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Twice now in the past month I've been forced into the Oryx lounge at Doha. First was on my DONE3 ticket that was downgraded to Y for the short haul segment, the second time on BA in J.
Both times this lounge is absolutely terrible. Alcohol by request only. Rubbish selection. Crowded to the gills - I had to wait 10 mins for any pair of seats to open up. All the while the counter staff are terribly rude and yet keen to sell access via day passes to all comers.

This is one of the worst lounge scenarios in a developed-world long haul market. It is extremely irritating that oneworld hasn't forced QR to allow access to their own lounges for oneworld elites. I certainly will avoid QR in economy unless there are no other options due to this.

How is this different to the majority of the AA clubs in the USA? And did they need a tip to serve the booze?

Sounds like the rudeness factor that the OP mentioned might be a difference vis-à-vis AA. Normally, AAngels are quite polite and helpful.

That said, I avoided QR on a recent trip to the UAE as the experience provided by EY was superior.

I believe Star Alliance use the Oryx Lounge as well, which probably adds to the crowds.

Problem is the Premium Terminal doesn't have the capacity to entertain Y travelling elites during the late night/early morning rush hours. They wont be changing anything until the new airport opens.

Shouldn't we all feedback to oneworld??

Is there any channel to feedback to OW in a constructive way? I'm not sure who to contact w/ issues like this.

I don't think it will help much, unfortunately. The lounge access benefits specifically exclude the premium terminal in DOH and the QR premium terminal in LHR to elite access.

I have a feeling QR negotiated this when they joined oneworld. Maybe part of an effort to protect their five-star rating by keeping the "riff-raff" out. Who knows?

I will say you did get screwed though since you would now get first class on those Middle East legs on a DONEx.

CX keeps its 5 star rating by allowing all these "riff-raff" in and keep expanding their lounges and continue to build new ones at HKG- and CX lounge services at its hub is superior to any OW airline at their hub. so much HIGH quality choice.

other OW airlines like QF also have superior individual lounges QF first arguably the best on earth. ( and almost all OW airlines have superior lounges to their domestic/regional competitors)

all accessible to QR

I wonder how these negotiations went- BA must have wanted something..

also if QR wants its 5 star rating maintained they have more than enough money from their government to pay Skytrax.....

I didn't say it made sense, just throwing out my thoughts. QR seems to have taken the approach of BA's Concorde Room: Fly first (aka FIRST) on our metal and we will let you in.

I just noticed that QR will let you use their LHR lounge if you fly J or F on other airlines, not just QR. Has anyone tried to get in? Wait, it is in T4 but most the other OW carriers are in T3. I'm guessing you couldn't just pop in for a visit, right?

There aren't any other OW carriers in T4 though are there?

MH fly out of T4.

That's interesting. Is there an MH lounge at T4 also? Something to keep in mind if I fly either airline out of T4.

Yes, MH has a lounge in T4. Go right is F and left is business. Once inside, it is essentially the same lounge with some partition separating Biz from F (e.g. share same bar). Food and facilities are mediocre. I'd spend time in T3 or T5 (wherever you are transferring from) before going over to T4 to catch MH flight.

Yes, according to oneworld.com MH and QR lounges are next to eachother.

http://www.oneworld.com/documents/10...hrow3_1024.gif

I understand your point about Concorde Room, but don't forget that BA has an F lounge (very good, btw) accessible to all OW Emerald, even if they're flying Y.

Apart from the Concorde Room and the F lounge, BA also offers Galleries for C pax and OW Sapphire in T5. So, in fact, BA has 3 lounges for 3 different premium pax. To me, it makes perfect sense.

Oryx is light years behind Galleries, imho.

Star Alliance + SkyTeam + EY in one embarassment of a lounge in DOH.

QR joined OW well after the new DOH airport was due to be opened. Hardly seems sensible investing in massive new lounges in an airport that is due to be closed in the next few months.

As others have pointed out, the business side of the premium terminal is packed during the evening peak, literally, there are no seats. Hardly seems like a good idea to let QR Y pax in and other OW airlines F & J pax.

Regarding alcohol on request, remember this is a Muslim country where not everyone wants to be looking at free flowing booze. DOH is far from the only place where this happens though. VCE does this for example.

Best advice is to put up with it and/or wait for the new airport.

Yup. For the the time being , QR emerald y packs should be disallowed all f lounges in oneworld network. :) that make sense too. It is only reciprocal.

Here's one premise that I think you have incorrect. :p

The Oryx lounge is poor, for sure. (Though it's the same treatment that QR elites in Y have always gotten.) Though it has alcohol, showers, and semi-enclosed cubicles for sleeping -- but I don't think that I have ever seen one available. Horrible food, low-end alcohol selection, and no reading materials besides the local newspaper. The airport wi-fi rarely works and there isn't a separate one for the lounge. And, as you mentioned, the entry is slow (the process seems to be laughably inefficient; they scan your boarding pass, but then also write something on a clipboard and type something into the computer).

Another annoying thing is that they don't really have preferred boarding for elites. They have separate stanchions with oneworld signage, but I have never seen them used. Not that it would matter much anyway given the bus boarding -- but wouldn't it be nice if they had a dedicated bus for elite passengers traveling Y that left first. (I have been left without overhead space many times flying QR narrowbody Y.)

In QR's defense, they expected the new airport to be open by the time they joined oneworld. It will be interesting to see the offerings there; I wouldn't be surprised if they have separate (inferior) lounges for their own and oneworld elites flying Y (and non-elites flying other oneworld (BA/RJ) J) versus dedicated lounges for QR premium-class passengers.

Qatar Airways seems to have a clear strategy to favor premium-class passengers over elite members, to a greater extent than other carriers.

They probably know they've got a huge opportunity to steal high fare paying premium passengers from AA/BA/CX/QF etc and the other alliances going East and they're not going to ruin it by packing their premium lounges to the rafters with status passengers in Y. Sensible imo as the Premium Terminal is a big draw over other carriers.

Lots of interesting points, and having flown them recently as Emerald I've experience the QR treatment first hand. As for the lounge it's not the worst I've been in but compared to the rest of the airport it was a sanctuary.

The boarding is extremely frustrating - although I did manage to cut the queue and get through to the bus waiting area first it was more or less pointless as you all get on the same bus.

Personally I won't fly QR in Y as Emerald again until they have opened the new airport and I know that things have improved.