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Qatar Airways is currently running a transfer bonus when moving points from several rewards points programs into Qatar Privilege Club. Citi Thank You Points (TYP) is one of the included programs.
Through 11/10/23, you’ll get a 30% bonus when you transfer Citi ThankYou points to Qatar Airways Privilege Club. Now that you can move Avios from Qatar to British Airways and on to Iberia Plus or Aer Lingus, this bonus could be useful even if you don’t care about using Qatar’s own program.
Note that you won’t see this bonus advertised on the Citi side and the 30% bonus may take up to 45 days to post.
The Deal
- Transfer Citi ThankYou Points to Qatar Airways Avios and get a 30% bonus.
- Expires 11/10/23
Key Terms
- This campaign ends on 10th Nov 2023, 1559hrs Eastern.
- This campaign is open to all Privilege Club members who are customers of participating partners in the prescribed markets and have Rewards Points.
- All bonus Avios earned will reflect in your Privilege Club account within 45 days of the campaign’s end date.
- The bonus Avios will not be calculated retroactively under any circumstances. If the Avios are credited to your Privilege Club account after the offer period you will not earn bonus Avios under this campaign
Quick Thoughts
This could be a great deal for the right sweet spot. Qatar Airways Privileges Club sometimes charges just 70K Avios each way between Doha and New York (plus ~$150 in taxes). If you can find availability, this bonus turns that price into 54,000 Citi ThankYou points, a nice price for Qsuites long-haul.
This bonus is even more widely applicable because you can now transfer Avios between Qatar and British Airways Executive Club, then onward to Iberia and Aer Lingus. There are several sweet spots in those programs that would make the 30% bonus a terrific deal. One of the best is Iberia business class between the US and Madrid for 34K Avios ~$100-$150 one-way during off-peak dates (which are quite generous through Iberia). With the transfer bonus, you’d only need 27,000 Citi ThankYou points to fly flat-bed business class to/from Europe.
There is one pitfall, though. Ideally, you’d want to find award availability before transferring, but the 30% transfer bonus may not be instant, so there’s no guarantee that seats you find now will still be there when the bonus Avios arrive. The terms indicate that the bonus Avios could take up to 45 days to transfer (in the past it’s been faster than that for most folks). Bear that in mind before jumping in.
Best Uses for Avios and Things to Know
Best Uses British Airways Avios
- Business class to Europe from 34K one-way via Iberia. This is probably my favorite Avios redemption and have one booked this year already. Iberia charges as few as 34K miles off-peak for one-way in business class on its own flights from New York, Boston, Chicago, or DC to Madrid during off-peak season. The fuel surcharges are quite reasonable and they also run seasonal promotions (usually during the Winter) where the prices drop down even further.
- Business class South America from 22K one-way via British Airways. I've used this once and availability can be tricky to find. But when you can find it, BA has excellent pricing for shorter distance non-stop American Airlines award flights.
- Long Haul Business Class on Qatar Airways. After Qatar's addition to Avios, BA lowered many of their award prices on Qatar. It's now possible to travel between the United States and Doha in business for only 70,000 Avios with minimal surcharges.
Things to Know British Airways Avios
- Avios Purchases are processed by Points.com and DO NOT count as airfare.
- Avios can be easily transferred between Aer Lingus, Iberia and British Airways
- Avios expire after 36 months of no activity
- British Airways has near-extortionate fuel surcharges when flying on BA metal. It's best to keep Avios for use with partners or the Iberia Plus
Other Transfer Bonuses
| Transfer From | Transfer Bonus Details | End Date |
|---|---|---|
| Amex Membership Rewards | 15% transfer bonus from Amex Membership Rewards to Avianca LifeMiles | 12/31/24 |
| Capital One Miles | 20% transfer bonus from Capital One Miles to British Airways Avios | 12/01/24 |
| Chase Ultimate Rewards | 40% transfer bonus from Chase Ultimate Rewards to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 11/30/24 |
| Amex Membership Rewards | 35% transfer bonus from Amex Membership Rewards to Marriott Bonvoy | 11/30/24 |
| Amex Membership Rewards | 15% transfer bonus from Amex Membership Rewards to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | 11/30/24 |
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Are there any Aer Lingus sweet spots? I’d like to fly out of BDL to DUB.