Qatar Airways, looking to build loyalty with young adults prior to their entry into the workforce, has launched the Student Club program.
It’s accessible to full- and part-time students between 18-30 years of age and is directly connected with its Privilege Club. Members of the Student Club are automatically made members of the Privilege Club as well.
Cardholders can earn Qmiles when they travel on Qatar Airways and any other airline in the Oneworld alliance, which includes American Airlines, British Airlines, Qantas and others. They can also earn Qmiles when they spend money with retail and lifestyle partners, including for hotel stays, and when they use Qatar Airways credit cards for any purchases.
Flight-related benefits of becoming a Student Club member include lower prices on flights, a greater baggage allowance, more flexible booking options, a complimentary date change and high-speed Wi-Fi.
Upon joining, members will receive a digital card – no physical cards will be produced – and it will be stored in either the airline’s app or the device’s mobile wallet.
Those who take advantage of this program will start out as burgundy members, the initial one of Qatar Airways’ four membership categories. The other three are silver, gold and platinum. Once a card holder has completed their studies and graduates, they will be provided with a tier upgrade, dependent on them having been a traveling Student Club member for at least a year.
Akbar Al Baker, the airline’s group chief executive, said that the Student Club has been designed with students in mind, and he knows that “travel is an important part of their life” and how many use air travel to do things such as study abroad. Some cardholders are also expected to use Qatar Airways to visit family and friends, for gap-year travel and to go on other international trips.
The Privilege Club is being transformed, and the introduction of the Student Club is one aspect of that. These changes have been done to ensure that those taking advantage of Qatar Airways’ services continue to “receive the very best offers and benefits” and are “rewarded for their continued loyalty.”
Qatar Airways is one of the world’s premier airlines, having received a number of accolades since its founding in 1993. For example, it earned the World Airline Award for “World’s Best Airline” in 2019. In achieving its honors, it transports passengers on 237 planes to 172 destinations.