Qatar Airways and Accor Live Limitless (ALL) first launched a partnership back in 2016. Since then, members of both programs have been able to convert their points freely between the two programs.
As of today, Qatar Airways and Accor have deepened their partnership in the way of earning points with one program when flying or staying with the other, as well as sharing elite loyalty perks across both programs.
Thanks to Qatar Airways’s participation in the Avios loyalty program and the powerful ability to book world-renowned Qsuites business class product, this deeper partnership now gives you some useful advantages when staying at Accor hotels.
Earn Qatar Airways Avios for Accor Hotel Stays
British Airways Avios are quite a powerful points currency, with sweet spots ranging from flying Qatar Airways Qsuites to the Middle East for just 70,000 Avios one-way to short-haul flights within Europe and Asia starting from 6,000 Avios.
Beginning today, members with both Qatar Airways Privilege Club and Accor Live Limitless will be able to earn points when engaging with each other’s brands:
- Qatar Airways Privilege Club members can earn 1 Avios for every €1 spent within Accor’s hotel portfolio
- Accor Live Limitless members can earn 1 ALL point for every $2 (USD) spent on Qatar Airways flights
Note that these reciprocal points earnings are in addition to any regular points or Avios you’d earn within the original program: the ALL points you earn on Qatar Airways flights will stack on top of the Avios you’d already earn for the flight, and the Avios earned on Accor hotel stays will stack on top of the regular ALL points earnings.
Accor’s hotel footprint includes Sofitel, Raffles, and Fairmont on the luxury side, along with other well-known brands like Mövenpick, Pullman, Adagio, Ibis, Mercure, and Novotel. Accor’s presence across Europe and Asia is quite strong, so it’s possible you have stayed with Accor before realizing it in the past.
The ability to earn Avios on Accor hotel stays, including the ever-popular Fairmont brand here in Canada, is an exciting development that makes it more rewarding to stay with Accor.
The ALL loyalty program prioritizes flexibility over outsized value, as ALL points can only be redeemed for a fixed credit towards future Accor hotel stays. For those seeking to maximize their value of their points, this is often why ALL is commonly overlooked among hotel loyalty programs.
However, Accor’s deeper partnership with Qatar Airways Privilege Club allows them to offer guests outsized high-value rewards through Avios instead, which can then be redeemed towards with aspirational flights with Qatar Airways.
One-Time Reciprocal Status Challenge
As a one-time offer, Accor and Qatar Airways will be offering an opportunity for elite members in either program to earn status in the other. After one Accor stay:
- Qatar Airways Privilege Club Gold members will earn ALL Silver status
- Qatar Airways Privilege Club Platinum members will earn ALL Gold status
Note that there’s no match to Accor Live Limitless Platinum status, which is the tier that comes with more exciting benefits such as suite upgrades and lounge access.
On the opposite side, after one flight with Qatar Airways:
- ALL Gold members will earn Qatar Airways Privilege Club Silver status
- ALL Platinum members will earn Qatar Airways Privilege Club Gold status
- ALL Diamond members will earn Qatar Airways Privilege Club Platinum status
The requirements for this status challenge are very straightforward. Qatar Airways Privilege Club elite status will last for 12 months after the status match, while ALL status will last the rest of the calendar year that it’s earned and through the following year.
This is a one-time status matching opportunity in both directions, and your Privilege Club or ALL status will have to be renewed through regular qualifying activity in following years.
What Does Qatar Airways & ALL Status Get You?
Among the status-matching possibilities, the most widely applicable status-matching opportunity would be from Accor Gold to Qatar Airways Silver status.
Accor Gold status can easily be earned without any hotel stays by signing up for the Ibis Business Card at a cost of €90 per year, or by holding 50 shares of Accor through Accor Shareholders Club.
Prior to this announcement, it was often worth holding Accor Gold status through one of the above methods for the occasional Fairmont stay here and there.
Now, though, it’ll be even more beneficial, as you’d get Oneworld Ruby benefits via Qatar Airways Silver status, which comes with business class priority check-in, access to preferred and/or pre-reserved seating, and priority waitlist and standby when travelling on Oneworld flights.
Beyond Accor Gold status, the most exciting opportunity is for Accor’s top-tier Diamond elite members to match to Qatar Airways Privilege Club’s top-tier Platinum status.
Platinum status translates to Oneworld Emerald status, which is inarguably the best airline alliance-wide status available. Oneworld Emerald offers the usual fast-track security and priority boarding, but it also comes with First Class lounge access and access to First Class check-in counters.
This can be immensely rewarding, as you’d be able to access, say, the Cathay Pacific The Wing First Class Lounge in Hong Kong if you were flying any Oneworld airline – even in economy class.
One tier below, Qatar Airways Privilege Club Gold status is equivalent to Oneworld Sapphire status. This can be thought of as Oneworld’s equivalent of Star Alliance Gold, and comes with meaningful benefits like complimentary lounge access, priority perks, and extra baggage allowances.
To match to Qatar Airways Privilege Club Gold, you’d need Accor Platinum status – which will come true for one lucky prize winner at The Travel Summit through winning one of seven grand prizes.
Conclusion
Accor and Qatar Airways have taken their partnership to a deeper level with reciprocal points earning and elite status benefits.
Qatar Airways members can now earn Avios when staying with Accor, which makes it more rewarding to stay at brands like Fairmont, Sofitel, and Novotel – in addition to the usual ability to earn ALL points, you’ll also earn Avios that get can you closer to your next Qsuites flight as well.
Qatar Airways and Accor are also offering a generous one-time status challenge opportunity, allowing elite members with one program to easily earn elite status with the other.
This opportunity is especially rewarding for Accor loyalists, including top-tier Diamond members who now get very powerful Oneworld Emerald benefits, as well as easily accessible Gold members who pick up a year’s worth of Oneworld Ruby for no additional effort.
