Smart With Points Podcast - Boost Your Miles & Points

Hello and welcome back to Smart With Points, the podcast that helps you make the most of your miles and points for incredible travel experiences. I'm your host Jack, and today I've got some rather interesting news that might not sound earth-shattering at first glance, but could actually make a real difference to how you use your business credit card points. We're talking about Capital on Tap quietly adding Qatar Airways Avios as a new transfer partner, and why this seemingly small change is actually quite significant for UK business owners who collect Avios. So grab your favourite beverage, settle in, and let's dive into why having more options is always a good thing when it comes to points and miles.

Now, Capital on Tap has quietly expanded its redemption options this week, and it's actually quite significant for UK business owners who collect Avios. The business credit card now allows you to convert your reward points directly into Qatar Airways Privilege Club Avios, not just British Airways Avios as before. On the surface, this might seem like a minor update. After all, both BA and Qatar use Avios, and you can book the same oneworld flights with either programme. But there's more to this than meets the eye.

So what's actually new here? Previously, Capital on Tap cardholders could only convert their points to British Airways Avios or Radisson Rewards. Now, Qatar Airways Privilege Club joins the mix, giving you three distinct redemption paths for the same points. The conversion rates remain the same regardless of which Avios programme you choose. Pro members get one point equals one Avios, which is a one-to-one conversion. If you're on the free plan, ten points equals eight Avios, which is effectively zero point eight Avios per point. If you're on the free plan and spending heavily, it's worth considering the Pro upgrade at two hundred and ninety-nine pounds annually, which gives you the full one-to-one conversion rate plus higher earning rates on spending.

Now, why does this actually matter? The key advantage isn't immediately obvious. Qatar Airways Privilege Club uses a different award chart to British Airways for certain routes, and sometimes offers better value, particularly for Middle Eastern and Asian destinations. For example, Qatar's award pricing to the Maldives or Southeast Asia can be more favourable than BA's pricing on the same routes. Having the flexibility to convert your Capital on Tap points to either programme means you can cherry-pick the best deal for your specific booking.

Plus, Qatar has been more generous with award availability on its own flights compared to BA's notoriously tight inventory on peak routes. If you're trying to book Qatar's excellent Qsuite business class product, having Avios in your Qatar account might give you better booking access.

Capital on Tap is also promoting a ten percent discount on Qatar Airways flights from the UK for cardholders. This is a cash discount on paid tickets, not award bookings, but it's still worth knowing about. Here's where it gets interesting: you could potentially double-dip by earning Capital on Tap points when you book a discounted Qatar cash ticket, then convert those points to Avios for a future award flight. It's not revolutionary, but it's the kind of stacking opportunity that adds up over time.

So, BA Avios versus Qatar Avios, which should you choose? This is where strategy comes in. For most UK-based travellers, British Airways Avios will likely remain the primary choice because you can book BA flights departing from your local UK airport, partner airlines like Aer Lingus, Iberia, and Finnair offer excellent value, BA's household account feature lets you pool Avios with family, and the companion voucher from BA credit cards works with BA Avios, not Qatar.

However, Qatar Avios makes sense when you're specifically targeting Qatar Airways flights, especially Qsuite, you're booking travel to the Middle East, Africa, or Asia where Qatar's pricing is better, you want to access Qatar's stopover programme in Doha, or you're finding poor BA award availability on your desired route. Our Award Travel Finder lets you compare award availability across both BA and Qatar Airways to see which offers better options for your specific route.

My take on this is that flexibility is always good. I've been using Capital on Tap for business expenses for a while now, and this Qatar Airways option genuinely improves the card's value proposition. It's not a game-changer, but it removes a limitation. The ability to choose where your points go at the point of conversion, rather than being locked into one programme, is proper flexibility. It means you can optimise for specific trips rather than committing to one ecosystem upfront.

That said, if you're new to Capital on Tap, remember that the real value is in the earning rate, not just the redemption options. Pro members earn one Avios per pound on all spending, which is competitive with other UK business credit cards, especially considering there's no foreign transaction fee.

Should you switch your redemption strategy? Probably not entirely. For most people, BA Avios will remain the default choice for the reasons mentioned above. But it's worth keeping Qatar as an option in your back pocket for specific bookings. My suggestion is this: before converting any Capital on Tap points, take five minutes to check award pricing on both BA and Qatar for your intended route. Sometimes the difference is marginal, but occasionally you'll find Qatar offers significantly better value, and now you have the option to take advantage of that. The Avios calculator on our site can help you quickly compare pricing between the two programmes for common routes.

The bottom line is this isn't headline-grabbing news, but it's a solid improvement to an already competitive business card. Capital on Tap continues to quietly enhance its offering without the fanfare that other card issuers use. If you don't have a Capital on Tap card yet and you're running a UK business, it's worth considering, particularly if you want a straightforward way to earn Avios on everyday business expenses. You can get the card by clicking the link in the shownotes. For existing cardholders, just remember you now have three redemption paths instead of two. Use them wisely.

That wraps up today's episode on Capital on Tap's new Qatar Airways transfer option. It might seem like a small change, but as we've discussed, these kinds of flexible redemption options can make a real difference when you're planning your next award trip. Thanks for listening to Smart With Points. If you found today's episode helpful, please subscribe to the podcast on all major platforms or visit our website at smartwithpoints.co.uk to stay up to date with all the latest points and miles news. Until next time, keep collecting those points wisely.

Looking for the best award flights? Use AwardTravelFinder.com to search availability across Qatar Airways, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and more. Try it for free with our link in the shownotes.