Farewell to the sweet spot: Qatar Airways Privilege Club reduces value for American Airlines and Alaska Airlines award flights

Qatar Airways has reduced the value of certain Avios sweet spots for award flights with partner airlines, including American Airlines and Alaska Airlines, as first noted by DansDeals.

Traditionally, Qatar Airways Privilege Club has been a favored, though somewhat specialized, loyalty program for U.S. travelers, primarily due to its attractive short-haul redemption rates with Qatar's American airline partners. Sadly, that advantage has diminished, and Qatar Airways executed this devaluation without notifying its Privilege Club members. Travelers should consider varying their points and miles strategies, as devaluations like this are common.

Here’s the lowdown on this recent setback, what travelers should anticipate, and how you might still find value in using Qatar Airways Avios for short-haul flights on American Airlines and Alaska Airlines.

Qatar Airways reduces the value of short-haul awards for American Airlines and Alaska Airlines

Qatar Airways employs several (unpublished) award charts for flights across different airlines.

Despite not officially announcing changes to the award chart for American Airlines and Alaska Airlines, flight searches indicate that redemption rates for short-haul routes have indeed increased. Avios costs for these flights have surged by as much as 64%, particularly affecting the shortest routes. Here’s what we’ve gathered so far.

As a result, even the briefest journeys, such as a 129-mile trip from Seattle to Portland, Oregon, will now require at least 9,500 Avios one way.

The silver lining is that the redemption rates for long-haul flights on American and Alaska, along with JetBlue flights, seem to remain stable ... for now. Given that this devaluation occurred without any notice, it’s uncertain whether Qatar Airways Privilege Club plans to implement further changes to its award structures soon. If you’re looking to book with Qatar Airways Avios, it’s advisable to act quickly.

Currently, the Qatar Airways award charts for flights with other partner airlines are still intact.

What’s the optimal way to utilize Avios?

Even though Qatar Airways has significantly increased its award rates for these flights, they still remain quite reasonable within the larger context of points and miles.

The British Airways Executive Club, which also utilizes Avios, recently faced a similar devaluation. Its award chart for flights with Alaska and American is structured similarly to Qatar's, but each tier requires a few thousand additional Avios.

If you’re looking to use Avios for booking flights on American or Alaska, Qatar Airways typically offers the most favorable rates. However, based on your available rewards currencies, there could be more advantageous options.

Finnair Plus charges a flat fee of 11,000 Avios for any domestic flight within the continental U.S. (and Canada), making it pricier for short trips but potentially the most cost-effective choice for longer domestic flights.

For example, a one-way flight from Miami to Chicago on American, booked through Qatar, would cost you 14,500 Avios in economy or 34,000 in business class.

You could also book the same flight with American for just 8,500 AAdvantage miles in economy or 26,500 miles in business class.

However, because American employs dynamic pricing, redeeming AAdvantage miles might not always be the most economical choice. It’s wise to verify the rates for each specific flight.

AAdvantage miles are among the most difficult frequent-flyer miles to earn due to the program's limited transfer partners (the same applies to Alaska Mileage Plan miles). You may find it simpler to book award flights with Avios, as you can transfer them from:

• American Express Membership Rewards
• Bilt Rewards
• Capital One miles
• Chase Ultimate Rewards

As previously stated, Qatar Airways has not yet altered its award chart for JetBlue flights, so you can still find excellent value using your Avios for short-haul JetBlue flights. Here’s the current award chart Qatar applies to JetBlue flights:

For example, you can fly from Fort Lauderdale to New York (a distance of 1,070 miles) on JetBlue for just 8,500 Avios each way in economy class.

A similar route with American or Alaska would cost 13,000 Avios if booked through Qatar Airways or 16,000 Avios through British Airways.

If you're looking for routes involving cities not served by Qatar Airways, don't worry if the city or airport isn't listed in the destination dropdown. Simply type the airport code into the destination field and hit "Search" to view available flight options.

In summary

Even with this devaluation, Qatar Airways Avios remain the most economical option for booking award flights with Alaska Airlines and American Airlines.

British Airways' award chart is more expensive than Qatar's for partner flights, and booking partner awards on other Avios-using airlines (like Finnair, Iberia, and Aer Lingus) can be trickier. Always verify availability on American's and Alaska's websites if you hold their miles for potentially better deals.

For now, those collecting Avios should stay alert, as further devaluations may be forthcoming.