Nov 5, 2015, 11:11 am
Last edit by: CPH-Flyer
READ BEFORE COMMENTING IF YOU ARE NEW,
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
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
QR Al Safwa First Class Lounge
Nov 13, 2019, 5:26 pm
#1787
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Programs: TK Elite Plus,BAEC GGL,ITA Executive, AFKL Gold,QR Gold,HH Diamond,Bonvoy Gold,ALL Gold
Posts: 14,186
If not, you would not be eligible to benefit from the Al Safwa Lounge.
You would need your onward boarding pass to clear transfer security at DOH, if your layover is shorter than 48 hours, proceed to the transfer desk to claim your boarding pass, clear security and head to the Al Safwa Lounge. Later on, leave the airport.
If your layover is longer than 48 hours, it's not possible to issue an onward boarding pass for your next flight.
Nov 23, 2019, 12:59 am
#1788
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 239
I've arrived at 10pm for a 10am flight. Availability of sleeping rooms is on first-come, first-serve basis and not guaranteed, but otherwise there are no rules (unlike Turkish Airlines, for example, that's very peculiar in terms of how rooms are allocated.)
There is no limit on the duration on your stay if you are booked in First Class. As long as you can clear security and immigration, you can use the lounge. In my experience, the check-in agent did not bat an eye when I arrived 12 hours early.
There is no limit on the duration on your stay if you are booked in First Class. As long as you can clear security and immigration, you can use the lounge. In my experience, the check-in agent did not bat an eye when I arrived 12 hours early.
But how about 24hrs before ex-DOH flight? 10am - 10am(+1) Is it possible?
Nov 23, 2019, 2:35 am
#1789
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 95
Nov 23, 2019, 3:18 am
#1791
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Brooklyn, NYC
Programs: QR PC Platinum, TK M&S elite, UA silver, ITA Voltaire Executive (lol), Marriott Bonvoy Platinum
Posts: 1,168
So based on reports, I don’t think this is the case, but say if one did have unlimited access to one of the bedrooms and weren’t limited to 6 hours, I could actually understand spending 24 hours in AS (although it’s still kinda crazy imho). I’d look at it as spending a day in an (indoor) all inclusive “resort” to an extent. However, without having unlimited access to a bedroom, the point is moot and yes, it would be insane to spend 24 hrs in AS, regardless of how great the space is. And with that said, I would never go out of my way to schedule a super long layover just so I could hang at AS.
Last edited by fender5787; Nov 23, 2019 at 9:16 am
Nov 23, 2019, 4:24 am
#1792
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: BAEC Gold, EK Skywards (enhanced Blue !), Oman Air Sindbad Gold
Posts: 6,399
Agreed. Two hours or so is enough for me in Al Safwa, nice though the place is. Anything over three hours, and the boredom sets in .......... ready to move on again.
Dec 7, 2019, 2:28 pm
#1794
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: North East
Posts: 207
Hi
I am arriving BA F into DOH, and have then 20 hours until QR F to Perth,
Am I able to use the lounge for the full 20 hours? Will the 6 hour limit on the sleeping rooms that I've heard about be enforced, or if you are on back to back F segments (on the same PNR), can you have the sleeping room for the duration of your connection time?
Many thanks
I am arriving BA F into DOH, and have then 20 hours until QR F to Perth,
Am I able to use the lounge for the full 20 hours? Will the 6 hour limit on the sleeping rooms that I've heard about be enforced, or if you are on back to back F segments (on the same PNR), can you have the sleeping room for the duration of your connection time?
Many thanks
Dec 7, 2019, 2:38 pm
#1795
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Programs: TK Elite Plus,BAEC GGL,ITA Executive, AFKL Gold,QR Gold,HH Diamond,Bonvoy Gold,ALL Gold
Posts: 14,186
Hi
I am arriving BA F into DOH, and have then 20 hours until QR F to Perth,
Am I able to use the lounge for the full 20 hours? Will the 6 hour limit on the sleeping rooms that I've heard about be enforced, or if you are on back to back F segments (on the same PNR), can you have the sleeping room for the duration of your connection time?
Many thanks
I am arriving BA F into DOH, and have then 20 hours until QR F to Perth,
Am I able to use the lounge for the full 20 hours? Will the 6 hour limit on the sleeping rooms that I've heard about be enforced, or if you are on back to back F segments (on the same PNR), can you have the sleeping room for the duration of your connection time?
Many thanks
Consider booking a discounted stopover if you want to maximize sleep.
Dec 8, 2019, 1:40 am
#1797
Join Date: Aug 2016
Programs: Qatar Platinum
Posts: 107
Was there yesterday. They are very strict on the 6 hour time limit. They make you sign a sheet of paper saying if you would like to extend it by another 6 hours, you have to pay QAR 460 (roughly USD 120). The lounge attendant I got was outride rude, I had to complain to his supervisor.
Dec 8, 2019, 3:24 am
#1798
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: BAEC Gold, EK Skywards (enhanced Blue !), Oman Air Sindbad Gold
Posts: 6,399
You’ll go stir crazy spending 20 hours in a lounge (yes ....even Al Safwa), and I’m willing to bet you’ll never want to do it again.
You’re travelling First class. Treat yourself to a proper hotel room
You’re travelling First class. Treat yourself to a proper hotel room
Dec 8, 2019, 3:35 am
#1799
Join Date: Mar 2019
Programs: Swiss Senator, Flying Blue Gold, BA EC Gold, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 330
you’ll get a very decent hotel room for less than the price of a breakfast elsewhere.
Plus, if you do as I did you get a full guided city tour plus to ride a quad around the desert, for again less of the price that Al Safwa charges for 6 incremental hours.
Dec 8, 2019, 3:11 pm
#1800
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: North East
Posts: 207
+1. And with the Qatar stopover peogram
you’ll get a very decent hotel room for less than the price of a breakfast elsewhere.
Plus, if you do as I did you get a full guided city tour plus to ride a quad around the desert, for again less of the price that Al Safwa charges for 6 incremental hours.
you’ll get a very decent hotel room for less than the price of a breakfast elsewhere.
Plus, if you do as I did you get a full guided city tour plus to ride a quad around the desert, for again less of the price that Al Safwa charges for 6 incremental hours.
1) can you use the Qatar stopover program on award tickets?
2) how would you actually book this if arriving at 5am (bearing in mind check-in usually not until 11am at best), and departing late that evening (same day) to get back to al Safwa ? - either you would not get in to the room upon arrival, or, if booked for the night before, would be kicked out of the room at midday-ish..... unless I'm mistaken?