Hi all,

I'm travelling ARN-DOH-SIN-DOH-ARN on QR, and we're having a 19hr stopover on the way back. There are shorter stopovers on alternating days, but we had no choice but to take this date, because of work reasons.

After reading the forum threads (Tripadvisor, Flyertalk, Thaivisa) I thought that the STPC option sounded like a great offer.
Since we're on Q class and a heavily discounted fare (ECORES), I had no hopes that we would be offered STPC for free, but the $100 topup sounded good enough.

So I first called our QR tickeing office in Stockholm. No go. They didn't acknowledge that the $100 topup option existed, and told me to contact Qatar Airways Holidays to book their "Discover Qatar Stopover Program".

I called QAH in DOH, but this so-called stopover program is a joke. Basically they're just selling hotel rooms on it's own, there's no package including transfers or meals or transit visas, you'll have to arrange each part separately. And the room prices they offer are more expensive that other online booking engines!

For genuine STPC, QAH told me to try my luck at the arrival desk in DOH after touchdown.

Since we're travelling with an infant, my wife wasn't too keen on gambling with hotel availability and waiting until arrival in DOH. So I called the QR ticketing office in SIN instead.

The customer service was great (thank you Ms Cee Kay!). QR confirmed that ECORES fare didn't include STPC, so they went ahead to amend/reissue our tickets with the STPC. For $200, we get a room for two at the Al Seef (not the same hotel as Doha Seef), all meals included, hotel transfer both ways and transit visas issued on the spot. No additional charge for the infant.

A great bargain, considering that hotels in DOH are usually $170 or more just for the twin room alone!

I had to go down to the QR office in SIN to swipe my credit card in person, they don't do "sign on file" over the phone.

Note that the STPC might only offered to citizens of those countries that are eligible for "visa on the spot".
And also note that QR need three working days to reissue the tickets and confirm the hotel booking, so don't request this last minute. The best thing would off course be to demand the STPC topup before the tickets are issued, but we didn't know.

In fact, Ms Cee Kay even asked me where I found out about the $100 offer, since QR doesn't advertise it. I told her about these forums, and she was very surprised...