The Doha, Qatar-based airline Qatar Airways recently announced a new initiative with Avios. Avios is one of the largest sources of frequent flyer miles, as the International Airlines Group (IAG) operates the Avios frequent flyer program. Avios's frequent flyer program was created in 2011 at the merger of Air Miles, BA Miles, and Iberia Plus Points. It is also the frequent flyer currency of Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia, and LEVEL, in addition to Qatar Airways.

Newly promoted initiative with Qatar Airways

The airline has recently announced that Qatar Airways Privilege Club members will now be eligible for a brand-new feature called Card Linked Offers. This new feature allows Visa or Mastercard credit card holders to link their accounts to their Privilege Club accounts. This includes cards that are registered in Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay.

This new feature will allow members to gain and spend Avios points when they are shopping at certain retail or lifestyle partners within Qatar. The Card Linked Offer now rewards the Privilege Club Members for shopping, dining, and making other purchases with approved linked credit cards.

Card Linked Offers are available for Visa credit cards that have been issued in over 70 countries where card linking is supported. Additionally, it is available for Mastercard credit cards that were issued in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Uruguay, and the United States.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Qatar Airways Group, Akbar Al Baker, spoke about the new offerings and said,

"At Qatar Airways, we constantly look towards innovation and ensure our services are unparalleled in the industry, and our loyalty program is no different. Privilege Club has seen many enhancements in the last year, including the adoption of Avios as the rewards currency, and the latest Card Linked Offers announcement only continues our program of improvement."

Linking to their Avios account

Privilege Club account holders can easily link purchases to their accounts by logging into their accounts and adding their credit card details. Once the Privilege Club account holder completes a transaction at the partnered outlet, they can then choose to collect or spend the associated Avios points in their account. The user can be credited in Avios frequent-flyer miles or chose to put the equivalent cashback to their linked credit card.

Akbar Al Baker continued about the opportunity for collecting more points, saying,

"Having introduced the ability to collect and spend Avios in our airport, we believe that introducing the new feature will further solidify the Privilege Club experience as a lifestyle. As the Card Linked Offers launches, our members will see an exciting range of benefits when spending and collecting their Avios."

Additionally, the Privilege Club has recently partnered with several other partners that include Kulud Pharmacy, F45, Evergreen Organics, and several other major outlets. The partnership includes many retail stores, restaurants, and lifestyle venues that members can take advantage of to benefit from. The majority of these partnerships are located in the Qatar area.