Doha-based Qatar Airlines is a member of the oneworld alliance and transfer partner of the Citi ThankYou and Starwood Preferred Guest programs. While the Qatar elite program is not exactly cutting edge, the benefits are decent, and most importantly, being an elite Privilege Club member means you get elite benefits on other oneworld flights.

Etihad Airways, one of the most renowned airlines in the world, is a UAE carrier based in Abu Dhabi and a fierce competitor of another venerable airline – Emirates. Like Emirates, Etihad is not a part of any alliance, however, it has eight partners in the aptly named Etihad Airlines Partners program. The partnership includes seven other airlines: Alitalia, Etihad Regional, airberlin, Niki, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles and Jet Airlines, and you can use reciprocal Etihad elite benefits when you fly on these airlines.