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
Mar 29, 2022, 9:48 am
#2446
Join Date: Mar 2022
Posts: 19
On a timing note, I am flying Qatar J in a few weeks. I have the option to pay and upgrade to Al Safwa which I am considering as my return layover is around 7 and a half hours. Will this paid access enable me to use the lounge for all that time (though I guess some time gets take up with landing and boarding the new flight. I know some paid lounge access has restrictions on time.
Mar 29, 2022, 11:54 am
#2448
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 940
No publicly available written policy as far as I know, but award tickets generally enjoy the same benefit as revenue tickets in terms of lounge access, and I believe others have reported success on this further up. Also, for now at least, the arrival flight in F does not need to be over 5 hours - even DXB-DOH seems to do the trick.
Mar 30, 2022, 1:07 am
#2449
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Oslo, Norway
Programs: QR Platinum
Posts: 23
So no different between paid ticket in business class and business ticket bought with qmiles. Both give access to Al Safwa first class as long as you are platinum member.
Mar 30, 2022, 1:58 am
#2450
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: AA EXP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 420
I'm looking at some award availability on AA and saw some flights with 15hrs layover at Doha and I'm looking to take the Business class flight from Chicago-Doha-Maldives
1. Do I get Al Mourjan for the whole 15hrs?
2. Do I get AL Safwa for the whole 15hrs if I buy the lounge access?
15hrs sounds painful in AL Mourjan because there is no bed to sleep on
1. Do I get Al Mourjan for the whole 15hrs?
2. Do I get AL Safwa for the whole 15hrs if I buy the lounge access?
15hrs sounds painful in AL Mourjan because there is no bed to sleep on
Mar 30, 2022, 2:00 am
#2451
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: AUH
Posts: 8,265
Thanks for the data point, as I haven't had to buy access myself (as Plat). Good to know.
Mar 30, 2022, 4:12 am
#2452
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: bay area, ca
Programs: UA plat, , aa plat, marriott LT titanium
Posts: 4,833
Very strange b/c I was told I could when I went (before Jan) - maybe the policy changed. I didn't b/c there wasn't a sleeping room available at the time.
Mar 31, 2022, 3:55 pm
#2453
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: AA EXP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 420
Yeah, as I understand it the policy was different in the past but had been changed either a few weeks or few months before I tried to gain access.
Apr 1, 2022, 3:48 am
#2454
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 1,167
Ah - i booked QR via BA.COM, my e-ticket is a 125.xxxxxxx - does that mean i cant upgrade to the first class lounge?
Apr 1, 2022, 5:37 am
#2455
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
Apr 2, 2022, 5:22 am
#2456
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: ±38,000 feet
Programs: LH HON, BA GGL, AF Plat, EK Plat
Posts: 6,428
QQ - If i hold an F ticket on AA (DOH-JFK) - do i get access to Al Safwa?
QQ2 - On return arriving JFK-DOH on AA F do i get access before shorthaul connection to BUD on QR J?
QQ2 - On return arriving JFK-DOH on AA F do i get access before shorthaul connection to BUD on QR J?
Apr 2, 2022, 7:06 am
#2457
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
2- If DOH-BUD is under 5 hours according to the schedule, you would have access based on your arriving F flight, if DOH-BUD is over 5 hours, no complimentary Al Safwa access, in that case you would be directed to Al Mourjan.
Apr 3, 2022, 2:46 pm
#2458
Join Date: Jul 2012
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 26
Z Class Avios Redemption Access
Hello Flyertalkers,
Wisdom sought please. Having read the forum there seems to be disagreement about which redemption tickets are eligible for Al Safwa access. I’ve just redeemed 34000 avios to upgrade from paid Business (D Class) to First (Z Class) on QR836 DOH-BKK. Has anyone had success entering AS on a Z Class redemption, particularly since the Avios merger? Thank you.
Wisdom sought please. Having read the forum there seems to be disagreement about which redemption tickets are eligible for Al Safwa access. I’ve just redeemed 34000 avios to upgrade from paid Business (D Class) to First (Z Class) on QR836 DOH-BKK. Has anyone had success entering AS on a Z Class redemption, particularly since the Avios merger? Thank you.
Apr 3, 2022, 3:07 pm
#2459
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: AUH
Posts: 8,265
Unless anything has changed, if you had redeemed full Z then you will have access, but as far as I know you won't get AS access on a miles upgrade from J to F unless you're also QR Plat at the same time, so you'll have to use AM. Same applies if you upgrade from Y to J (no AM access).
Frustrating, but just one of those "QR things" where they are extremely precious about lounge access.
Frustrating, but just one of those "QR things" where they are extremely precious about lounge access.
Apr 3, 2022, 3:12 pm
#2460
Join Date: Jul 2012
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 26
Unless anything has changed, if you had redeemed full Z then you will have access, but as far as I know you won't get AS access on a miles upgrade from J to F unless you're also QR Plat at the same time, so you'll have to use AM. Same applies if you upgrade from Y to J (no AM access).
Frustrating, but just one of those "QR things" where they are extremely precious about lounge access.
Frustrating, but just one of those "QR things" where they are extremely precious about lounge access.