chinhk

Does anyone knows if traveling on BA first, which lounge can you use at DOHA airport? Is the Al-Safwa First Class lounge available since Qatar Airways is also a member of OW airlines.

AJO

According to the lounge guide, BA F pax can indeed access the Al Safwa F lounge: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/19777109-post13.html

msm2000uk

You will have access to the Al Sawfa Lounge.

Plenty of additional info on the QR Forum Dashboard.

M

TabTraveller

Small piece of advice: don't head to the airport early to spend time at Al Sawfa. If you have a connection in DOH then sure, it's more comfortable than the terminal.

Once you get over the architectural scale of the place, the food is mediocre, the drink selection very business class, the spa pay-only (and not cheap) and there is little else to do. Except look at some old arab pottery. Even watching aircraft movements is impossible as the windows are mostly covered by curtains.

It is not up there in the world's best F lounges by any stetch.

srbrenna

Whatever you do don't go to the OWE or OWS lounges!

TravellerFrequently

Good to know.

I think that fact has passed me by but I have not been in the situation where I have had to consider it. In recent years, my only DOH experiences have been flying on QR as a J passenger, where I knew my OWE status achieved nothing.

lost_in_translation

It kind of *is* a business class lounge in some senses, given most customers in there are flying short-haul in what would probably be branded as a business class product in Europe. Partly explains why the spa is paid, little effort is put into the food, etc, as there are a relatively small number of 'proper' F passengers going through each day.

OP, note that the champagne is definitely not 'very business class', so if you're looking to indulge in a few glasses of that then it might be worth turning up early.

daftboy

Just to avoid confusion for anyone dipping into this thread I believe it remains the case that only F pax can access Al Safwa (and only J or F who can access Al Mourjan).

If relying on status for access (OWS or OWE travelling in a class below J or F) you will be directed to the dedicated lounges for those passengers, not the Qatar flagship lounges.

travelwithross

Krug Grande Cuvee...
A Substantial Menu of usually over 15 made to order dishes...
A Games Room, Home Theatre Room, An F1 Simulator...
15 bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms..
It's own duty free area...


Yes, it's rubbish, it really is.

Prospero

As imposing and majestic as the space appears at first glance (architectural references sprung to mind such as the Smithsonian and the Great Court at the British Museum), once you sit down the facility fails in several ways to work as a lounge - as you say there is very little to stimulate the senses - no visible external activity, and unlike the museum examples there is precious little internal activity either. In fact if you study the surroundings, even at a cursory level, the space quickly reveals itself as a grand stage set. The walls are not monolithic as they first appear, and are in fact quite poorly constructed - the stone panels are wafer thin and light breaks through the panel joints to such an extent it is actually mildly comical. That said, the OJ is pretty good.

Now that I have found a selection of comfortable seats (in the central raised section) I actually prefer the Al Mourjan lounge

TabTraveller

1. No Krug - not there on my last visit a couple of weeks ago
2. Games room - for kids, if you like that kind of thing then cool
3. Bedrooms - great on a connection. Otherwise, whats the point?
4. Yes I love buying diamond encrusted bling in airports. Who doesn't? Can I get a solid gold tap there?

jamesreid978

I would disagree, the lounge is the best I have been in. I haven't ventured to any Cathay Pacific lounges, but it is a lot better for food, champagne, size, etc. than the concorde room in LHR and the LAX Qantas First Lounge which make up my top 3 of the ones I have visited.

In my opinion it is definitely worth the visit and is definitely an F lounge, not a J lounge. In fact I would say Al Mourjan is more of an F lounge than a J lounge, despite being for J fliers.

TabTraveller

Perhaps time to venture to some other F lounges?

The LAX F lounge has great food and service. It also has a pretty decent drinks list. It's a comfortable place to spend some time before a flight. It has a MUCH nicer atmosphere than Al Safwa. Is it one of the world's top F lounges? No. Would I rather spend an hour there or Al Safwa? LAX wins hands down.

Tobias-UK

I found the food bland and lukewarm, even the deserts lacked sweetness. On my last visit the champagne was the run of the mill Laurent-Perrier Brut Champagne.

TabTraveller

Interesting you say that. I was there for breakfast and both tables either side of me complained about the food. The eggs I ordered were undercooked and looked like they had come from an anemic hen which had never seen natural daylight. The pastries tasted terrible - I've seen better efforts at local hotels in provincial China. Perhaps the kitchen was having a bad day.