Qatar revolution, goodbye Qmiles the new currency will be Avios
The bond between Qatar Airways and the IAG Group is strengthening, far beyond what could have been thought. The best [...]
Qatar Airways
Iberia
British Airways
Oneworld
The link between Qatar Airways and the IAG Group is being strengthened, far beyond what one might have thought. The best company in the world announced that Will abandon QMiles as the currency of its loyalty program by adopting Avios, the same currency as the points in the loyalty programs of British Airways, Iberia, Vueling, Aer Lingus and Finnair, the latter a member of the OneWorld alliance but not owned by IAG.
When the change will take place
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The Doha-based carrier has not yet announced the date of the switch-off, but rumors are talking about next March 22. The important news is. the conversion rate will be 1:1, so those who currently have Qmiles points in their account will have the same points credited in the new currency.
What changes for us in Italy
Many aspects are still unclear and full details will be announced in the coming weeks. "The transition from Qmiles to Avios marks a revolutionary new era for Privilege Club, enabling our loyal members to participate in the industry's most compelling loyalty network and broadest portfolio of partners," explained Akbar Al Baker, group chief executive officer, Qatar Airways. "As the world's best airline, Qatar Airways continues to redefine loyalty through the adoption of exciting digital innovations to create unique world-class experiences for our members. We look forward to revealing more details of this exciting change in the coming weeks as we explore even more ways to reward our valued members both on and off the field."
Today you can already use Avios points to book flights on Qatar Airways, so in this case there is no revolution. By transferring the points Membership Rewards you can also book Qatar via Asia Miles points. It would be different if companies, with their respective loyalty programs, allowed points to be transferred from one profile to another, as is the case today between British and Iberia. That, yes, would be a real revolution.
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The other certainty is that there is currently no point devaluation on the horizon, the company has promised its members that its award ticket tables will remain unchanged.
British Airways Executive Club and Qatar's Privilege Club are complementary in some respects; in others they are similar. What is certain is that if points can be shifted between programs, a meticulous choice will come into play as to where to credit flight points: some may find it more profitable to credit flights to the Privilege Club and not the Executive Club; others the exact opposite.
It will then need to be seen whether the two programs will be aligned or maintain differences. Certainly the possibility of continuing to earn Avios points while aiming for status with Qatar could be very attractive to many frequent flyers.
In any case, the end of March is a month away, so there is no point in mincing words. We are waiting for the official information, certainly today's is already very good news and can only get even better.
