Old Nov 5, 2015, 11:11 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: CPH-Flyer
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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


Print Wikipost

QR Al Safwa First Class Lounge

Old Apr 4, 2019, 12:21 pm
  #1651  
 
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New flyer on QR and traveling later this week JFK-DOH-KWI.

JFK-DOH is in Business, but DOH-KWI is in First. Any ideas on whether I would have access to the lounge or would have to pay?

Reading through the Wiki and some of the posts, wasn't that clear.
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Old Apr 4, 2019, 11:38 pm
  #1652  
 
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Originally Posted by DCATraveler
New flyer on QR and traveling later this week JFK-DOH-KWI.

JFK-DOH is in Business, but DOH-KWI is in First. Any ideas on whether I would have access to the lounge or would have to pay?

Reading through the Wiki and some of the posts, wasn't that clear.
Yes. You can access the Al Safawa for free no charge.
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Old Apr 6, 2019, 11:28 am
  #1653  
 
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This is the most amazing lounge I have ever been in!

I am sitting by the bar typing this and there does not seem to be any other passengers here; me and six staff! I have had an offer of a top-up is champagne from four different staff over the last ten minutes or so.

Just spotted another passenger but a quick rotation of my head between words counts eight staff.
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Old Apr 6, 2019, 11:37 am
  #1654  
 
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​​​Spotted a further two passengers and now nine staff; the staff : passenger ratio is plummeting; where are QR heading?
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Old Apr 7, 2019, 8:48 am
  #1655  
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Originally Posted by hobnob2
If you arrive on BA LHR to DOH and connect on a QR business class ticket can you use the first class lounge?

The wiki implies its QR only but then also says one world first class passengers can access the lounge
If you mean BA First connecting to QR Business; do not think so. oneworld First Class passengers ( other than QR ) could only access the lounge when they are on a flight departing from Doha.
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Old Apr 11, 2019, 8:07 am
  #1656  
 
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Does anyone know if I can get into lounge flying in F but redemption ticket through British Airways? I dont want to be stuck in "Emerald" lounge. Thanks
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Old Apr 11, 2019, 8:19 am
  #1657  
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Originally Posted by 747jetter
Does anyone know if I can get into lounge flying in F but redemption ticket through British Airways? I dont want to be stuck in "Emerald" lounge. Thanks
You should be allowed to the Al Safwa Lounge because of oneworld lounge policies. If I'm not wrong, Qatar Airways can't restrict the entry of award/redemption tickets to the lounge expect for those traveling on their own airline.
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Old Apr 11, 2019, 8:21 am
  #1658  
 
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I thought award tickets are somewhat restricted in terms of lounge access. So was curious. If I can get in to Al Safwa that would be cool.
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Old Apr 11, 2019, 11:23 am
  #1659  
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Originally Posted by 747jetter
I thought award tickets are somewhat restricted in terms of lounge access. So was curious. If I can get in to Al Safwa that would be cool.
There is no way that QR could see that your BA ticket is an award ticket unless BA reports the list of passengers with award/redemption tickets to QR.
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Old Apr 11, 2019, 11:29 am
  #1660  
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Originally Posted by ISTFlyer
There is no way that QR could see that your BA ticket is an award ticket unless BA reports the list of passengers with award/redemption tickets to QR.
Of course they can - it would be booked in Z class.
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Old Apr 11, 2019, 11:29 am
  #1661  
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Originally Posted by BA6501
Of course they can - it would be booked in Z class.
I mean by the boarding pass. The fare class is not visible on BA boarding passes.
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Old Apr 11, 2019, 12:18 pm
  #1662  
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But they scan the BP, and the fare class info is embedded in the barcode.
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Old Apr 11, 2019, 12:25 pm
  #1663  
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Originally Posted by BA6501
But they scan the BP, and the fare class info is embedded in the barcode.
That's also true.
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Old Apr 12, 2019, 3:30 am
  #1664  
 
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On BP there is only eticket number (BA). Lets see tomorrow. It would be disappointing not to be able to visit Al Safwa.
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Old Apr 12, 2019, 9:14 am
  #1665  
 
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Early April changes

Partner award availability in F/Z has been pulled intra-middle-east as of last week. Looks like Al-Safwa access from an award standpoint is all but gone for now.

https://thriftytraveler.com/big-aadv...ican-airlines/
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