Qatar Airways cracks down on Avios fraud, here's what you need to do now!

Qatar Airways' Privilege Club is introducing some of the most significant loyalty programme security changes in years, and if you don't act now, you could find yourself locked out of the best award seats. To understand why, you need to know what's been happening across the wider Avios ecosystem, something we haven't really talked about until now.

Avios fraud doesn't just effect Qatar

Avios fraud has become one of the most persistent headaches in points world. The cross-programme transferability that makes Avios so powerful, freely moveable at a 1:1 ratio between British Airways Club, Qatar Airways Privilege Club, Iberia Plus, Aer Lingus AerClub, Finnair Plus, and Loganair Clan, is the very same feature that organised fraudsters have been exploiting.

Thousands of British Airways members saw their Avios stolen in 2025, typically via unauthorised links being created to Iberia Plus accounts they didn't own. In some documented cases, victims lost over 500,000 Avios before realising what had happened, with fraudsters hijacking BA Club accounts and exploiting the 'Combine My Avios' function to funnel points into partner accounts they controlled.

British Airways was eventually forced to suspend BA to Iberia and BA to Aer Lingus transfers entirely for a period last year, restoring them only once new technical safeguards were put in place. From early June 2026, Qatar Airways is implementing a comprehensive overhaul of how Avios can be redeemed through Privilege Club, placing firm new restrictions on who members can book for and when new accounts can access the programme's full suite of features. Avios collectors wanting to use their points on Qatar should pay close attention.

What the new rules mean

From early June, when redeeming Avios for flights through Qatar Airways Privilege Club, you will only be able to book for passengers who appear on one of two pre-approved lists.

The 'Friends & Family' list

The first is a Friends & Family list of up to six people. There are important conditions attached: individuals on this list cannot themselves be Privilege Club members, and they cannot appear on any other member's Friends & Family list. This means only non-members, typically family members who don't hold their own Qatar account, can be added here.

The 'My List' feature

The second is a feature called 'My List', which can contain up to four Privilege Club members. Unlike Friends & Family, this list is specifically for fellow programme participants.

Combined, these two lists mean a Privilege Club member will be able to book Avios award flights for a maximum of ten people in total, themselves, up to six non-member family contacts, and up to four fellow Privilege Club members. For the vast majority of travellers, this will be no constraint at all.

New account restrictions: the 30-day rule

Beyond the booking list changes, Qatar Airways is also introducing a waiting period for newly created Privilege Club accounts:

• A new Privilege Club account cannot be linked to a British Airways Club account for 30 days after creation.

• The 'My List' feature will not be activated on a new Privilege Club account until it is at least 30 days old.

You'll surely be able to see the link. Fraudsters have been creating fresh Privilege Club accounts on demand and immediately linking them to compromised BA accounts to hoover up stolen points. A mandatory 30-day cooling-off period breaks this model.

Action required: open a Qatar Privilege Club account now

If you do not currently hold a Qatar Airways Privilege Club account, it is worth creating one today.

Lets say an attractive Avios award seat becomes available via Privilege Club but not through British Airways' own systems, you want to be ready to transfer your Avios across and book it immediately. Under the new 30-day rule, a freshly created account won't be linkable to your BA Club for a month, meaning you could miss a seat entirely. Opening an account now, even with zero Avios in it and no imminent plans to fly, costs nothing and gives you full optionality.

You can sign up for free here.

What remains unclear

Not every detail has been confirmed ahead of the June launch. The rules governing how, and how frequently, you will be able to change the people on your Friends & Family list or your 'My List' have not been published. Given that people's travel companions change over time, this is an important practical question that Qatar Airways will need to address with clarity before the rules go live.

There are also questions from the community about the rationale for barring existing Privilege Club members from appearing on a Friends & Family list. Many couples and families who travel together both hold their own loyalty programme accounts, which would technically mean they need to use the 'My List' feature rather than Friends & Family to book for each other. Qatar Airways has yet to explain the distinction in detail.

TLDR (Too long, didn't read)

1. If you don't have a Qatar Airways Privilege Club account, open one now (here) before the June rules take effect and before the 30-day restriction on linking it to your BA account become relevant.

2. Note the new booking limits: from June, Avios redemptions through Privilege Club will be limited to a Friends & Family list of up to six non-members, plus a 'My List' of up to four Privilege Club members.

3. Stay tuned: for Qatar's official clarification on how often the lists can be amended, this detail matters for anyone whose travel group changes regularly.

Helena

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