Advice / Suggestions for AMM & DOH
Apr 28, 2019, 2:13 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 1,355
Advice / Suggestions for AMM & DOH
Hi guys
I’m starting to look at holiday options for early next year and have come across a decent price for flights from DUB-AMM & DOH-DUB (about €1500 in J). The only part of the Middle East I’ve been to was Dubai and while I really enjoyed it, I’m not sure I’d be rushing back
Firstly, does anyone have experience of DOH or AMM. Are they worth visiting? Are they very strict / conservative?
Secondly, as I’ll be transiting LHR both ways, would people suggest DOH first and come back on the daytime A321 from AMM or vice versa. If I do DOH first, the earliest arrival is about midnight which isn’t ideal with most other arrivals about 6am and having never flown QR before, I think I’d prefer to enjoy them on a daytime flight as opposed to a short overnight.
I’m also considering lounges. I’m BA Gold so am I better to stick to BA on the outbound to AMM and then use the QR lounge in DOH or is the lounge BA use in AMM worth a shot?
Finally QR have a mix of metal ex LHR (A350, A380, 777). Any preference of aircraft for a couple in J?
Lots of questions I know but would be grateful for any advice
Thanks as always
I’m starting to look at holiday options for early next year and have come across a decent price for flights from DUB-AMM & DOH-DUB (about €1500 in J). The only part of the Middle East I’ve been to was Dubai and while I really enjoyed it, I’m not sure I’d be rushing back
Firstly, does anyone have experience of DOH or AMM. Are they worth visiting? Are they very strict / conservative?
Secondly, as I’ll be transiting LHR both ways, would people suggest DOH first and come back on the daytime A321 from AMM or vice versa. If I do DOH first, the earliest arrival is about midnight which isn’t ideal with most other arrivals about 6am and having never flown QR before, I think I’d prefer to enjoy them on a daytime flight as opposed to a short overnight.
I’m also considering lounges. I’m BA Gold so am I better to stick to BA on the outbound to AMM and then use the QR lounge in DOH or is the lounge BA use in AMM worth a shot?
Finally QR have a mix of metal ex LHR (A350, A380, 777). Any preference of aircraft for a couple in J?
Lots of questions I know but would be grateful for any advice
Thanks as always
Apr 28, 2019, 2:32 am
#2
Join Date: Oct 2017
Programs: Honors Diamond
Posts: 1,639
I’m assuming that AMM can’t be paired in a open jaw without TLV on this fare? This would open up some potentially interesting itineraries depending on if you would be interested in visiting Israel and the OPT.
Apr 28, 2019, 2:44 am
#3
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Kendal, Cumbria and Luzon
Programs: BA Silver, PR Elite, Avis Preferred Plus, PC Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 1,125
Check out threads on OW lounges in Doha
If lounge in Doha is important then be sure to use QR. Even OW (BA Gold) Emerald has a separate and very poor lounge. The QR lounges are excellent.
Apr 28, 2019, 2:45 am
#5
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 648
Also if the fare is coming out at €1500 have you thought about going to Asia as well and doing a longish stopover in say DOH?
Apr 28, 2019, 2:52 am
#6
Join Date: Nov 2004
Programs: BA GGL, LH FTL
Posts: 3,578
Doha is a fairly interesting place to spend a few days. Not very touristy, fairly conservative, decent food options. There is not an awful lot of things to do, so I wouldn't spend a long time there though.
Amman itself is ok-ish, the appeal is probably more the rest of the country (Petra is amazing, some nice spots along the Jordan, a lot of historic sites). It's rougher than Qatar and the infrastructure is not as good, but shouldn't be a problem.
In terms of lounges DOH is better than AMM.
Amman itself is ok-ish, the appeal is probably more the rest of the country (Petra is amazing, some nice spots along the Jordan, a lot of historic sites). It's rougher than Qatar and the infrastructure is not as good, but shouldn't be a problem.
In terms of lounges DOH is better than AMM.
Apr 28, 2019, 6:56 am
#9
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Economy, mostly :(
Programs: Skywards Gold
Posts: 7,801
Apr 28, 2019, 7:20 am
#10
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Nashville,TN
Programs: AA Gold Elite
Posts: 601
Agree with skyward hunter about BEY. More cosmopolitan and not neatly as conservative as AMM and DOH, great food and nightlife, beaches and its besutiful. Many historic sights nesrby for day trips. Amm is nothing soecial. Only transited in DOH. BEY to me is better than DXB, AMM and DOH.
Apr 28, 2019, 7:23 am
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: SE1, London
Posts: 23,435
BEY is fun in its own right but also gateway to a marvellous country - thousands of years of history, stunning landscape, epic food
AMM is a bit dull, but similarly gateway to a remarkable country to explore from Petra to Jerash, Wadi Rum to the coast
MCT has some interesting parts and Oman is well worth exploring too
DOH. Well you can just about fill 24 hours and there are some very fancy hotels
However it depends on your taste for adventure. Any of the top 3 I would happily go back too (and have done more than once). If I never visited DOH again... it would be just fine.
AMM is a bit dull, but similarly gateway to a remarkable country to explore from Petra to Jerash, Wadi Rum to the coast
MCT has some interesting parts and Oman is well worth exploring too
DOH. Well you can just about fill 24 hours and there are some very fancy hotels
However it depends on your taste for adventure. Any of the top 3 I would happily go back too (and have done more than once). If I never visited DOH again... it would be just fine.
Apr 28, 2019, 7:33 am
#13
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 1,020
BEY is fun in its own right but also gateway to a marvellous country - thousands of years of history, stunning landscape, epic food
AMM is a bit dull, but similarly gateway to a remarkable country to explore from Petra to Jerash, Wadi Rum to the coast
MCT has some interesting parts and Oman is well worth exploring too
DOH. Well you can just about fill 24 hours and there are some very fancy hotels
However it depends on your taste for adventure. Any of the top 3 I would happily go back too (and have done more than once). If I never visited DOH again... it would be just fine.
AMM is a bit dull, but similarly gateway to a remarkable country to explore from Petra to Jerash, Wadi Rum to the coast
MCT has some interesting parts and Oman is well worth exploring too
DOH. Well you can just about fill 24 hours and there are some very fancy hotels
However it depends on your taste for adventure. Any of the top 3 I would happily go back too (and have done more than once). If I never visited DOH again... it would be just fine.
Oman is a really nice place to see and my favourite of the gulf countries. Also I want to echo that BEY is a good place and Jordan as a whole has some lovely places but not necessarily in AMM itself.
Likewise I agree about DOH. Next time you fly on QR maybe to somewhere work in a 24 hour layover in DOH to have a look but I wouldn't spend a holiday really there considering some rather lovely places around in the Gulf. Different for all though of course.
Apr 28, 2019, 7:44 am
#14
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,804
I think all 4 locations have good reason to visit, BEY really should be on the list of weekend break locations, it is less conservative than Istanbul. It's got a thriving LGBT community for example, which you're not going to find in Muscat. Getting around the Lebanon is a bit awkward, I suppose, and BEY is surprisingly hilly too, but if you get a on with a particular driver then all the doors will open. Amman and Oman are also laid back, and in the case of Amman there are a lot, huge number of sightseeing options both in the city and nearby. Muscat is not as well developed, but it's the best of the locations for good quality hotels and for a relaxing break. Doha is interesting, it has a downtown area but a lot of development is going on, it's the most modern of these cities. The museums there are filled up with artifacts (having a rich boss helps) and in some ways the Iranian (Wa'qif) Souq is the more accessible of the many available in these cities.
So in a sense I don't think you can go wrong but if it's just a weekend I think BEY is a good one. You will find a number of mini trip reports from recent visitors elsewhere in this forum.
So in a sense I don't think you can go wrong but if it's just a weekend I think BEY is a good one. You will find a number of mini trip reports from recent visitors elsewhere in this forum.