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
Dec 6, 2022, 5:16 pm
#2911
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Nashville,TN
Programs: AA Gold Elite
Posts: 601
Thanks for the various experiences and opinions. Will keep my F boarding pass(always do anyway regardless of cabin I fly in) so will try my luck in AS lounge first. Will report back on my experience but it will be a few months.
Dec 8, 2022, 9:04 am
#2912
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 2
Paid access on AA mileage ticket (j)?
Have read that paid access from J only available on $$ tickets. Has anyone had luck paying for access off a J ticket with AA miles arriving or departing to US? Sounds like many different interpretations/experiences on ground in DOH….
Dec 9, 2022, 1:39 am
#2913
Join Date: Nov 2019
Posts: 82
Do you get access to AS if you’re flying British first, and are one world emerald? Flying out of doha british first
in second case, british first, one world emerald but taking one hour connection miles regular ticket to Kuwait City (same day long haul british first) would this be sufficient?
in second case, british first, one world emerald but taking one hour connection miles regular ticket to Kuwait City (same day long haul british first) would this be sufficient?
Dec 9, 2022, 2:19 am
#2914
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Tokyo
Programs: JAL Metal Card (OWE), SAS Eurobonus Gold (*G), Marriott Titanium (LTP), Tokyu Hotels Platinum
Posts: 21,169
Do you get access to AS if you’re flying British first, and are one world emerald? Flying out of doha british first
in second case, british first, one world emerald but taking one hour connection miles regular ticket to Kuwait City (same day long haul british first) would this be sufficient?
in second case, british first, one world emerald but taking one hour connection miles regular ticket to Kuwait City (same day long haul british first) would this be sufficient?
As it is not fully an OW lounge, I don't think the connecting from OW F long haul to short haul kicks in. QR does it for their own F pax, but I am doubtful about BA (or other OW) F pax.
Dec 9, 2022, 2:25 am
#2915
Join Date: Nov 2019
Posts: 82
CPH-Flyer Hi thanks for heads up. No it’s not connection long to short in 2nd case. It’s that I fly out right after World Cup next morning
there was no availability from doha Back to states, so I am flying one hour to Kuwait City and flying BA first to London and on to LA (same day boarding city) If I could get the boarding pass from ba printed in doha somehow would this same day one world first class OWE work? Or Al Mourjan at least? Would really suck to have access to neither when the crux of my day and flying is one world first
there was no availability from doha Back to states, so I am flying one hour to Kuwait City and flying BA first to London and on to LA (same day boarding city) If I could get the boarding pass from ba printed in doha somehow would this same day one world first class OWE work? Or Al Mourjan at least? Would really suck to have access to neither when the crux of my day and flying is one world first
Dec 9, 2022, 2:31 am
#2916
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Tokyo
Programs: JAL Metal Card (OWE), SAS Eurobonus Gold (*G), Marriott Titanium (LTP), Tokyu Hotels Platinum
Posts: 21,169
CPH-Flyer Hi thanks for heads up. No it’s not connection long to short in 2nd case. It’s that I fly out right after World Cup next morning
there was no availability from doha Back to states, so I am flying one hour to Kuwait City and flying BA first to London and on to LA (same day boarding city) If I could get the boarding pass from ba printed in doha somehow would this same day one world first class OWE work? Or Al Mourjan at least? Would really suck to have access to neither when the crux of my day and flying is one world first
there was no availability from doha Back to states, so I am flying one hour to Kuwait City and flying BA first to London and on to LA (same day boarding city) If I could get the boarding pass from ba printed in doha somehow would this same day one world first class OWE work? Or Al Mourjan at least? Would really suck to have access to neither when the crux of my day and flying is one world first
Dec 9, 2022, 9:51 am
#2917
Join Date: Apr 2015
Programs: Some
Posts: 5,252
CPH-Flyer Hi thanks for heads up. No it’s not connection long to short in 2nd case. It’s that I fly out right after World Cup next morning
there was no availability from doha Back to states, so I am flying one hour to Kuwait City and flying BA first to London and on to LA (same day boarding city) If I could get the boarding pass from ba printed in doha somehow would this same day one world first class OWE work? Or Al Mourjan at least? Would really suck to have access to neither when the crux of my day and flying is one world first
there was no availability from doha Back to states, so I am flying one hour to Kuwait City and flying BA first to London and on to LA (same day boarding city) If I could get the boarding pass from ba printed in doha somehow would this same day one world first class OWE work? Or Al Mourjan at least? Would really suck to have access to neither when the crux of my day and flying is one world first
Dec 17, 2022, 3:03 am
#2918
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: SYD | HGH
Programs: CX DM, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton DM, Marriott Plat
Posts: 2,121
Is three hours at Al Safwa too short?
I'm looking at a flight from CAI-DOH-SYD in F, I could have 3 hours or a 18 hours connection. Should I book the longer one and take a day trip in Doh then come back to enjoy more of the lounge?
Thanks
I'm looking at a flight from CAI-DOH-SYD in F, I could have 3 hours or a 18 hours connection. Should I book the longer one and take a day trip in Doh then come back to enjoy more of the lounge?
Thanks
Dec 17, 2022, 5:24 am
#2919
Join Date: Apr 2015
Programs: Some
Posts: 5,252
I typically look for a just over two hour connection which is enough time to have a shower (you never have to wait for one in Al Safwa) and a dinner or breakfast. Three hours would give you time to have a few drinks at the bar as well or possibly even a massage if you want to pay for one.
Unless you really want to go out and visit Doha, don’t bother with an unnecessarily long layover.
Dec 17, 2022, 5:36 am
#2920
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
Posts: 17,008
So really your decision tree should involve how much you want to see Doha, the city; and how prepared you are to delay your Oz arrival by fifteen hours. My two cents is that if you want to see what Doha has to offer you should add a proper stopover - and QR offers generous hotel discounts for a couple nights' stay in the city.
Sometimes reasonable connection times (e.g. three hours) carry price premiums over less convenient itineraries - so fares might enter your calculation.
Dec 17, 2022, 5:59 am
#2921
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 15
Al Safwa Lounge access on an award ticket
Hello,
I am flying KWI-DOH-DUS in first and business class on an award ticket of privilege club. Do I have lounge in Doha if I arrive in F and depart in C?
last time (several months ago) I had access
I am flying KWI-DOH-DUS in first and business class on an award ticket of privilege club. Do I have lounge in Doha if I arrive in F and depart in C?
last time (several months ago) I had access
Dec 18, 2022, 5:55 pm
#2922
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: SYD | HGH
Programs: CX DM, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton DM, Marriott Plat
Posts: 2,121
Three hours is more than enough for me, particularly if you are connecting to longhaul F so will have access to better wines and caviar etc onboard! The food in Al Safwa is nothing special, I’m not sure why you would extend your stay in there if you didn’t have to.
I typically look for a just over two hour connection which is enough time to have a shower (you never have to wait for one in Al Safwa) and a dinner or breakfast. Three hours would give you time to have a few drinks at the bar as well or possibly even a massage if you want to pay for one.
Unless you really want to go out and visit Doha, don’t bother with an unnecessarily long layover.
I typically look for a just over two hour connection which is enough time to have a shower (you never have to wait for one in Al Safwa) and a dinner or breakfast. Three hours would give you time to have a few drinks at the bar as well or possibly even a massage if you want to pay for one.
Unless you really want to go out and visit Doha, don’t bother with an unnecessarily long layover.
Very good point. I'll take the 3 hour layover. thanks.
Dec 19, 2022, 6:21 pm
#2923
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Kuwait
Programs: BA Gold, Qatar Platinum
Posts: 173
No issues having arrived in GCC F, departing in business. My ticket includes lounge.
Last edited by Stephenk82; Dec 19, 2022 at 6:21 pm Reason: Corrected spelling
