While credit cards tied to everything from airlines to one’s favorite department store may feel like a very modern thing, the concept actually dates back almost a hundred years.
The Air Travel Card, which American Airlines (AAL) launched in 1936 so that customers would not have to pay with cash (this was at a time before widespread debit and credit card use), was a precursor of this concept — it offered those who purchased tickets with it a 15% discount.
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The concept evolved to the point that, over the next 80 years, almost every airline launched some form of branded credit card.
These are the perks you get with the new Qatar Airways credit card
Qatar Airways, a Doha-based airline commonly associated with the highest levels of in-flight luxury, is the latest to bring one to the U.S. market. After testing the concept in its home market in Qatar as well as in Kuwait and in India, the airline has opened a waiting list for U.S. customers as of May 7.
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Similar in concept to other airline credit cards, this one is part of a partnership with the airline’s Qatar Airways Privilege Club loyalty program and San Francisco credit card platform Cardless. The card will be available in two versions — Visa Signature and Visa Infinite (V) — and will give holders a sign-up bonus as well as as an additional 5,000 or 10,000 bonus Avios points that can be spent in the network that also includes airlines such as American Airlines, British Airways and Cathay Pacific (CPCAF) .
The Signature card has an annual fee of $99 while the Infinite costs $499 annually. Differences between the two come down to faster points collection (five Avios points for every $1 spent vs. four for every $1 spent) and status earning (two Qpoints for every $1,500 spent vs. every $2,000 spent). After spending $5,000 within the first three months of opening, holders of the Infinite card will also get one year of Qatar Airways’ Gold status.
Sign-up is available but more details are coming soon
“In recent years, our member base has been growing at a fast pace and we have observed record levels of activity and engagement with our members across all our markets including the U.S., and that is reflective of the relevance of the programme for our members,” Qatar Airways Senior Vice President of Loyalty Thomas Vadakedath told TheStreet in an interview. “Our members in the U.S. can spend their Avios for award flights with not just Qatar Airways, but also our oneworld and other airline partners in the U.S. and around the world, in addition to many other reward options.”
Early registration has opened while those on the wait list were the first to receive information about how to sign up and get approved.
“The response from our members for our credit cards with Doha Bank (which were launched about 12 months ago) has been exceedingly positive, and that has been the case for our credit cards with other partners as well,” Vadakedath said further. “We are encouraged by it and have applied the learnings to enhance the proposition and offer more value to members in our subsequent credit cards, including the Qatar Airways Privilege Club Credit Cards in the USA.”
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