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
Oct 5, 2021, 3:50 pm
#2161
Join Date: May 2020
Location: LHR
Programs: OWE, *G
Posts: 219
According to the wiki and what I got of this thread as my dxb-doh is less then 6 hours and my business doh-ams is the bulk of my flight I should be granted access to Al Safwa and it should have only have been granted when I did ams-doh-dxb.
So maybe the rules have changed and all that matters now is that you have a first class ticket on any part?
And thank you, enjoying it much more as last time I only got like 45 minutes if that as my connevtion time was an hour and ten minutes.
So maybe the rules have changed and all that matters now is that you have a first class ticket on any part?
And thank you, enjoying it much more as last time I only got like 45 minutes if that as my connevtion time was an hour and ten minutes.
Oct 5, 2021, 4:56 pm
#2162
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Seat 1A
Programs: Non-status paid F/J (best value for $$$)
Posts: 4,124
Or it could be the case of a lazy programmer. As long as the PNR contains a "First Class" segment (regardless of length of flight), an "OK" message will be sent back to the Android device used by the staff at the bottom of the escalator when the boarding pass is scanned.
Oct 5, 2021, 8:59 pm
#2163
Join Date: Jul 2020
Location: So Cal
Programs: AA Platinum
Posts: 2,705
Or it could be the case of a lazy programmer. As long as the PNR contains a "First Class" segment (regardless of length of flight), an "OK" message will be sent back to the Android device used by the staff at the bottom of the escalator when the boarding pass is scanned.
Last edited by happiest_at_40000; Oct 5, 2021 at 9:08 pm
Oct 6, 2021, 3:41 am
#2164
Join Date: May 2020
Location: LHR
Programs: OWE, *G
Posts: 219
Or it could be the case of a lazy programmer. As long as the PNR contains a "First Class" segment (regardless of length of flight), an "OK" message will be sent back to the Android device used by the staff at the bottom of the escalator when the boarding pass is scanned.
In any case, I will try it when I pass by in November (transiting from Dubai).
Oct 6, 2021, 4:11 am
#2165
Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: Vienna, Austria
Posts: 710
So you all are basically saying that usually the rule is:
DOH-DXB is marked as First so you’re granted access to AS
but return leg DXB-DOH-Somewhere you aren’t supposed to be allowed coming into DOH from an F class flight??
DOH-DXB is marked as First so you’re granted access to AS
but return leg DXB-DOH-Somewhere you aren’t supposed to be allowed coming into DOH from an F class flight??
Oct 6, 2021, 5:06 am
#2166
Join Date: May 2020
Location: LHR
Programs: OWE, *G
Posts: 219
That’s the rule. Question is if QR has relaxed/changed it to allow any F arrival, even less than 6 hour flight, to access AS.
Oct 6, 2021, 1:44 pm
#2167
Join Date: Jul 2020
Location: So Cal
Programs: AA Platinum
Posts: 2,705
I dont think the flight being 1 hour Vs 3 hours or w/e matters. If its inside the ME they are marketed as F. I think this person was let in by mistake or by someone who just was being nice maybe. Or maybe the policy has actually changed and the ordering of the F ticket doesnt matter so you can access on arrival. That would match up with OW although I realize its not a OW lounge. This is very interesting as I would love to get into AS on the DXB-DOH-USA trip I have but certainly wasnt planning on it since this was always a known NO.
Oct 7, 2021, 3:11 am
#2168
Join Date: May 2020
Location: LHR
Programs: OWE, *G
Posts: 219
I dont think the flight being 1 hour Vs 3 hours or w/e matters. If its inside the ME they are marketed as F. I think this person was let in by mistake or by someone who just was being nice maybe. Or maybe the policy has actually changed and the ordering of the F ticket doesnt matter so you can access on arrival. That would match up with OW although I realize its not a OW lounge. This is very interesting as I would love to get into AS on the DXB-DOH-USA trip I have but certainly wasnt planning on it since this was always a known NO.
It would be interesting if anyone has a DXB-DOH-XXX flight in the coming days and can report back.
Oct 7, 2021, 4:19 am
#2169
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 1,132
I dont think the flight being 1 hour Vs 3 hours or w/e matters. If its inside the ME they are marketed as F. I think this person was let in by mistake or by someone who just was being nice maybe. Or maybe the policy has actually changed and the ordering of the F ticket doesnt matter so you can access on arrival. That would match up with OW although I realize its not a OW lounge. This is very interesting as I would love to get into AS on the DXB-DOH-USA trip I have but certainly wasnt planning on it since this was always a known NO.
Sadly difficult to know as it seems QR loathes publishing clear access rules on their site… Let’s see from the next person who posts their experience, perhaps they know to ask the necessary questions and are willing to share the answers.
Oct 12, 2021, 8:23 pm
#2170
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM SK EBG LATAM BL
Posts: 23,309
Noone downstairs today. The nice man upstairs had no issues letting us in with First boarding pass issued on a short haul "F" flight connecting to longhaul J.
Oct 12, 2021, 8:31 pm
#2171
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 15
My friend who came back 3 days after me doing a DXB-DOH-FRA called Qatar when moving his ticket (he was originally meant to go AMS but they switched stock so no Qsuite) and asked them if he would be allowed into Al Safwa for his 8 hour connection and they confirmed he would be allowed.
When he got there they let him in with no issue, he even managed to get a room for a 6 hour sleep.
Oct 16, 2021, 10:05 am
#2172
Join Date: May 2009
Location: South Park, CO
Programs: Tegridy Elite
Posts: 5,678
I think at this point we can confirm the rules for short haul F connecting to J is allowed access to Al Safwa.
My friend who came back 3 days after me doing a DXB-DOH-FRA called Qatar when moving his ticket (he was originally meant to go AMS but they switched stock so no Qsuite) and asked them if he would be allowed into Al Safwa for his 8 hour connection and they confirmed he would be allowed.
When he got there they let him in with no issue, he even managed to get a room for a 6 hour sleep.
My friend who came back 3 days after me doing a DXB-DOH-FRA called Qatar when moving his ticket (he was originally meant to go AMS but they switched stock so no Qsuite) and asked them if he would be allowed into Al Safwa for his 8 hour connection and they confirmed he would be allowed.
When he got there they let him in with no issue, he even managed to get a room for a 6 hour sleep.
Oct 18, 2021, 7:06 pm
#2173
Join Date: Oct 2017
Programs: BA Gold, Tesco, Nectar
Posts: 313
P/A bucket but LITE fare?
I'm looking at some tickets: Middle East - DOH - USA (MEA-DOH is FIRST class and 3 hrs)
The fare classes are P & A and then on the return P & A. Confusingly, the fare I selected was 'Business Lite' which stated lounge access was not included. WIll I get to access Al Safwa (at least on the return)?
The fare classes are P & A and then on the return P & A. Confusingly, the fare I selected was 'Business Lite' which stated lounge access was not included. WIll I get to access Al Safwa (at least on the return)?
Oct 22, 2021, 9:36 am
#2174
Join Date: Mar 2018
Programs: Thai Airways
Posts: 357
Indeed so. Yesterday my wife and I flew AMM-DOH in F then DOH-ORD in J. Went to AS desk (no one downstairs at the escalator), guy at the desk scanned my BP then stared at the screen for a bit. He said something to his colleague who came over, pointed at the screen and told him "Yes, because they were in First from Amman." Stamped BP and on our way. Nice.
Oct 25, 2021, 10:10 am
#2175
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
Programs: Southwest A List Preferred, Bonvoy Platinum, Hyatt Globalist, American Airlines Gold
Posts: 694
Flying DMM-DOH-DFW, and I was allowed in AS no problems. Food was okay. Getting the last quiet room that was available was awesome.