Gold and Platinum. [1]
What are the Privilege Club tiers?
Privilege Club has four membership tiers — Burgundy, Silver, Gold and Platinum — and a new member starts at Burgundy. [3] Your tier determines the benefits you receive from Qatar Airways and its partners. [3] Silver, Gold and Platinum are recognised on flights marketed and operated by other oneworld carriers as oneworld Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald respectively, though those benefits are offered and provided by oneworld and the relevant carrier rather than by Qatar Airways. [3]
Cards and account features follow the tier. Platinum members are entitled to a physical membership card, while Burgundy, Silver and Gold members receive a digital card only, and once you reach Silver you may appoint up to two Travel Coordinators with either full or enquiry access to your account. [3]
How do you earn Qpoints on Qatar Airways and oneworld flights?
Qpoints are the points earned specifically for progressing towards the Silver, Gold or Platinum tiers. [3] Main Members earn them on eligible fares on flights marketed and operated by Qatar Airways, flights marketed by Qatar Airways and operated by a oneworld carrier, flights marketed by a oneworld carrier and operated by Qatar Airways, and flights both marketed and operated by any oneworld carrier. [3] Qpoints are always awarded on the purchased fare rather than the cabin actually flown, and the amount depends on the booking class of the marketing carrier. [3] You must supply your full name, date of birth and membership number at booking, and Qatar Airways credits Qpoints only after you have travelled. [3]
Award tickets, including Avios + Cash awards, earn nothing, and neither do lost, refunded, forfeited, unused or expired tickets or any ticket discounted over published rates, which includes free, charter, complimentary, trade, staff, rebate and prize tickets. [3] Cancelled flights, tickets bought to carry extra baggage or provide extra space, and bookings where the date of birth does not match the one on the account are also excluded. [3] A flight or activity can be credited to only one loyalty programme, and Qatar Airways reserves the right to deduct Qpoints and Avios credited twice. [3] Only Main Members earn Qpoints and Qpoints cannot be transferred, but Main Members can also earn them with eligible Privilege Club partners and can buy Qpoints to retain an existing tier or move up one. [3]
Group members in a Family & Friends group do not earn Qpoints from their flight or non-flight activity: their Avios are pooled into the Main Member's account, they earn base Avios only, and they do not receive the Main Member's tier-specific bonus. [6] How codeshare and partner flights credit is summarised only here; the partner earning guide covers those arrangements in detail.
What does each Privilege Club tier include?
The table sets out the headline tier benefits Qatar Airways published as of October 2026. [1] [3]
| Tier | oneworld tier | Tier bonus on eligible flights | Qcredits | Extra baggage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burgundy | — | — | — | — |
| Silver | oneworld Ruby | 25% | — | 15 kg, or one additional piece |
| Gold | oneworld Sapphire | 75% | 40 | 20 kg, or one additional piece |
| Platinum | oneworld Emerald | 100% | 60 | 25 kg, or two additional pieces |
The tier bonus applies to flights marketed and operated by Qatar Airways, is calculated on the actual distance flown, and is credited only after you have travelled. [3] Qcredits are redeemable credits issued to members in certain tiers, and Qatar Airways lists them as usable for upgrades, excess baggage and more. [1] [3] Silver, Gold and Platinum each list lounge access among their benefits, Silver adds priority check-in and boarding, Gold and Platinum add Al Maha Services meet-and-assist gold service, and Platinum lists better award ticket rates. [1] Burgundy-level benefits listed by Qatar Airways include savings on Al Maha meet-and-assist and lounge services and on Oryx Airport Hotel spa, Hydrojet and golf simulator services. [1] Gold and Platinum members may also book award tickets for any additional individual of their choice, beyond their My List members and Family & Friends group. [3]
How do qualification, renewal and soft landing work?
You progress to a higher tier by earning enough Qpoints within a consecutive twelve-month period, and the new tier is then valid for twelve months. [3] The Tier Renewal Date is twelve months from the date you were elevated to that tier or from any later renewal, and renewal is processed at 23:59 Doha local time on that date. [3] Qatar Airways may also run targeted campaigns to fast-track status or match another airline's status, and informs members who have opted in to marketing communications. [3] See the status match guide for that route.
Renewal has two alternative Qpoints tests: the number of Qpoints earned in the previous twelve months, or, failing that, the number earned in the previous twenty-four months. [3] On top of either test, you must meet one of the following on Qatar Airways operated and marketed flights: earn at least 20% of Qpoints, or fly four sectors in the previous twelve months, or fly eight sectors in the previous twenty-four months. [3] A sector is a single flight from origin to destination, so London to Bangkok via Doha counts as two sectors. [3]
Failing to renew is where soft landing comes in: a member who does not retain their tier is downgraded to the next lower tier provided there has been accrual or redemption activity on the account over the previous 24 months, with Platinum becoming Gold and Gold becoming Silver given as the examples. [3] Where there has been no activity in those 24 months, the member falls to Burgundy instead. [3] An increase in the number of Qpoints required to reach a particular tier counts as a significant change, and Qatar Airways gives at least 30 days' notice by email and/or on qatarairways.com/PrivilegeClub before it applies. [3]
Exceptions and limits
- Qpoints are valid for twelve months from the date of accrual and expire automatically at 23:59 Doha local time on the 365th day after they were earned. [3]
- The tier bonus is a Qatar Airways benefit: it is calculated on distance flown on flights marketed and operated by Qatar Airways, even though Qpoints can be earned more widely across oneworld flights. [3]
- Family & Friends group members earn base Avios only and no Qpoints, so pooling Avios does not build the group member's own tier. [6]
- Qatar Airways may terminate a membership after 36 consecutive months of inactivity on the account, with reasonable notice where possible. [3]
- If a member ends their own membership, all accrued Avios, Qcredits, Qpoints and tier benefits are forfeited. [3]
- Membership is not transferable and a member may not hold more than one account; holding more than one leads to suspension until the member confirms which account stays active. [3]
- oneworld benefits on other carriers are offered and provided by oneworld and the relevant carrier, and Qatar Airways accepts no responsibility for changes to or the provision of those benefits. [3]
Frequently asked questions
Does Privilege Club status last forever?
No. A tier reached through Qpoints is valid for twelve months, and you keep it by meeting one of the two Qpoints renewal tests plus the minimum-activity requirement on Qatar Airways operated and marketed flights by the Tier Renewal Date. [3]
Do oneworld flights count towards Privilege Club status?
Yes. Qpoints are earned on flights marketed and operated by any oneworld carrier, as well as on Qatar Airways-marketed flights operated by a oneworld carrier and oneworld-marketed flights operated by Qatar Airways. [3] The percentage tier bonus itself applies to Qatar Airways-marketed and operated flights. [3]
What happens if I do not renew my tier?
You drop to the next lower tier if your account has had accrual or redemption activity in the previous 24 months, and to Burgundy if it has not. [3]
Do Family & Friends group members earn Qpoints?
No. Flight and non-flight activity by group members earns Avios into the Main Member's account but no Qpoints, and group members earn base Avios without the Main Member's tier bonus. [6]
Do Silver members get lounge access?
Qatar Airways lists lounge access among the benefits for Silver, Gold and Platinum, alongside priority check-in and boarding for Silver. [1] Lounge arrangements at Hamad International Airport are covered on the Al Mourjan lounge page.
Sources
Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. It covers Qatar Airways Privilege Club only; other oneworld programmes, including the British Airways Club and American AAdvantage, are not covered here, and partner and codeshare crediting is handled in the partner earning guide.
- Discover Privilege Club, Qatar Airways, checked 18 October 2026
- Qatar Airways Privilege Club terms and conditions, checked 18 October 2026
- Qatar Airways Privilege Club Family & Friends Programme terms and conditions, checked 18 October 2026