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
Sep 22, 2021, 1:27 pm
#2131
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: LAX
Programs: AS MVP Gold 75k
Posts: 76
Sep 23, 2021, 4:53 am
#2132
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 87
Was just at DOH twice this month on an R fare.
Tried to get into Al Safwa and pay for the entrance. Front desk agent asked me “if I tried Al Mourjan”, and I told him we would like to use Al Safwa. And he said “unfortunately you have an R Class fare, so you’re not eligible to pay for an upgrade or have access at all - but you can pay for Al Mourjan entry.”
I told him that we booked our tickets before the new fare restrictions and therefore should be grandfathered in. He looked up our booking dates, confirmed we were booked before November 2020 and made a phone call and then said we could pay for access.
So it worked! But this will only apply to a small percentage of R fare guests. Another member of our party flew through Hammad a couple days later with an R fare (booked over this summer) was denied (rightfully, because he booked his ticket well after the changes).
We got two rooms, one double room for my wife and me. One single room for my mother in law.
after our time was up, we went to Al Mourjan for an hour (the check in guy there was confused because he thought the stamp on our pass meant we had just come from AM, but I explained we had just come from Al Safwa). I was ready to explain we booked our ticket before the rule change - but no need, he just let us in.
Tried to get into Al Safwa and pay for the entrance. Front desk agent asked me “if I tried Al Mourjan”, and I told him we would like to use Al Safwa. And he said “unfortunately you have an R Class fare, so you’re not eligible to pay for an upgrade or have access at all - but you can pay for Al Mourjan entry.”
I told him that we booked our tickets before the new fare restrictions and therefore should be grandfathered in. He looked up our booking dates, confirmed we were booked before November 2020 and made a phone call and then said we could pay for access.
So it worked! But this will only apply to a small percentage of R fare guests. Another member of our party flew through Hammad a couple days later with an R fare (booked over this summer) was denied (rightfully, because he booked his ticket well after the changes).
We got two rooms, one double room for my wife and me. One single room for my mother in law.
after our time was up, we went to Al Mourjan for an hour (the check in guy there was confused because he thought the stamp on our pass meant we had just come from AM, but I explained we had just come from Al Safwa). I was ready to explain we booked our ticket before the rule change - but no need, he just let us in.
Sep 25, 2021, 7:43 am
#2134
Join Date: May 2016
Programs: Etihad
Posts: 9
Hi all,
How long before my flight will I be allowed entry to the lounge? I will be travelling directly from Doha, with hand luggage only, and my flight is at 02:00. I was hoping to arrive at the airport sometime in the afternoon (2pm or so) and just spend the time in the lounge. Would this be possible?
How long before my flight will I be allowed entry to the lounge? I will be travelling directly from Doha, with hand luggage only, and my flight is at 02:00. I was hoping to arrive at the airport sometime in the afternoon (2pm or so) and just spend the time in the lounge. Would this be possible?
Sep 25, 2021, 8:30 am
#2135
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 all,
How long before my flight will I be allowed entry to the lounge? I will be travelling directly from Doha, with hand luggage only, and my flight is at 02:00. I was hoping to arrive at the airport sometime in the afternoon (2pm or so) and just spend the time in the lounge. Would this be possible?
How long before my flight will I be allowed entry to the lounge? I will be travelling directly from Doha, with hand luggage only, and my flight is at 02:00. I was hoping to arrive at the airport sometime in the afternoon (2pm or so) and just spend the time in the lounge. Would this be possible?
Same applies to paid access, however, you need to pay for every 6 hours.
Sep 25, 2021, 11:24 am
#2136
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Belgrade
Programs: Privilege Club - Platinum
Posts: 162
What is the entry policy to Al Sawfa if you hold a business class ticket but are a Platinum member, especially if you book the lite business fare that does not include lounge access?
Sep 25, 2021, 1:05 pm
#2137
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: W29
Programs: It's Complicated...
Posts: 6,823
Sep 26, 2021, 1:42 am
#2138
Join Date: May 2016
Programs: Etihad
Posts: 9
Thank you. I am flying on an award ticket in Business paid for with QMiles. I am a Platinum member. Will I still be able to access the lounge early given this context, even though I am not flying First Class?
Sep 26, 2021, 3:08 pm
#2139
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Seattle
Programs: AS MVP100K, Hilton Diamond, IHG Gold
Posts: 3,215
Was just at DOH twice this month on an R fare.
Tried to get into Al Safwa and pay for the entrance. Front desk agent asked me “if I tried Al Mourjan”, and I told him we would like to use Al Safwa. And he said “unfortunately you have an R Class fare, so you’re not eligible to pay for an upgrade or have access at all - but you can pay for Al Mourjan entry.”
I told him that we booked our tickets before the new fare restrictions and therefore should be grandfathered in. He looked up our booking dates, confirmed we were booked before November 2020 and made a phone call and then said we could pay for access.
So it worked! But this will only apply to a small percentage of R fare guests. Another member of our party flew through Hammad a couple days later with an R fare (booked over this summer) was denied (rightfully, because he booked his ticket well after the changes).
We got two rooms, one double room for my wife and me. One single room for my mother in law.
after our time was up, we went to Al Mourjan for an hour (the check in guy there was confused because he thought the stamp on our pass meant we had just come from AM, but I explained we had just come from Al Safwa). I was ready to explain we booked our ticket before the rule change - but no need, he just let us in.
Tried to get into Al Safwa and pay for the entrance. Front desk agent asked me “if I tried Al Mourjan”, and I told him we would like to use Al Safwa. And he said “unfortunately you have an R Class fare, so you’re not eligible to pay for an upgrade or have access at all - but you can pay for Al Mourjan entry.”
I told him that we booked our tickets before the new fare restrictions and therefore should be grandfathered in. He looked up our booking dates, confirmed we were booked before November 2020 and made a phone call and then said we could pay for access.
So it worked! But this will only apply to a small percentage of R fare guests. Another member of our party flew through Hammad a couple days later with an R fare (booked over this summer) was denied (rightfully, because he booked his ticket well after the changes).
We got two rooms, one double room for my wife and me. One single room for my mother in law.
after our time was up, we went to Al Mourjan for an hour (the check in guy there was confused because he thought the stamp on our pass meant we had just come from AM, but I explained we had just come from Al Safwa). I was ready to explain we booked our ticket before the rule change - but no need, he just let us in.
Sep 27, 2021, 4:12 pm
#2140
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: MSY
Programs: AA: Platinum pro Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 17
Al Safwa lounge upgrade??
I have a flight with Qatar next week in business class. I have a 15 hour layover and really want to upgrade to the first class lounge. When I open my booking it does not give me the option. Does it usually pop up closer to departure or do I have to just ask when I land in Qatar?
Sep 27, 2021, 5:13 pm
#2141
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: HKG, BHX, MAN
Programs: Qatar Gold (OWS), Asiana Diamond (*G)
Posts: 1,493
I have a flight with Qatar next week in business class. I have a 15 hour layover and really want to upgrade to the first class lounge. When I open my booking it does not give me the option. Does it usually pop up closer to departure or do I have to just ask when I land in Qatar?
Sep 29, 2021, 6:30 am
#2143
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
Sep 29, 2021, 5:56 pm
#2145
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: HKG, BHX, MAN
Programs: Qatar Gold (OWS), Asiana Diamond (*G)
Posts: 1,493