vasantn

I appreciate the heads-up! First time on QR; looking forward to the experience.

Shuttle-Bored

Yup, both the Other Half and I are OWE (through BAEC).

Wozza2404

Those seats with blankets over by the window in the J lounge are great for a couple of hours kip. If they're all full, there are two black Lay-Z-Boy type chairs on the far right by the smoking room (stand next to the windows, facing the windows, look to your right, head in that direction) that can be used to sleep on.

zehbra

Hey everyone, I have a few questions to "prepare" myself for the PT :=)

I'll be on my first mixed ticket in a week, arriving in DOH in Y and departing in J (both on QR). Now my question is, how do I get to the PT? Some people suggest you'd have to tell people at the normal Transfer Terminal and they'll get you over there, other people say you just have to stay on the bus after you get off the aircraft, and it'll get to the PT in the end.
Does anyone have a definitive answer to that? I would be interested if anyone had any experiences/tips on how to handle the situation.

Second question: Apparently there's an a la carte service in the J lounge as well, as mentioned earlier in this thread. In which food-area is this?
I've eaten at the buffet to the left after the entrance and didn't notice anything like that except for drinks. And will this be available during "evening rush hour" (10pm - 2am)?

Thanks for any advice!

impeymac

If you're arriving in Y have a word with the Cabin Crew before landing, they may allow you to exit through the J cabin & access the J bus. Otherwise just exit with the Y passengers onto the normal bus & stay on it. You should have a burgundy transfer wallet & if you keep showing that to the bus driver/ground staff the bus should eventually deposit you at the PT.

You can get off at the main terminal (better Duty Free choices) if you want. You then go to an office by Gate 1 & they put you on a shuttle across to the PT. However, it was a while ago when I did it, might be different now.

I've used the a la carte in the same dining area you've mentioned, after you've sat down just ask for a menu. This should be available during the evening rush hour for precisely that reason - it's rush hour with lots of customers.

Wozza2404

Inform the staff on the flight that you're connecting to a J flight and need a PT connection card.

The buffet on the left also has a la carte options but I'm not sure if they run 24 hours.

zehbra

Thank you both for your replies!

I'll try to get on the J bus directly, though I seem to recall someone saying that they won't let "the kettle" mix with premium costumers. But worth a try, fingers crossed..

LondonElite

This is an interesting thread. As so often on FT, it goes on a lot longer than it probably should, with a lot of armchair speculation of the 'should be' or 'according to rule xyz', indeed DYKWIA variety.

It is pretty clear, as I realised a few weeks ago (again). This is a QR facility for J and F pax departing on QR metal. Period.

I posted my own experience in the BA forum. I assumed (like so many here) that as a OWE I had access. The first time it worked; because I spent so much time in the little duty free cigar humidor that I never actually went into the lounge before boarding. The second time, several weeks later, I got as far as the F lounge before the chap standing at the top of the escalator informed me what I wrote in the preceding paragraph. He was very polite and arranged for a BMW to take me to the main (ie dump) terminal. The Oryx lounge was a total zoo, not worth paid access. The only redeeming thing was watching people slipping on the slopey bit to get to the middle seating section.

Enigma368

I imagine this has been asked before but after searching for 20mins I cant find an answer.

I will be arriving in Doha on a QR F class ticket and will be connecting on a QR J Class the next day. Will they give me access to the First class section of the premium terminal given that my arrival flight was F, even though my departure flight on the same booking is J. The overall flight was booked in business class so not sure why I have been given one flight marketed as F.

In the unlikely event I get access to the first class section, can I use the sleeping rooms for an overnight sleep instead of hotel or are they only for a few hours?

nth_utsera_sth_utsera

No, is the quick answer. Lounge access is based on COS for your departing flight. Forget what other OW airlines offer (e.g. access to BA's CCR based on arriving F and departing in any class).

Go into Doha (it's on the doorstep of the airport) if you want to sleep. I can recommend the K108 which is < 10 mins in a cab from the airport and usually heavily discounted on aggregator booking sites.

Enigma368

I presumed so. It wouldn't hurt to ask in the hope of a sympathetic dragon though right?

Thanks will do, are cabs ok priced in Doha? Are cabbies trustworthy?

nth_utsera_sth_utsera

I wouldn't even bother asking, the rules for access are clearly defined and you only risk being disappointed.

Cabs are cheap as chips compared to London.

One tip at any hotel: you may get some story about how difficult it is to find cabs and that you should use the hotel car service. The latter will cost you more. Sometimes it'll take two or three polite declines of the hotel car service before the penny drops.

Do tip whoever is sent out to find you a cab. They're likely poorly paid and enjoy few employment rights.

Alternatively, you could easily walk to the QR PT from the K108 in about 45 minutes.

LondonElite

Spending a night in a lounge, whether permitted or not, rather than paying for a hotel room which is what they were invented for, is not F class.

tomnativenewyorker

then what were the sleeping rooms in the Doha F lounge invented for?

Wozza2404

A lot of flights arrive at around 2am from Europe, and connections depart at around 7am. Those sleeping rooms are great for situations like that when a hotel isn't an option.