Nov 5, 2015, 11:11 am
Last edit by: CPH-Flyer
READ BEFORE COMMENTING IF YOU ARE NEW,
Hamad International Airport (HIA) offers passengers a number of different lounges.
This thread, is specifically for the Al Safwa First Class Lounge. Information on the other Lounge options at HIA, can be found here.
Does Al Safwa have a web page?
Yes: http://www.qatarairways.com/global/e...-al-safwa.page
Dining Menu
https://www.qatarairways.com/content...-dining-en.pdf
Where can I find Al Safwa Lounge?
The Lounge is located on Level 3 of the airport.
Can I use the Qatar Airways Al Safwa Lounge?
Access is based on your underlying fare bucket. This means that upgraded tickets, maybe except upgrades with QPoints (see post 2735), are not granted access.
Access is thus restricted to Qatar Airways First Class, and OneWorld First Class passengers :
- either holding a First Class boarding pass* for their next flight
- or holding a First Class boarding pass from their previous flight.
Additionally, Privilege Club platinum club travelling on any business-class fare are welcomed into the lounge. This is a facility introduced recently and one that could just as easily disappear.
- Guests are not permitted.
* Operational Upgrades to First do not give access. Upgrades with Qpoints may do give acces (see post 2735 - Sept 2022)
Arrival access on mid and long haul? (eg. coming from LHR in F)
YES
Ex. CAI-DOH-HEL
Arrival access regional F? (eg. coming from CAI in F)
Yes.
Caveat, if your underlying J fare is P, then the no lounge access for business light kicks in. And there is no access.
Privilege Club Platinum members are currently allowed in the lounge when travelling on any QR business-class fare: that could change. Other Oneworld Emerald members are directed to the Platinum lounge(s) when travelling in any class, and the Al Mourjan lounge when travelling on relevant business-class fares. Yup, it gets complicated.
What does the lounge look like?
Reports on the Lounge, can be found here and here. Photographs of the lounge, can be found here.
Is there a Spa?
Yes, there is a full Spa, but you will have to pay for treatments. A full list of treatments available can be found here
What about the sleeping rooms?
Stargold in http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/28199729-post1177.html suggests that access to sleeping rooms is as follows:
'* No reservations allowed - always first-come first-served
* Only available if the remaining time until the flight departure is more than 4 hours
* Passengers are allowed maximum six hours' usage - for any further usage, a fee of QAR 450 is payable for a second block of six hours.
* No F&B of any kind except bottled water in the sleeping rooms.'
What changes can I expect during Ramadan?
Ramadan affects QR and you in many ways so please look at ramadan to see how you are affected.
Updated: 19/11/2023
Hamad International Airport (HIA) offers passengers a number of different lounges.
This thread, is specifically for the Al Safwa First Class Lounge. Information on the other Lounge options at HIA, can be found here.
Does Al Safwa have a web page?
Yes: http://www.qatarairways.com/global/e...-al-safwa.page
Dining Menu
https://www.qatarairways.com/content...-dining-en.pdf
Where can I find Al Safwa Lounge?
The Lounge is located on Level 3 of the airport.
Can I use the Qatar Airways Al Safwa Lounge?
Access is based on your underlying fare bucket. This means that upgraded tickets, maybe except upgrades with QPoints (see post 2735), are not granted access.
Access is thus restricted to Qatar Airways First Class, and OneWorld First Class passengers :
- either holding a First Class boarding pass* for their next flight
- or holding a First Class boarding pass from their previous flight.
Additionally, Privilege Club platinum club travelling on any business-class fare are welcomed into the lounge. This is a facility introduced recently and one that could just as easily disappear.
- Guests are not permitted.
* Operational Upgrades to First do not give access. Upgrades with Qpoints may do give acces (see post 2735 - Sept 2022)
Arrival access on mid and long haul? (eg. coming from LHR in F)
YES
Ex. CAI-DOH-HEL
Arrival access regional F? (eg. coming from CAI in F)
Yes.
Caveat, if your underlying J fare is P, then the no lounge access for business light kicks in. And there is no access.
Privilege Club Platinum members are currently allowed in the lounge when travelling on any QR business-class fare: that could change. Other Oneworld Emerald members are directed to the Platinum lounge(s) when travelling in any class, and the Al Mourjan lounge when travelling on relevant business-class fares. Yup, it gets complicated.
What does the lounge look like?
Reports on the Lounge, can be found here and here. Photographs of the lounge, can be found here.
Is there a Spa?
Yes, there is a full Spa, but you will have to pay for treatments. A full list of treatments available can be found here
What about the sleeping rooms?
Stargold in http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/28199729-post1177.html suggests that access to sleeping rooms is as follows:
'* No reservations allowed - always first-come first-served
* Only available if the remaining time until the flight departure is more than 4 hours
* Passengers are allowed maximum six hours' usage - for any further usage, a fee of QAR 450 is payable for a second block of six hours.
* No F&B of any kind except bottled water in the sleeping rooms.'
What changes can I expect during Ramadan?
Ramadan affects QR and you in many ways so please look at ramadan to see how you are affected.
Updated: 19/11/2023
QR Al Safwa First Class Lounge
Jul 17, 2016, 12:16 am
#826
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: AUH
Posts: 8,265
Jul 18, 2016, 12:29 pm
#827
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: BHX
Programs: BA GGL CCR GfL, SQ Gold, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond, Marriott Plat, Cafe Nero Loyalty Card (7 Stamps)
Posts: 7,327
Jul 19, 2016, 8:35 am
#828
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Doha
Programs: QR Platinum
Posts: 169
Got an Operational Upgrade on my way to Dubai, but was denied access to AL Safwa. The lady at the desk insisted it's been this way all along - which I know from my own experience it's not the case. Bummer.
Also tried to get to Al Mourjan, but same result.
Also tried to get to Al Mourjan, but same result.
Jul 19, 2016, 8:47 am
#829
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: BHX
Programs: BA GGL CCR GfL, SQ Gold, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond, Marriott Plat, Cafe Nero Loyalty Card (7 Stamps)
Posts: 7,327
I just don't think it was aggressively enforced until now.
Jul 19, 2016, 8:51 am
#830
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Doha
Programs: QR Platinum
Posts: 169
Jul 24, 2016, 2:43 am
#831
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Manila
Programs: Qatar Gold
Posts: 205
First Timer Opinion
Spent 9 hours in the lounge yesterday between the hours of 4am and 1pm.
Overall, I would say the experience was generally positive. However, much depends on the time of visit...post 11am being far superior than the early morning rush.
The Good
- An incredible layout and design for an airport lounge. Pictures don't do it justice.
- Helpful staff in the restaurant. Eager to offer top-up's for all beverages.
- The couches and lounge chairs are very relaxing.
- Quiet rooms are excellent. Bed was very comfortable.
- The shuttle bus connection from the lounge is useful.
The Bad
- Had to wait 2.5 hours for a quiet room.
- Only breakfast being served in the mornings. Found this terrible as breakfast had been served on the first flight from Manila. Body clock wanted some wholesome food, rather than eggs or pancakes. Very annoying.
Also, why there is a Sushi Table and Salad counter at the shuttle departure area I have no idea. Seems ridiculous when such a big restaurant 2 min walk away!
Will be happy to pass through again in the near future.
Overall, I would say the experience was generally positive. However, much depends on the time of visit...post 11am being far superior than the early morning rush.
The Good
- An incredible layout and design for an airport lounge. Pictures don't do it justice.
- Helpful staff in the restaurant. Eager to offer top-up's for all beverages.
- The couches and lounge chairs are very relaxing.
- Quiet rooms are excellent. Bed was very comfortable.
- The shuttle bus connection from the lounge is useful.
The Bad
- Had to wait 2.5 hours for a quiet room.
- Only breakfast being served in the mornings. Found this terrible as breakfast had been served on the first flight from Manila. Body clock wanted some wholesome food, rather than eggs or pancakes. Very annoying.
Also, why there is a Sushi Table and Salad counter at the shuttle departure area I have no idea. Seems ridiculous when such a big restaurant 2 min walk away!
Will be happy to pass through again in the near future.
Jul 24, 2016, 1:41 pm
#832
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: BOS
Programs: B6 Mosaic, Hyatt Plat, SPG/MAR Gold, Nat'l EEE
Posts: 128
How busy is Al Safwa in the early evening? Arriving in DOH from BOS (flying J) at 17:45, and departing to AUH (in F) at 02:15 --- what's like capacity usually at during this time? Looks like most of the USA flights arrive around that time, so I'm curious if the sleeper rooms will be fully booked when we get there.
I'm assuming we can reserve the sleeper room when we get there, and if they're full, be added to a waiting list until 1 opens up?
Thanks in advance!
I'm assuming we can reserve the sleeper room when we get there, and if they're full, be added to a waiting list until 1 opens up?
Thanks in advance!
Jul 27, 2016, 4:41 pm
#833
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: BOS
Programs: B6 Mosaic, Hyatt Plat, SPG/MAR Gold, Nat'l EEE
Posts: 128
How busy is Al Safwa in the early evening? Arriving in DOH from BOS (flying J) at 17:45, and departing to AUH (in F) at 02:15 --- what's like capacity usually at during this time? Looks like most of the USA flights arrive around that time, so I'm curious if the sleeper rooms will be fully booked when we get there.
I'm assuming we can reserve the sleeper room when we get there, and if they're full, be added to a waiting list until 1 opens up?
Thanks in advance!
I'm assuming we can reserve the sleeper room when we get there, and if they're full, be added to a waiting list until 1 opens up?
Thanks in advance!
Spoke to waitress while dining and asked what "peak times" we're, she said it starts getting busy around midnight and is most full between 00:00-05:30. We left the lounge at 01:30, and it still felt very empty.
As expected, no Krug, but the Comtes was great. Waitress advised it was pulled from the lounge entirely 3 months ago, FWIW.
Jul 29, 2016, 12:11 am
#835
Moderator: Qatar Airways
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: LHR/NCE/MIA
Programs: BAEC GfL & GGL, SQ Gold, Amex Centurion, Mucci des Chevaliers des Bons Mots et Qui Savent Moucher
Posts: 8,947
The EK F Lounges are simply J Lounges with fewer seats and fewer people.
The Al Safwa is a marble space with seats...opposed to a lounge!
M
Jul 29, 2016, 5:30 am
#836
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: SYD | HGH
Programs: CX DM, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton DM, Marriott Plat
Posts: 2,121
Assuming you are referring to the multiple EK F Lounges at DXB, I would say the Al Safwa is a nicer space and much larger - but the food was much better in the EK Lounge, and there were free Spa Treatments available to F passengers...not for OWE.
The EK F Lounges are simply J Lounges with fewer seats and fewer people.
The Al Safwa is a marble space with seats...opposed to a lounge!
M
The EK F Lounges are simply J Lounges with fewer seats and fewer people.
The Al Safwa is a marble space with seats...opposed to a lounge!
M
Jul 29, 2016, 6:32 am
#837
Moderator: Qatar Airways
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: LHR/NCE/MIA
Programs: BAEC GfL & GGL, SQ Gold, Amex Centurion, Mucci des Chevaliers des Bons Mots et Qui Savent Moucher
Posts: 8,947
Jul 29, 2016, 11:48 am
#839
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: NYC/PSP
Programs: AA EXP, A3 Gold
Posts: 4,106
Sadly Al Safwa had the potential to be the best airport lounge in the world. It has fallen short of that. But the hard product is there. An adjustment of the soft product, which is easier to accomplish, and it could be the great lounge it was supposed to be.
Aug 13, 2016, 6:22 am
#840
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Phuket
Programs: SQ *Gold, BA, QR, EY, Hilton Diamond, IHG Plat, Marriott Gold, Amex Plat
Posts: 5,268
Am in Al Safwa now - very nice!
So......no access if arriving from DWC/DXB/AUH in F and connecting in J (because there is no F!) still...?
So......no access if arriving from DWC/DXB/AUH in F and connecting in J (because there is no F!) still...?