Australian travellers are spoiled for choice when flying with Qatar Airways. Of course, taking flights with Qatar can profit your Qatar Airways Privilege Club account. But journeys with Qatar Airways could instead be credited to your Qantas Frequent Flyer or Virgin Australia Velocity Frequent Flyer balance.
That’s because Qatar Airways is both a oneworld Alliance carrier – making it a partner of Qantas – and a direct partner of Virgin Australia. Now, this doesn’t mean you can triple dip. Any flight you take can only be credited to one frequent flyer program. And as it turns out, the best choice isn’t always the obvious one.
Travelling on one of Qatar Airways’ more affordable Business Lite fares? You’d usually earn the most points by crediting your flight to Qantas. But if you were chasing status, earning with Velocity would be much more fruitful instead.
Swap that for one of the lowest-cost Economy fares, and you’ll want to avoid linking a Qantas Frequent Flyer number to the booking. That’s because on many Economy tickets, Qantas Frequent Flyer members would earn no Qantas Points at all – and no Status Credits.
To navigate this data minefield, we’ve crunched the numbers on every Qatar Airways fare type. Comparing Qantas, Velocity and Privilege Club, we’ll show which program delivers the best rewards on any given ticket.
As earning rates can vary by route, we’ve used a simple, one-way Sydney-Doha-London journey in calculating our figures. With each program, we’ve also calculated the contribution of that journey towards retaining Gold.
We haven’t included any applicable ‘status bonuses’ as can apply for elite members of Velocity or Privilege Club. But it’s safe to say, if you already have status in one program, it’d generally make the most sense to credit your flights to that same program.
Where to credit Qatar Airways First Class flights
If you’re taking a paid First Class journey with Qatar Airways, there’s really no ‘wrong’ choice on where to credit those points. Unlike flights taken on some of Qatar Airways’ cheaper tickets, all paid First Class fares earn rewards. This is true across Qantas Frequent Flyer, Velocity Frequent Flyer and Qatar Airways Privilege Club.
Across this trio, here’s what you could earn from a one-way journey from Sydney to London via Doha.
| First Class | Qantas Frequent Flyer | Velocity Frequent Flyer | Qatar Airways Privilege Club |
| First Elite (F, A) | 12,000 Qantas Points + 210 Status Credits 35% towards retaining Qantas Gold | 19,129 Velocity Points + 280 Status Credits 70% towards retaining Velocity Gold | 32,811 Avios + 173 Qpoints 64% towards retaining Privilege Club Gold |
A return Sydney-Doha-London jaunt would keep your Velocity Gold status in check for another year. The same is true of Privilege Club Gold. Over at Qantas, it’s over two thirds of the way to keeping Qantas Gold – still reasonable, if you have other travels planned too.
Clearly, if you already have status with one particular program, it’s best to credit these flights to that program. And of course, if that status is with Velocity or Privilege Club, you’d stand to earn even more points via these programs’ generous status bonuses for tiered members. That also makes sense if you’re building on an existing balance of points.
But if you’re stuck making a call, I’d suggest crediting Qatar Airways First Class flights to Privilege Club. Not only would you earn significantly more points (Qatar calls them ‘Avios’, now), but Qatar Airways status is particularly valuable. It’s the only program that delivers perks when flying with both Qantas and Virgin Australia.
Where to credit Qatar Airways Business Class flights
The best options for crediting Qatar Airways flights shift somewhat in Business Class. In fact, with the airline selling a number of different fare types, the best-matched program can vary with every level of fare.
Here’s a look at what you could expect to earn on a similar one-way Business Class flight from Sydney to London via Doha.
| Business Class | Qantas Frequent Flyer | Velocity Frequent Flyer | Qatar Airways Privilege Club |
| Business Elite (J, C) | 10,400 Qantas Points + 140 Status Credits 23% towards retaining Qantas Gold | 16,396 Velocity Points + 280 Status Credits 70% towards retaining Velocity Gold | 21,874 Avios + 136 Qpoints 50% towards retaining Privilege Club Gold |
| Business Comfort (D) | 10,400 Qantas Points + 140 Status Credits 23% towards retaining Qantas Gold | 16,396 Velocity Points + 280 Status Credits 70% towards retaining Velocity Gold | 19,140 Avios + 123 Qpoints 45% towards retaining Privilege Club Gold |
| Business Comfort (I) | 10,400 Qantas Points + 140 Status Credits 23% towards retaining Qantas Gold | 13,663 Velocity Points + 280 Status Credits 70% towards retaining Velocity Gold | 19,140 Avios + 123 Qpoints 45% towards retaining Privilege Club Gold |
| Business Classic (R) | 10,400 Qantas Points + 140 Status Credits 23% towards retaining Qantas Gold | 13,663 Velocity Points + 280 Status Credits 70% towards retaining Velocity Gold | 13,671 Avios + 85 Qpoints 31% towards retaining Privilege Club Gold |
| Business Lite (P) | 10,400 Qantas Points + 140 Status Credits 23% towards retaining Qantas Gold | 8,198 Velocity Points + 280 Status Credits 70% towards retaining Velocity Gold | 8,203 Avios + 58 Qpoints 21% towards retaining Privilege Club Gold |
As you’ll see, Velocity is generally the best bet for progress towards status. Privilege Club tends to be more rewarding on the points front though, especially on the priciest fares. Qantas is instead the most rewarding on the lowest-cost Business Lite tickets.
Where to credit Qatar Airways Economy Comfort and Convenience flights
Choosing where to credit your Qatar Airways Economy flights takes on a different pattern. On Comfort and Convenience fares, it’s generally hard to go wrong with Velocity. On some Convenience fares though, Privilege Club gets you marginally closer to the benefits of status.
| Economy Class | Qantas Frequent Flyer | Velocity Frequent Flyer | Qatar Airways Privilege Club |
| Economy Comfort (Y) | 10,400 Qantas Points + 70 Status Credits 11% towards retaining Qantas Gold | 10,931 Velocity Points + 140 Status Credits 35% towards retaining Velocity Gold | 10,937 Avios + 69 Qpoints 25% towards retaining Privilege Club Gold |
| Economy Comfort (B, H) | 5,200 Qantas Points + 35 Status Credits 5% towards retaining Qantas Gold | 10,931 Velocity Points + 140 Status Credits 35% towards retaining Velocity Gold | 10,937 Avios + 69 Qpoints 25% towards retaining Privilege Club Gold |
| Economy Convenience (K) | 2,600 Qantas Points + 35 Status Credits 5% towards retaining Qantas Gold | 10,931 Velocity Points + 140 Status Credits 35% towards retaining Velocity Gold | 8,203 Avios + 58 Qpoints 21% towards retaining Privilege Club Gold |
| Economy Convenience (L, M, V) | 2,600 Qantas Points + 35 Status Credits 5% towards retaining Qantas Gold | 8,198 Velocity Points + 70 Status Credits 17% towards retaining Velocity Gold | 8,203 Avios + 58 Qpoints 21% towards retaining Privilege Club Gold |
| Economy Convenience (S) | Nil | 8,198 Velocity Points + 70 Status Credits 17% towards retaining Velocity Gold | 8,203 Avios + 58 Qpoints 21% towards retaining Privilege Club Gold |
On most fares, the number of points earned with Velocity and Privilege Club are comparable, with very minor differences reflecting how these are calculated behind the scenes. Velocity is noticeably better for the highest category Economy Convenience (K) tickets, while Privilege Club makes earning status easier on most other Convenience flights.
But watch out – you’ll earn nothing with Qantas on S-class Convenience fares.
Where to credit Qatar Airways Economy Classic, Group and Lite flights
When it comes to Qatar Airways’ Economy Classic, Group and Lite fares, avoid crediting these to Qantas Frequent Flyer. These fare types are all ineligible to earn Qantas Points and Status Credits. Linking a Qantas number here is, quite literally, pointless.
Instead, it becomes a question of whether to earn with Velocity or with Privilege Club. Generally speaking, we’d recommend Velocity – especially if you’re not already an active Privilege Club member. Here’s why.
| Economy Class | Qantas Frequent Flyer | Velocity Frequent Flyer | Qatar Airways Privilege Club |
| Economy Classic (N, Q, T) Economy Group (G) | Nil | 5,465 Velocity Points + 70 Status Credits 17% towards retaining Velocity Gold | 5,469 Avios + 43 Qpoints 16% towards retaining Privilege Club Gold |
| Economy Classic (O) | Nil | 2,732 Velocity Points + 70 Status Credits 17% towards retaining Velocity Gold | 5,469 Avios + 43 Qpoints 16% towards retaining Privilege Club Gold |
| Economy Lite (W) | Nil | 2,732 Velocity Points + 70 Status Credits 17% towards retaining Velocity Gold | 2,734 Avios + 28 Qpoints 10% towards retaining Privilege Club Gold |
On almost all of these bookings, Velocity provides a comparable number of points against Privilege Club. The progress towards status is also marginally better in Velocity. But if your booking is in O-class Economy Classic, take note. For calculating points, Velocity treats these in the same way as Economy Lite (W). Status Credits remain the same, but points are only earned at half the rate of all other Economy Classic tickets.
Tips for choosing the best program with Qatar
If you find tables and numbers a little confusing, don’t worry, we’ve got your back. Here’s a simplified strategy for choosing where to credit Qatar Airways flights.
- In First Class, credit to the program where you already have status. Otherwise, choose the program where you’d most value some extra points.
- When booking Business Class, Velocity allows you to earn and retain status the fastest. If you’re only chasing points though, Privilege Club is the best for Elite and Comfort fares. But Qantas Frequent Flyer gives the most points when flying on Business Lite.
- In Economy Class, it’s hard to go wrong with Velocity on any fare type. But if you plan to earn with Qantas, know that this isn’t possible on any Economy Classic, Group or Lite fare. If you’re booking Economy Convenience, make sure it’s not an S-class fare, or this won’t earn with Qantas either.
- In general, any paid Qatar Airways flight you take can earn Velocity Points and Status Credits. Alternatively, any paid Qatar Airways flight can earn Avios and Qpoints with Privilege Club. But only some fare types earn rewards with Qantas, as above.
Speaking of fare type, you can spot your all-important fare letter on the ‘trip summary’ page, when booking flights via the Qatar Airways website:
On this example itinerary, the fare letter is ‘N’ – an Economy Classic fare. From our tables above, we can see these flights wouldn’t earn anything with Qantas. But they could earn 5,465 Velocity Points plus 70 Status Credits with Velocity. Or 5,469 Avios plus 43 Qpoints in Privilege Club.
Bookmark this article in your browser as a handy resource for your next Qatar Airways booking!
Summing up
Qatar Airways holds a unique position in Australian skies, being the only foreign carrier actively partnered with both Qantas and Virgin Australia. This provides some interesting opportunities when earning points. But the complexity of some of these arrangements makes it very important to understand the fine print.
Among frequent flyer circles, I often see travellers confused as to why they’ve earned no Qantas Points after flying with Qatar Airways. So don’t be one of those flyers who misses out. Check your fare type against the tables above, and make sure you attach a frequent flyer number through which points can be earned.
If you have any friends or family members flying with Qatar Airways soon, do them a favour and share a link to this article. With thousands of points at stake, they’ll be glad you did!
Also read: How to book Qatar Airways Business Class with points
Feature image courtesy of Qatar Airways.
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I just booked Economy Convenience flight SOF-SYD. I have the dreaded S class on my booking! I was hoping to score a few Qantas status credits, I don’t desperately need them as I’m Platinum and just booked a bunch of business and economy flights under the current Double Status Credits offer.
Should i instead get the ball rolling in my nothing status Qatar Avios account, by replacing my QFF number with my Qatar number? Or will that spell trouble for getting into the lounges in Sofia and Doha?
Thanks anyone who can help!
Thanks for your help. All the best.
I have QR989 booked in April 24 with fare class ‘U’ assigned. It’s a business seat and have already confirmed seat selection. Booked through Virgin website as a reward seat with Points + Pay.
Any idea what fare class ‘U’ falls under? It will determine if assign my QFF (Gold) or Velocity no.(Platinum)
Thanks
Got a question: looking for a trip to MEL-AMS. Do I bo0k this 0n the Virgin or Qatar website?
I got gold with Virgin and silver QF.
A very interesting article made me aware of the class you flying in and beware of the pitfalls when booking with a different flight number e.g EK or QF.
Keep the article as a reference Thanks.
For those unfamiliar with Avios, consider the redemption value achievable from the sweet spot of a business class redemption MEL-PER.
Taking data for 22 Feb 2024 with flights currently available for AUD1726.
If you use your QF points it will cost 41,500 points plus AUD40. Pump the math and the redemption value is about AUD41 per 1000 points (4.1 cents per point). Nothing wrong with that – it’s already 8 times better than cashing in your Everyday Rewards points to defray grocery costs or redeeming for a gift card.
But with Avios the same flight is just 22,000 Avios plus AUD55.92. Now the redemption value is AUD76 per 1000 points (7.6 cents per point).
The redemption value of Avios in this sweet spot is TWICE that of QF points!
HINT – booking with Avios on BA website check out the points plus pay options. The best in this case is 12,100 plus AUD208.92. In that option you have effectively purchased 9,900 Avios for AUD153. Nice.
Redo the math on that option and the redemption value jumps to AUD125 per 2000 points (12.5 cents per point). Now you are getting TRIPLE the redemption value of QF points in this example.
Incidentally, you are now getting nearly TEN TIMES the redemption value compared with the mostly misdirected (if well intended) guidelines Avios valuations on this website of 1.3 cents per Avios.
Caveats – the award seats have to be available. We are looking at a sweet spot. You have to calculate the redemption value for your intended redemption goal. QF will win out if you want to go long distance…..;)
It is also possible to earn Qantas Status Credits when redeeming points on a reward flight through Qantas Points Club.
Qantas Points Club has a benefit of earning status credits when you accumulate 150k of points in a membership year. See link below.
However, the Status Credits will only be earned on Classic Flight Rewards if the flight is marketed or ticketed as ‘QF’,
Does this mean a code share flight? This is a grey area. Can anyone clarify?
https://www.qantas.com/au/en/frequent-flyer/earn-points/airline-earning-tables/classic-flight-rewards.html
follow the link from the page you referenced
“…’Marketing airline’ or marketing carrier means the airline whose airline code or number (eg ‘QF’ for Qantas) is recorded on the ticket. This can be different to the airline whose aircraft is doing the actual flying (this airline is known as the operating airline or carrier). (Also known as codeshare flights, see below.)
For example:
When booking on qantas.com you can purchase a flight from Sydney to Dubai on a Qantas flight number, but the flight is operated by Emirates (the Emirates aircraft is doing the flying). The Qantas flight number (QF8413) is the marketed flight number, and Emirates is the operating carrier. Emirates also have their own flight number, EK413, for the same flight – this is the marketed and operated flight number for Emirates. When claiming missing points QF8413 is the flight number that should be used for the claim, as this is the Qantas marketed flight number….”
AND the status credit earn on classic award flights per Points Club membership is not the same, rather much lower than the usual as a credit earn on a paid airfare – in other words pretty useless.
Oh and a word of warning about Points Club – IME they failed to honour promised benefit set (travel vouchers were erased from my account at end of membership year even though they were valid for longer).
A quick Q. I have QFF gold status. Will the oneworld benefits be recognised by Qatar if I link a different FF membership?
Yes (according to articles published on the partnership claiming status benefits are reciprocal). Although you’ll need to fly the minimum number of QR sectors to achieve relevant status tier (just like to have to for your Qf or VA status tier) …;)
FWIW the article is superficial and misleading in that it doesn’t address the relative potential redemption values achievable once you have earned your QF or VA points or QR Avios – it tacitly assumes they have equal value and they don’t. Avios can have twice the redemption value of either QF or VA points, depending upon your redemption goals (especially for relatively shorter flights) and can be shuffled between the Avios-based airlines to harness their relative sweet spots.
With VA and QF points ridiculously easy to earn from various non flying spend categories, arguably, if you have that covered, there is huge opportunity to diversify your points portfolio into Avios when accruing points from flying on either QF or VA, not to mention flying internationally on QR. The real value of engaging in these request flyer programs comes when you redeem your points to enjoy premium award seats (not from being stuck on the hamster wheel of status!).