Extended: Qatar Airways status match from 5 FFPs including KrisFlyer

EXPIRED This article relates to an offer or promotion which has now expired.

Qatar Airways can’t seem to decide when to end its latest status match offer or which airlines to include! The original offer page said the deal had finished early, though the terms and conditions still referred to the original expiry date, then the deal reappeared for 48 hours but only for Emirates, Etihad and Turkish Airlines members.

That offer has now ended, but the good news is a further extension to the deal is now in place with both Singapore Airlines and South African Airways re-added to the list. You’ll now be eligible if you submit your documents by 7am Singapore Time on Thursday 28th May 2020.

If you’re a member of any of the following frequent flyer programmes, you can still take advantage of the Qatar Airways Privilege Club status match offer:

• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
• Emirates Skywards
• Etihad Guest
• Turkish Miles&Smiles
• South African Airways Voyager
• Virgin Australia Velocity (ended)

This is a very useful way to duplicate your status in the Qatar Airways Privilege Club, a oneworld member loyalty programme, for a 12-month period, potentially giving you access to a range of excellent oneworld lounges at Changi once travel picks up again.

Singapore Airlines and South African Airways are back on the list, though it seems Qatar has already had plenty of applicants from Virgin Australia Velocity members (unsurprisingly, given the uncertainty), who are now ineligible.

How it works

Provided you hold Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Silver status or above, or the equivalent level with another of the airline frequent flyer programmes Qatar is offering a status match with, the process is as follows.

• Join the Privilege Club for free, if you’re not already a member. The offer is open to existing and new Privilege Club members.
• Email statusmatch@qmiles.com with subject line “Privilege Club Status Match” including:
• Your Privilege Club membership number
• The last two months’ statements from your current frequent flyer programme, clearly displaying the statement month, membership number, name, and tier
• A photo or scanned copy of your current frequent flyer membership card.

You must provide these documents by 11.59pm BST on Wednesday 27th May 2020, which is 6.59am on Thursday 28th May 2020 Singapore Time, to be considered.

Pro Tip: Some Mainly Miles readers who applied last week have already been contacted by Qatar stating that their KrisFlyer statement screenshots were not adequate because their name and status tier was not visible. Try a zoomed-out version using the app on your iPad/tablet, which should then include all the necessary details.

Qualifying match recipients will be upgraded within 20 days of Qatar’s receipt of the documents (previously they were quoting 10 days), though do note that the airline reserves the right to approve or reject the request based on the documents submitted.

Your Qatar Airways Privilege Club status level will then be valid for 12 months, until May 2021 (potentially even June 2021 depending on when they process your new tier), even with no flights credited to the programme.

Which status tier?

Qatar Airways doesn’t specify which status level they will match you to in the Privilege Club programme, indeed the latest terms and conditions have been embellished to state:

“Members’ existing tier will be matched to a corresponding Privilege Club tier, at Privilege Club management’s discretion.

“Privilege Club reserves the right to decide on the corresponding tier.”

We haven’t heard back from anyone receiving their Qatar Airways status match yet, however this is how the KrisFlyer tiers approximately equate:

• KrisFlyer Silver: Qatar Silver (oneworld Ruby)
• KrisFlyer Gold: Qatar Gold (oneworld Sapphire)
• PPS Club: Qatar Platinum (oneworld Emerald)

If you make a successful match under this offer, please let us know in the comments section below which tier you were offered by Qatar, though we expect it to be in line with the above breakdown assuming Qatar is matching like-for-like.

Reduced Qpoints renewal offer

Qatar is also offering those who are accepted for this status match a reduced renewal threshold for the subsequent year.

That means you’ll only need half the Qpoints to retain your new status through to May 2022.

Do take note though that while you can accrue Qpoints by crediting paid oneworld flights to the programme, for status retention or upgrade you must have flown at least four Qatar Airways marketed or operated flights (or accrued at least 20% of the required Qpoints on Qatar flights) during your membership year to be eligible.

That may be difficult to achieve over the next 12 months, so don’t necessarily count on an easy renewal.

Changi Lounges

Those matched to Qatar’s Gold tier will be eligible to access oneworld Business Class lounges regardless of their travel class when flying with a oneworld airline.

At Changi that means the British Airways Singapore Lounge (T1), Qantas Singapore Business Lounge (T1) and Cathay Pacific Lounge (T4).

As a oneworld Sapphire or Emerald status holder, you’ll be entitled to bring one guest into the lounge with you, provided they are departing on a oneworld flight number (it doesn’t have to be the same flight as you are travelling on).

Those lucky enough to be matched to Qatar Platinum status will be also eligible to use the excellent new Qantas Singapore First Lounge (T1) when flying out on a oneworld service.

Unfortunately none of these facilities are currently open due to the COVID-19 outbreak, with Terminal 4 – housing the Cathay Pacific lounge – closed until further notice.

That will make any status match of quite limited value to our readers until travel begins to pick up again.

Terms and conditions

Full details of the status match including terms and conditions are available at the Qatar Airways website.

Summary

If you don’t hold status in a oneworld frequent flyer programme but you are a KrisFlyer member with an enhanced status level, this extended promotion from Qatar Airways allows you to potentially earn the useful oneworld Sapphire or Emerald tier until at least May 2021.

While that’s not very useful at the moment with air travel almost completely axed globally, it might come in handy later in 2020 or at least for the first few months of next year.

Though status alone sadly won’t get you access into Qatar’s excellent new lounge in Singapore, Qatar Gold (oneworld Sapphire) will get you into the British Airways, Qantas and Cathay Pacific lounges in Changi when departing on a oneworld flight.

Those lucky enough to match into Qatar’s Platinum tier will have the added advantage of oneworld Emerald status – sufficient to access the Qantas Singapore First lounge when flying oneworld.

It’s important to note however that all of these lounges are currently closed (in the case of the Cathay Pacific lounge its home terminal is even shuttered), with no indication yet of a reopening schedule.

We can’t see Qantas flying its A380s through Changi again before the end of 2020, for example, so don’t bet on Qatar Platinum status necessarily getting you access to their Singapore First Lounge anytime soon.

Let us know if you’re successful matching your Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Etihad, Turkish or SAA status into Qatar’s Privilege Club in the comments section below.

Hat-tip to Head for Points

(Cover Photo: Airbus)