Qatar Airways Has Launched Two Credit Cards For U.S. Consumers—What To Know

The Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Signature* card will have an annual fee of just $99. New cardholders can earn 20,000 bonus Avios after the first transaction and an additional 20,000 bonus Avios after spending $3,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.

The Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Signature* earns Qatar Airways Avios, structured in a tiered rewards system. You will earn 4 Avios per dollar spent on Qatar Airways purchases, 2 Avios per dollar on restaurants, 1 Avios per dollar on all other purchases and 2 Qpoints for every 2,000 Avios earned. You can redeem your Avios for flights with Qatar Airways and partner airlines, seat upgrades and more. The exact value of your points will depend on your redemption method.

Plus, for every 2,000 Avios you earn on your card, you’ll earn 2 Qpoints, which is how you earn or renew your Privilege Club elite status. The ability to earn Qpoints on everyday purchases is helpful for anyone chasing status with the airline, especially if you spend a decent amount on your card each month. Qatar Airways Privilege Club has four elite status tiers:

• Burgundy
• Silver
• Gold
• Platinum

The number of Qpoints required to reach each tier will depend on whether you’re earning for the first time or renewing.

Cardholders can take advantage of a fast track to status opportunity, which gives you one year of Silver tier once accepted for the Privilege Club Visa Signature Card. So, this means you’ll need to earn just 135 Qpoints throughout your first year to renew your status. Perks of the Silver tier include priority stand-by, check-in and boarding, complimentary lounge access, extra baggage allowance and more. With Silver tier status, you can also enjoy the benefits of oneworld Ruby tier, the first of three elite status tiers in the Oneworld alliance.

Qatar Airways will be the first international airline loyalty program to offer a Visa Infinite card in the U.S.—the Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Infinite Credit Card*. This matte metal card will have a hefty annual fee of $499 but will have many benefits any Qatar Airways enthusiast will enjoy.

To start, you can earn a welcome bonus of 25,000 bonus Avios after the first transaction and an additional 25,000 bonus Avios plus 150 Qpoints after spending $5,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening. This is just 10,000 Avios more than the Visa Signature variant, but higher offers may potentially come down the pipeline.

You’ll earn 5 Avios per dollar on Qatar Airways purchases, 3 Avios per dollar on restaurants, 1 Avios per dollar on all other purchases and 2 Qpoints for every $1,500 spent in purchases. This is an additional point per dollar on Qatar Airways and restaurant purchases compared to the Signature variant. At just 1 Avios per dollar on general spending, you’ll likely want to use a different card for nonbonus categories.

For every 1,500 Avios you earn with your card, you’ll earn 2 Qpoints, which makes earning Privilege Club elite status even easier. Similar to the Signature Variant, cardholders of the Infinite variant will receive a fast-track to a year of Gold tier. To keep your status, you’ll need to earn 270 Qpoints throughout the year.

The benefits of Gold tier status include many of the same perks as Silver but also include meet and assist services when traveling through Hamad International Airport in Doha, a 75% tier bonus on earning Avios with eligible flights and more. As a Gold tier member, you will receive benefits of Oneworld Sapphire elite status. With a Visa Infinite card, you can access concierge services, the Luxury Hotel Collection and exclusive rental car privileges.

This summer, I’ll experience Qatar Airways’ business class first-hand on a trip from Madrid, Spain (MAD) to Malé, the capital of the Maldives (MLE). This trip might be enough to convince me to apply for one of the new cards, even though I’m a Delta loyalist through and through. Hopefully, we will see increased availability in routes originating in the U.S. alongside these credit cards. If the airline plans to have more of a presence in the U.S. in the next couple of years, adding one of these cards to your wallet could be worthwhile.