Qatar Airways and Cardless have announced that from October 11, cardholders of Qatar Airways Privilege Club credit cards in the United States will be able to refund their reward fees paid with their respective credit card for booking reward flights with the airline.

Refunding reward fees

The benefit will apply to those who have used the Qatar Airways Privilege Club Infinite Credit Card or Qatar Airways Privilege Club Signature Credit Card to book their award flights via the airline’s website, mobile app, or by using Qatar Airways’ contact centers.

However, this was subject to them qualifying for reward fees waiver eligibility, the statement added.

“ The refunded reward fees will be reflected as statement credits on the respective credit cards after the completion of the flights. ”

Photo: Qatar Airways

The airline said that the new benefit was designed to enhance the rewards experience for cardholders of the two Qatar Airways-branded credit cards. At the same time, this will demonstrate its commitment to creating added value for the members of its loyalty program, Privilege Club.

When booking Qatar Airways reward tickets – that travelers pay for using the airline’s loyalty currency, Avios – passengers are required to cover the taxes and carrier-imposed fees with cash.

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Available from cumulative spending of $15,000

Another condition was that this benefit would be available to those cardholders who have a cumulative spending of over $15,000, making refunds of reward fees paid with their cards available for the first card anniversary year.

Photo: Gilang Putraditya Purba | Shutterstock

The benefit will be available for the subsequent 12 months. From the second card anniversary year, the cumulative spending bar will rise to $25,000.

Qatar Airways and Cardless launched the two airline-branded credit cards in the US on May 7. While speaking with Simple Flying, Thomas Vadakedath, Senior Vice President of Loyalty at Qatar Airways, explained that the US has the highest number of members outside of Qatar, so launching the two credit cards in the US was a natural progression for the airline and its loyalty program.

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Qatar Airways network in US

According to data from the aviation analytics company Cirium, Qatar Airways has scheduled 108 weekly flights from Doha Hamad International Airport (DOH) to 11 destinations in the US in October.

This includes 18 weekly flights to New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and double-daily flights to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), three American Airlines hubs. Both airlines are part of the oneworld alliance.

Photo: Plane Photography | Shutterstock

Qatar Airways, leveraging its geographical position in the Middle East, is one of the region’s international connectors, joining the likes of Etihad Airways, Emirates, and the to-be Riyadh Air, which offer one-stop connections to various destinations through their home hubs.

Craig Thomas, the Vice President of Sales of Americas at Qatar Airways, explained in an interview with Simple Flying that as the airline has expanded in the US, it has also been able to add traffic to new markets, including Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Africa.

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