Good news for members of the Qatar Airways Privilege Club this week, with the oneworld airline confirming to members that the validity of status tiers in the programme will be extended to at least 31st December 2021, in view of the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.
This automatic extension will apply regardless of activity (or lack thereof), or the number of Qpoints you have accrued.
We understand you may need more time to plan your travel. That’s why we want to honour your loyalty as Privilege Club member, ensuring matters beyond your control don’t impact your status with us.
If your tier end date is before 31 December 2021 and you are unable to retain your tier when it is due to end, we’ll automatically extend your tier status so that it is valid until 31 December 2021.
Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways was one of the first airlines to announce a status tier extension when the COVID-19 situation took hold, back in March 2020, so this latest reprieve may not be the last the airline has in store.
Good news for status match members
If you took advantage of Qatar’s generous status match in May last year and took the opportunity to leverage your Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer tier to unlock a year of equivalent oneworld status, there’s good news.
Like other accounts due to downgrade this year following a lack of travel, yours will also be extended, with a new expiry date of 31st December 2021.
Here’s how Qatar status matched most of our readers from the KrisFlyer programme last year:
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| Elite Silver | ➔ | Silver |  |
| Elite Gold | ➔ | Gold |  |
| PPS Club | ➔ | Gold | |
| Platinum |  |
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| Solitaire PPS | ➔ | Platinum | |
Status matches were also offered at the same time for members of the following FFPs:
- Emirates Skywards
- Etihad Guest
- Turkish Miles&Smiles
- South African Airways Voyager
- Virgin Australia Velocity
Currently the expiry date of your QRPC status level displayed at your online account or on the mobile app will still reflect the original expiry (June or July 2021 for these members), however this will be updated to 31st December 2021 in due course.
What about next year?
When Qatar Airways launched its status match for frequent flyers in six different airline programmes, including KrisFlyer, it also offered a reduced Qpoints threshold for annual renewal to these new members.
Effectively, you’d need to accrue only half the usual Qpoints level to get another year at the same status level after June/July 2021.
It is not clear if this offer has been extended to allow you to now do so by 31st December 2021, or whether the regular tier renewal threshold will then apply, assuming a further status extension is not granted.
We’ve reached out to Qatar Airways to clarify this point and will update this section once we hear back.
Lounge access
The great benefit for most of our readers who status matched into the Qatar programme is of course lounge access at Changi when departing on a oneworld carrier, like Malaysia Airlines.
Unfortunately it’s safe to say almost no one has been able to take advantage to date. Aside from the border restrictions, all oneworld lounges at Changi remain closed, even if you are one of the few still travelling.
With your Gold and Platinum (oneworld Sapphire and Emerald) tiers extended through to the end of 2021 however, there’s hope that with the progressive return of travel later in the year you’ll still be able to use your shiny QRPC card to experience one of the following facilities at Changi on a future trip.
| Lounge | |
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| Gold | Platinum | ||
 Qantas Business(review) |
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 Qantas First(review) |
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 British Airways(review) |
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 Cathay Pacific(review) |
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Departing CX only |
Departing CX only |
Access based on flying Economy Class on a oneworld operated and marketed flight (e.g. Malaysia Airlines Singapore to Kuala Lumpur under MH flight code).
In all cases you’ll be able to bring a guest with you into the lounge, provided your guest is also departing on a oneworld flight number.
One lounge you unfortunately won’t be able to use with your Qatar Airways status is the airline’s excellent new Premium Lounge at Changi’s Terminal 1.
This is strictly reserved for those flying in Business or First Class with a oneworld airline and there is unfortunately no access based on frequent flyer status alone.
Qatar’s Qmiles are valuable again
In November last year Qatar Airways cut its award rates, bringing redemption prices on its flights back to pre-May 2018 levels (when an unannounced and significant devaluation occurred).
With no fuel surcharges passed on to its own members redeeming Qatar Airways flights since 2015, this is now among the cheapest redemption options from Singapore to Europe in Business Class, with the excellent Qsuite also on offer.
Here are some example redemption options using the programme, showing miles rates and taxes payable for redeeming on Qatar Airways flights one-way from Singapore using Qmiles, against some other programmes.
| Qatar Business Class redemption from Singapore | ||||
| FFP | Doha | London | Athens | New York |
 |
50k +S$58 |
75k +S$68 |
70k +S$68 |
95k +S$91 |
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61k +S$422 |
70k +S$482 |
70k +S$482 |
90k +S$605 |
 |
62k +S$422 |
124k +S$482 |
84k +S$482 |
170.25k +S$605 |
 |
75k +S$422 |
119.2k +S$482 |
90k +S$482 |
159k +S$605 |
 |
82k +S$422 |
131k +S$482 |
131k +S$482 |
165k +S$605 |
As you can see even though you’ll pay slightly less to fly in Business Class from Singapore to London on Qatar Airways using Asia Miles, the fuel surcharge payable through that programme significantly increases the cash outlay to nearly S$500, compared to just S$70 using Privilege Club Qmiles.
This improved value in the programme, plus the new activity-based miles validity policy meaning your Qmiles should never expire, has brought a whole new lease of life to the Qatar Privilege Club programme over the last few months.
With excellent oneworld lounges hopefully reopening later in the year, this is therefore one status level it’s good to keep hold of.
(Cover Photo: Boeing)