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
May 2, 2023, 9:03 am
#3256
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
Posts: 17,008
Sadly my regional F flights (mainly Jeddah, sometimes Cairo) have had me hurrying to far-flung gates for boarding. First-class alone doesn't seem to trigger a pick-up: I think First and remote might be the key; certainly Business and Diamond isn't
. But in any case, the transfer is on or it isn't - you can't request it. Well, mere mortals can't....The concept works for (what used to be) QR's UAE shuttles. A near-seamless shimmy through the F check-in, direct entry to Safwa then a short walk through the lounge to the Safwa exit to a bus, is a small reward for busy Gulfies travelling on exceedingly expensive tickets.
May 2, 2023, 7:56 pm
#3257
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 173
Went to Al Safwa for the first time after pandemic. Enjoyed my time from 18.00 until 07.00. Lounge got a bit crowded in restaurant area in the evening. Sleeping rooms were almost full - but “almost” is still good for me to get my 6 hours of solid sleep when I need it. Jacuzzi took 2 hours to prepare but was still available. Champagne was mediocre indeed, but come on, it’s just a glass of alcohol.
satisfied very much, still one of the best lounges for me, can’t understand all this complaining.
satisfied very much, still one of the best lounges for me, can’t understand all this complaining.
May 3, 2023, 4:17 am
#3258
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
Posts: 17,008
Went to Al Safwa for the first time after pandemic. Enjoyed my time from 18.00 until 07.00. Lounge got a bit crowded in restaurant area in the evening. Sleeping rooms were almost full - but “almost” is still good for me to get my 6 hours of solid sleep when I need it. Jacuzzi took 2 hours to prepare but was still available. Champagne was mediocre indeed, but come on, it’s just a glass of alcohol.
satisfied very much, still one of the best lounges for me, can’t understand all this complaining.
satisfied very much, still one of the best lounges for me, can’t understand all this complaining.
Given that I'm largely satisfied by pretty wine labels and generally avoid champagne, my only gripe is the imbalance between demand for beds and their availability. The rest is just fine.
May 3, 2023, 4:51 am
#3260
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
Posts: 17,008
).The truth is, I'm easily satisfied.
One server told me most stuff is common to the kitchens of the other lounges. I don't know if this heresy is accurate...
May 3, 2023, 7:48 am
#3262
Join Date: Dec 2013
Programs: QRPC Platinum, KFEG
Posts: 999
May 3, 2023, 10:38 am
#3264
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Brooklyn, NYC
Programs: QR PC Platinum, TK M&S elite, UA silver, ITA Voltaire Executive (lol), Marriott Bonvoy Platinum
Posts: 1,171
I honestly haven't detected a change, but there again I tend to graze on comfort tit-bits. I had a steak the other week, and, true, it was nothing special. But it satisfied a craving for blood (I spend most of my life pretending to be a veggie ).
The truth is, I'm easily satisfied.
One server told me most stuff is common to the kitchens of the other lounges. I don't know if this heresy is accurate...
).The truth is, I'm easily satisfied.
One server told me most stuff is common to the kitchens of the other lounges. I don't know if this heresy is accurate...
Pics of steak:
May 3, 2023, 12:34 pm
#3266
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Brooklyn, NYC
Programs: QR PC Platinum, TK M&S elite, UA silver, ITA Voltaire Executive (lol), Marriott Bonvoy Platinum
Posts: 1,171
May 3, 2023, 1:41 pm
#3267
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Tokyo
Programs: JAL Metal Card (OWE), SAS Eurobonus Gold (*G), Marriott Titanium (LTP), Tokyu Hotels Platinum
Posts: 21,191
We all have different views and expectations of how a steak should be cooked, but in my book that is closer to well done than it is to medium rare.
May 3, 2023, 3:46 pm
#3268
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Brooklyn, NYC
Programs: QR PC Platinum, TK M&S elite, UA silver, ITA Voltaire Executive (lol), Marriott Bonvoy Platinum
Posts: 1,171
The photo doesn’t do it justice, but I can fully attest it was medium-medium rare, and believe me, I like my steak as bloody as it gets!
May 3, 2023, 5:31 pm
#3269
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 843
May 3, 2023, 9:24 pm
#3270
Join Date: Apr 2015
Programs: Some
Posts: 5,265
Sorry, but something like that just doesn’t get served up in a decent restaurant or e.g. the EK F lounge in my experience. If it looks that poor, you don’t put it on the plate. The steak does look good.