Qatar Airways Privilege Club - Qatar refusing to offer FF Miles for Kids

I just booked 3 tickets with Qatar for my wife and kids for an international trip flying out from IAD.

My wife and I opened FF accounts with them so we can earn miles. However, they do not allow accounts for kids younger than 18, and also since my wife's account was just opened she is at the privilege club tier and cannot get the kids miles credited to her account either.

So essentially they are telling me I am screwed, they can't do anything about this.

This seems ridiculous to me, after paying $ 3400 for 2 child tickets, I will get ZERO miles for them. Not to mention that my wife's ticket cost another $ 2000. Had I known this before, I would have definitely picked another airline.

Any suggestions on how to go about this? Has anyone else had similar experience and was able to get a reasonable solution?

Please help!

If you are based out of the US, crediting to either US or UA might be a decent alternative. Earning rates of course depend on what fare class you booked into.

United (https://www.united.com/CMS/en-US/marketing/custcomm/promotions/Pages/AirlinePartnerDetails.aspx?ItemId=439)

US (http://www.usairways.com/en-US/dividendmiles/earnmiles/staralliance_qatar.html)

Unsure if it is possible to bypass the age restrictions though.

You can't have separate accounts for your kids but you can definitely have a family account for them either under you or your wife. That way they earn miles that are credited to you or your wife.

You can't have separate accounts for your kids but you can definitely have a family account for them either under you or your wife. That way they earn miles that are credited to you or your wife.

This is not possible the last time I checked. I believe you need to be at Burgundy level in order for this to work. An email from Qatar confirmed the same.

Here's the email from them, verbatim.

Dear XXXX,

Thank you for your email.


We wish to inform you that since they are less than 18 years of age they cannot hold an individual account and earn miles for the flights flown by them and also note that since you are currently at privilege club tier level you also can not nominate them under your account and earn miles for the flights flown by them.

Kindly note that till the time you are at privilege club tier level their miles will not be credited to any account.

Sincerely,
Privilege Club Team
www.qmiles.com

If you are based out of the US, crediting to either US or UA might be a decent alternative. Earning rates of course depend on what fare class you booked into.

United (https://www.united.com/CMS/en-US/marketing/custcomm/promotions/Pages/AirlinePartnerDetails.aspx?ItemId=439)

US (http://www.usairways.com/en-US/dividendmiles/earnmiles/staralliance_qatar.html)

Unsure if it is possible to bypass the age restrictions though.

I guess that might by my only alternative, to open an account with United or US Airways for kids and capture the miles.

I believe they no longer participate with United though. I flew with Qatar in May 2011 and they said that they severed their relationship with United a few weeks earlier and I did't get a single mile for that trip.

At that time I didn't have an account with Qatar, but it was dumb of me that I didn't create one after and claim the miles.

I will check if US Air partners with them.

I hadn't thought that it would still not be a tiered account. US does still partner with them and even though the UA partnership is ending you still have a short while left where you can still earn miles with them.

I just booked 3 tickets with Qatar for my wife and kids for an international trip flying out from IAD.

My wife and I opened FF accounts with them so we can earn miles. However, they do not allow accounts for kids younger than 18, and also since my wife's account was just opened she is at the privilege club tier and cannot get the kids miles credited to her account either.

So essentially they are telling me I am screwed, they can't do anything about this.

This seems ridiculous to me, after paying $ 3400 for 2 child tickets, I will get ZERO miles for them. Not to mention that my wife's ticket cost another $ 2000. Had I known this before, I would have definitely picked another airline.

Any suggestions on how to go about this? Has anyone else had similar experience and was able to get a reasonable solution?

Please help!

Have you thought about canceling the tickets. Is that an option? Speak with your wallet and Let them know.