It’s never fun when a loyalty program adds more rules, especially when those rules make it harder to use your points and miles. But that’s exactly what Qatar Airways just did with its new policy that limits who you can redeem Avios for.

Here’s what you need to know. 

 

What’s Changing?

Up until now, Qatar Airways Privilege Club members could redeem Avios for just about anyone. But under its new policy, you’ll need to use one of two features to book an award ticket for someone else: My List or Family & Friends. And unfortunately, both options come with restrictions that make booking for other travelers much less flexible than before.

 

My List Comes With Some Strings Attached

The new My List feature lets you redeem Avios for up to four other Qatar Privilege Club members. But there are some catches.

Anyone you want to add must be at least 18 years old, have their own Privilege Club account, and accept your invitation. After you add them, they have to stay on your list for at least six months before you can remove them or they can join someone else’s list.

But the real headache is the eligibility requirements. Before you can create either a My List or Family & Friends account, your Privilege Club account must be at least 30 days old and meet one of the following requirements:

• Earn Avios from a flight on Qatar Airways or one of its partner airlines, or
• Earn Avios through an eligible Qatar Airways co-branded credit card

That means travelers who simply create a Privilege Club account and transfer credit card points after finding award availability may not be able to use either feature right away. If you’ve never flown Qatar or earned Avios through one of its co-branded cards, you’ll want to check your eligibility before you need to book.

 

Family & Friends Isn’t a Perfect Solution, Either

If you’re thinking the existing Family & Friends feature solves the problem, not so fast. Unlike My List, Family & Friends is designed to let eligible members pool Avios together, not just redeem them for one another. But it’s primarily designed for family members who don’t already have a Privilege Club account.

So if your spouse, parents or adult children already have their own accounts, as many frequent travelers do, they won’t qualify to be added through Family & Friends.

Related: Airlines That Let You Pool Points

 

Why It Matters

These changes mean spontaneous award bookings for family members may no longer be an option. If you think you’ll eventually redeem Qatar Avios for someone else, it’s worth taking the time now to open your Privilege Club account so that the 30-day clock starts running.

You’ll also want to make sure you’ve completed a qualifying earning activity before you’re ready to book. Otherwise, you could find award flight space, transfer points into your account and then discover you can’t redeem them for the traveler you had in mind.