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
Jan 14, 2023, 9:01 am
#2957
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: AMS / LOP
Programs: HH Diamond, IHG Diamond Amb., Marriott Gold, FB Plat, BAEC Silver
Posts: 482
I am just curious if anyone knows the rationale behind the wine downgrade. They still serve nice champagnes on board (in J and F), but the lounge offering in the AS is subpar.
Jan 14, 2023, 10:32 am
#2958
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Kuwait
Programs: BA Gold, Qatar Platinum
Posts: 173
I know above has said you won’t have access DXB>DOH>XXX, however in practice if you arrive on an F flight (even regional) you will get access to AS, assuming you have booked a lounge eligible fare.
I have confirmed this recently again on a KWI>DOH>XXX flight, and was admitted into Al Safwa with no problems.
I have confirmed this recently again on a KWI>DOH>XXX flight, and was admitted into Al Safwa with no problems.
Jan 14, 2023, 1:58 pm
#2960
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: LON
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 3,918
There's probably very few employees that actually know all the permutations of the rules, so the chances of finding someone empowered to write them down and share them on something useful like the Qatar website is obviously asking too much.
Jan 15, 2023, 4:02 am
#2961
Join Date: Jan 2015
Programs: QR Platinum
Posts: 470
I am Qatar Platin and travelling in paid business class ticket. I know i have access to AS as i did it many times before.
My question now ist: Can i bring a guest inside AW who is travelling with an upgraded (Qmiles) business class ticket with me?
My question now ist: Can i bring a guest inside AW who is travelling with an upgraded (Qmiles) business class ticket with me?
Jan 15, 2023, 4:15 am
#2962
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
Posts: 17,008
Jan 15, 2023, 6:19 am
#2963
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
A number of posts have been removed.
Please may I encourage all users to re-read the FT Rules prior to posting.
Thanks
Msm2000uk
Qatar Airways Forum Moderator
Please may I encourage all users to re-read the FT Rules prior to posting.
Thanks
Msm2000uk
Qatar Airways Forum Moderator
Jan 15, 2023, 8:02 am
#2964
Join Date: Mar 2017
Programs: QR Platinum, Star Alliance Gold (LH Sen)
Posts: 764
Absolutely worth to try ;-)
Jan 15, 2023, 1:56 pm
#2965
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 2,685
Are they even allowed to have rules that favor their own elites in writing? I guess BA have explicit rules for GGL above OWE so maybe
Jan 16, 2023, 10:14 am
#2966
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: BHX
Programs: BA GGL CCR GfL, SQ Gold, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond, Marriott Plat, Cafe Nero Loyalty Card (7 Stamps)
Posts: 7,330
Al Safwa and Al Mourjan are outside the OneWorld lounge access policies (like the CCR at LHR is), so QR can basically do as they please with access policies for these lounges.
Jan 19, 2023, 11:08 pm
#2968
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: BAEC Gold, EK Skywards (enhanced Blue !), Oman Air Sindbad Gold
Posts: 6,399
QR Plats are better placed to answer this one, but sounds to me like a total non-starter* if ever there was one !
*(although someone will now pop up to say they once flew MCT-DOH in F with QR, and were then allowed to spend five hours in an Al Safwa sleep-room, ahead of their onward flight in Y on Biman Bangladesh, and that you should therefore ‘give it a try …. what have you got to lose’ etc etc.
)
Jan 20, 2023, 2:36 am
#2969
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
Posts: 17,008
It's hard enough getting a definitive, QR-generated, non-anecdotal answer to far simpler questions about lounge access.
You'll find out for sure on the day. The ideas of FT contributors won't change the outcome one jot.
Jan 20, 2023, 6:28 am
#2970
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: The Esso garage by the southern runway
Programs: BA Blue, A12 Cars Gold, Harmonicande Vintners Platinum!
Posts: 240
I find it interesting that the majority of this thread is much more about access to, rather than experiences of AS. After a lot of typing by reception, I was recently permitted access to AS by virtue of arriving in F from SYD. I found it rather bizarre and couldn't see much appeal to the place myself. Yes the place is near empty, but with perhaps 4 members of staff to every guest, there is no atmosphere and a rather awkward feeling or staff hovering. You can't even visit the toilet without being greeted three times. Its most unnerving. The food was pleasant, as was the Champagne. The day room with en suite was a godsend. I had to wait 90 minutes for this until 7.30am.
I enjoyed the water feature cascading down the sandstone wall.
On the whole, I much preferred the Sydney QF F lounge, BA CCR and CX F lounge LHR T3.
In fact I think I had a more enjoyable time at the Qantas Club in Launceston. I was certainly less bothered by the staff there.
YMMV
PS I was the only pax in F from SYD-DOH. The flight was phenomenal.
I enjoyed the water feature cascading down the sandstone wall.
On the whole, I much preferred the Sydney QF F lounge, BA CCR and CX F lounge LHR T3.
In fact I think I had a more enjoyable time at the Qantas Club in Launceston. I was certainly less bothered by the staff there.
YMMV
PS I was the only pax in F from SYD-DOH. The flight was phenomenal.