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
Jun 2, 2022, 11:04 am
#2627
Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: Vienna, Austria
Posts: 709
A trick to ensure you don't get kicked out: say you have a 10-hour layover, enjoy the first 4-6 hours then ask for one of the sleeping rooms, it seems like the spa people don't know if you're on paid or regular access so can't tell if/when your 6 general lounge hours are to be up if you paid...time limit for a room is 6 hours but if you get one for the last 6 hours of your layover, you can leave at around boarding time and voila, once you're in the room the staff won't go knocking trying to kick you out unless the actual 6 room hours are up. Worked for me.
Jun 3, 2022, 1:09 am
#2629
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Seat 1A
Programs: Non-status paid F/J (best value for $$$)
Posts: 4,124
Jun 3, 2022, 5:13 am
#2630
Join Date: Mar 2022
Posts: 19
Jun 3, 2022, 7:59 am
#2631
Join Date: May 2020
Location: LHR
Programs: OWE, *G
Posts: 219
If that’s the case I think it must be because of how crowded the lounge is these days with allowing access to QR Plats and arrivals in F. Pre-pandemic, when the lounge peaked at a dozen or two guests, they absolutely kept track of your time.
Jun 3, 2022, 9:47 am
#2632
Join Date: Jun 2022
Posts: 7
Visited AS on May 3rd on a 7 hour layover from Dublin to Perth in J (reward booking). Entry was approx 6pm.
I got to the bottom of the escalators and was told the lounge was full by a very uninterested member of staff..... (I knew there was no way it was full) so after some further confused looks by the staff member he eventually said 'go up and ask'!
At the reception desk I advised I wish to pay to upgrade my access the lounge.... the attendant who seemed like he was new on the job did a bit of fumbling about and had to call his supervisor who was more than happy to take my money and let me in.
I headed to the spa reception to request a room & was given one immediately. I then asked for the spa menu as I would liked to have had a treatment only to be told no female spa attendants were working that day and I wont be able to access the spa?? I asked about the Jacuzzi and was advised it was 'being cleaned' and to come back in about 2 hours.
I went to the bar where some Le Grand Dame was enjoyed. I then sat down in a completely empty restaurant to indulge in some rather mediocre mezze, salmon and some regional dessert that was quite disappointing. After some rest I headed to the spa and the relax room after.
I don't know if I visited on a bad day but I can't say I would be rushing back to the AS. I found the food to be unmemorable, staff were quite hit and miss and overall the place felt a bit lonely.
I got to the bottom of the escalators and was told the lounge was full by a very uninterested member of staff..... (I knew there was no way it was full) so after some further confused looks by the staff member he eventually said 'go up and ask'!
At the reception desk I advised I wish to pay to upgrade my access the lounge.... the attendant who seemed like he was new on the job did a bit of fumbling about and had to call his supervisor who was more than happy to take my money and let me in.
I headed to the spa reception to request a room & was given one immediately. I then asked for the spa menu as I would liked to have had a treatment only to be told no female spa attendants were working that day and I wont be able to access the spa?? I asked about the Jacuzzi and was advised it was 'being cleaned' and to come back in about 2 hours.
I went to the bar where some Le Grand Dame was enjoyed. I then sat down in a completely empty restaurant to indulge in some rather mediocre mezze, salmon and some regional dessert that was quite disappointing. After some rest I headed to the spa and the relax room after.
I don't know if I visited on a bad day but I can't say I would be rushing back to the AS. I found the food to be unmemorable, staff were quite hit and miss and overall the place felt a bit lonely.
Jun 3, 2022, 10:13 am
#2633
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Europe
Posts: 1,590
Jun 5, 2022, 5:49 pm
#2634
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: New Orleans (MSY)
Programs: AA EXP, IHG PLT, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Explorist, Amtrak, WN
Posts: 2,617
Have an upcoming flight on AA out of DOH in Business. I see that QR Business pax can pay to upgrade to Al Safwa. Has anyone had experience with doing so on other OW airlines? I’d like to experience the lounge once!
Jun 5, 2022, 5:57 pm
#2635
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
However, you could upgrade your AA flight to First and enter Al Safwa. If you are flying on non-QR, they would be admitting you because of a OW F class ticket where the upgrade restriction wouldn't apply.
Jun 7, 2022, 12:14 am
#2636
Join Date: Jun 2022
Posts: 1
Appreciate
it!
Jun 7, 2022, 12:53 am
#2637
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: bay area, ca
Programs: UA plat, , aa plat, marriott LT titanium
Posts: 4,833
Question after reading through a ton of these posts…. I have a ticket bought through AA, with two layovers. Flying First on AA on the first leg from SAN to DFW, then DFW to DOH on QR business, then QR business DOH to DPS. Would my first leg in First qualify for AS? I assume not. But worth asking. Either here and/or at the entrance!
Appreciate
it!
Appreciate
it!
Jun 7, 2022, 2:46 am
#2638
Join Date: Mar 2019
Programs: AA EXP and Marriott Titanium
Posts: 776
Question after reading through a ton of these posts…. I have a ticket bought through AA, with two layovers. Flying First on AA on the first leg from SAN to DFW, then DFW to DOH on QR business, then QR business DOH to DPS. Would my first leg in First qualify for AS? I assume not. But worth asking. Either here and/or at the entrance!
Appreciate
it!
Appreciate
it!
Now if one of your flights was in AA transcon 3-class F (LAX/SFO-BOS/JFK), then that would make for an interesting experiment and datapoint.
Jun 7, 2022, 3:41 am
#2639
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: AUH
Posts: 8,267
Cabin class on domestic flights do not provide any additional entitlement to lounge access.
From the oneworld website:
From the oneworld website:
- Connecting between oneworld marketed and operated flights:
- First and Business Class customers connecting on the same day of travel, or before 6am the following day, can access the lounge when travelling between an international long haul (a oneworld international long haul flight is defined as an international flight marketed and operated by any oneworld carrier with a scheduled flight time longer than 5 hours) and an international short haul or domestic flight (and vice-versa).
- Lounge access will be determined on the international long haul ticketed flight (either First of Business Class) regardless of the ticketed class of travel on the international short haul or domestic flight.
- You must be prepared to show your boarding pass or itinerary showing travel in First or Business class on the international long haul flight, in order to access the lounge before your international short haul or domestic flight.
Jun 8, 2022, 12:17 am
#2640
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: CGK/KOA
Programs: AA ExPlat HH Diamond
Posts: 1,683
So I just used an AA SWU to upgrade my partner from paid C to F on AA 121. He is able to access Al Safwa?