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 7, 2021, 8:44 am
#2191
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Belgrade
Programs: Privilege Club - Platinum
Posts: 162
Sorry about that. It's a PDF so not sure how to post it. Try again here, https://docdro.id/TY0hHtY
Nov 7, 2021, 9:04 am
#2192
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,752
Here is the current Al Safwa dining menu for anyone interested.
https://pdfhost.io/v/WAjutLHgB_alsafwadiningen
https://pdfhost.io/v/WAjutLHgB_alsafwadiningen
Nov 9, 2021, 7:20 am
#2195
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
Nov 18, 2021, 9:02 am
#2198
Join Date: Nov 2021
Location: UK and Tanzania
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Marriott/Hilton Gold,
Posts: 1
Nov 20, 2021, 10:39 am
#2199
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: London
Programs: Qatar Plat, Sinbad Silver.
Posts: 212
Lounge was very busy at around 0600-0800, my wife spotted Richard Quest in the restaurant with his partner.
The A/C in the restaurant was way too cold & even I had to wear a jacket.
They also had cordoned off a small area of the lounge for a delegation from FIFA.
The menu was the same as previously reported.
Nov 25, 2021, 12:22 pm
#2200
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: UA Platinum
Posts: 502
Read this same thread up above… people have already noted they paid the QAR600 and gotten in for the allowed ~6 hours.
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/33590051-post2132.html
All but P-fares now are eligible.
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/33590051-post2132.html
All but P-fares now are eligible.
*We purchased R fare in March 2021.
Last edited by popoemt; Nov 25, 2021 at 12:36 pm
Nov 25, 2021, 12:28 pm
#2201
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Houston, TX
Programs: UA 1K, DL Platinum, BA Gold
Posts: 181
AA reward ticket denied to AS lounge
I traveled on an AA reward ticket in J from IAH - DOH - CPT and thought while in DOH I could access the AS lounge while paying the entrance fee. The lounge dragon turned me away saying that AA award tickets were inelligible. Is that a new thing that I missed or did that attendant not know what they were talking about?
Nov 25, 2021, 3:41 pm
#2202
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: HKG, BHX, MAN
Programs: Qatar Gold (OWS), Asiana Diamond (*G)
Posts: 1,493
I traveled on an AA reward ticket in J from IAH - DOH - CPT and thought while in DOH I could access the AS lounge while paying the entrance fee. The lounge dragon turned me away saying that AA award tickets were inelligible. Is that a new thing that I missed or did that attendant not know what they were talking about?
Nov 28, 2021, 8:38 am
#2203
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,752
We have been denied admittance to the Al Safwa lounge saying that our fare does not qualify nor does our OneWorld Emerald status allow us to access it. We were taken to the Al Mourjan lounge.
Details:
We have an outbound ticket that is an P fare with an A class on to our final destination. I had checked and understood that A class was entitled to the lounge. However, I was told that the underlying fare is P, thus it is irrelevant that we are flying First onward.
I was also told that OneWorld Emeralds are not allowed in the lounge. Rather, there is a closed lounge for OneWorld Emeralds. As it is closed, they are sending folks to the Al Mourjan lounge. I believe we have only been allowed to use this lounge based on our OneWorld status; that our ticket did not entitle us to it.
We have a lengthy layover and were looking forward to use of a sleeping room. We were given a family room in the Al Mourjan lounge that has several chairs and a sofa but no recliners.
Details:
We have an outbound ticket that is an P fare with an A class on to our final destination. I had checked and understood that A class was entitled to the lounge. However, I was told that the underlying fare is P, thus it is irrelevant that we are flying First onward.
I was also told that OneWorld Emeralds are not allowed in the lounge. Rather, there is a closed lounge for OneWorld Emeralds. As it is closed, they are sending folks to the Al Mourjan lounge. I believe we have only been allowed to use this lounge based on our OneWorld status; that our ticket did not entitle us to it.
We have a lengthy layover and were looking forward to use of a sleeping room. We were given a family room in the Al Mourjan lounge that has several chairs and a sofa but no recliners.
Nov 28, 2021, 11:16 am
#2204
Moderator: Qatar Airways
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: LHR/NCE/MIA
Programs: BAEC GfL & GGL, SQ Gold, Amex Centurion, Mucci des Chevaliers des Bons Mots et Qui Savent Moucher
Posts: 8,949
We have been denied admittance to the Al Safwa lounge saying that our fare does not qualify nor does our OneWorld Emerald status allow us to access it. We were taken to the Al Mourjan lounge.
Details:
We have an outbound ticket that is an P fare with an A class on to our final destination. I had checked and understood that A class was entitled to the lounge. However, I was told that the underlying fare is P, thus it is irrelevant that we are flying First onward.
I was also told that OneWorld Emeralds are not allowed in the lounge. Rather, there is a closed lounge for OneWorld Emeralds. As it is closed, they are sending folks to the Al Mourjan lounge. I believe we have only been allowed to use this lounge based on our OneWorld status; that our ticket did not entitle us to it.
We have a lengthy layover and were looking forward to use of a sleeping room. We were given a family room in the Al Mourjan lounge that has several chairs and a sofa but no recliners.
Details:
We have an outbound ticket that is an P fare with an A class on to our final destination. I had checked and understood that A class was entitled to the lounge. However, I was told that the underlying fare is P, thus it is irrelevant that we are flying First onward.
I was also told that OneWorld Emeralds are not allowed in the lounge. Rather, there is a closed lounge for OneWorld Emeralds. As it is closed, they are sending folks to the Al Mourjan lounge. I believe we have only been allowed to use this lounge based on our OneWorld status; that our ticket did not entitle us to it.
We have a lengthy layover and were looking forward to use of a sleeping room. We were given a family room in the Al Mourjan lounge that has several chairs and a sofa but no recliners.
P fares, on QR ticket stock, are not permitted any lounge access in normal situations. Your onward A class is obviously the saving grace for lounge access, but I'm fairly surprised (I think they're wrong) that they wouldn't let you into the lounge with a ticket for QR First Class. That being said, the one thing I've learnt from experience, is that the QR staff are very knowledgeable about who is, and isn't, entitled to Al Safwa access...I've tried many times to negotiate, but it's never worked!
M