New Card, No New Benefits: Qatar Airways Unveils Weighty Card for Elite Members
Jeff Edwards July 08, 2019
Qatar Airways frequent flyers with top tier elite status will soon receive a weighty token of esteem. Although the airline’s new Platinum level Privilege Club membership cards won’t come with any new perks, the new cards will have a bit more heft behind them. The upgraded 27-gram platinum cards are made of an undisclosed alloy rather than platinum.
The Qatar Airways Loyalty and Customer Relationship Management team wants the airline’s most elite flyers to know they have heard their voices and have come up with the perfect way to return the loyalty they have demonstrated. This week, the Gulf carrier unveiled a brand new 27-gram precious metal membership card for its top-tier Platinum Privilege Club members.
“Our platinum tier is one of the hardest to achieve in the airline industry,” Qatar spokesperson Jake Miller said in a video announcing the new and improved membership card.
The highest tier in Privilege Club just became more special. Platinum members will really enjoy what we have in store for them. #QatarAirways pic.twitter.com/jkNzcmRrb3
— Qatar Airways (@qatarairways) July 8, 2019
“Platinum members give us a lot of feedback and they should. They want a card that represents the value and the weight that we give to their loyalty … We have found one of the heaviest cards that you’ll find anywhere in the world. It’s not actually made of platinum. But it is made of an alloy that is 27-grams.”
The airline mercilessly hyped the reveal of the new card. The exciting changes in store for the airline’s most elite flyers, however, begins and ends with the creation of an extraordinarily solid new membership card (although Miller did promise his team is “constantly trying to make the benefits of our program match the beauty of this card”).
“The highest tier in Privilege Club just became more special,” the airline teased prior to its big reveal. “Platinum members will really enjoy what we have in store for them.”
The announcement itself seems very much as if it had been filmed at a Nordstrom’s jewelry counter. In the video announcement, Miller excitedly explains that the only heavier card in existence is issued by a U.S. bank and requires a million dollars in assets, making the Qatar platinum card “the best value heavy card you’re gonna find.”
[Featured Image: Qatar Airways]
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“Our platinum tier is one of the hardest to achieve in the airline industry,” - it isn't. In the OneWorld alliance, attaining OWE status with QR's platinum is among the easiest.
I'm pretty sure the best value heavy card I can find would be searching for "metal cards" on aliexpress.
The card looks damaged with one corner missing. They had that corner covered in all promo materials. But why come up with such stupid design in the first place!
Frankly, I’d prefer all my credentials be stored in my phone rather than having to carry around dozens of cards I rarely use. I like bragging rights as much as the next guy, but sometimes it isn’t worth it.
Totally ridiculous in the age when most loyalty cards are migrating to Apple Wallet and its Android equivalent.