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 14, 2024, 6:34 pm
#4396
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
Posts: 17,102
When this lounge was designed and built, there were no QSuites. PLT members flying J weren't allowed in, and access was not available for purchase. At the time that the lounge was built, QR was trying to become a player in the world market, and an ultra-high end lounge like the original incarnation of AS was part of the plan. The plan succeeded, not only in making QR a major world player in the airline game, but also in making Qatar a tourism destination.
Safwa originally hosted (mainly) regional first-class passengers + those QR wanted to be specially nice to. The idea was that local passengers could use it rather like a private terminal, entering the lounge directly from first-class security, and exiting directly to limos/buses to the aircraft.
Any success Qatar has had in becoming a tourist destination, rather than a transit stop, is in great part down to the ramp up of (mainly sporting) events held here, and the cooperation of the airline in promoting them.
May 14, 2024, 9:16 pm
#4397
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Hong Kong, France
Programs: FB , BA Gold
Posts: 15,662
AS currently has 3 types of guests: regional shorthaul F, longhaul F , PLT and VIPs.
Shorthaul F (business seats sold as F) or PLT are not worth offering an exceptional product.
Longhaul F would, but QR only operates 8 A380s and 6 77W (exCX) planes with F and fairly old F seats.
Not long ago, I had a discussion with a QR airport manager (on my usual route, F is offered at both end).
Most of these F pax are transiting in DOH, very few are paying full F. They are either award or avios upgrades from J.
That is understandable, as many of those willing to fork hefty F price prefer a nonstop alternative when available. When not available, QR might compete with other 1-stop airline (EK, SQ, ..), but QR F seats are outdated. Trying to get to compete on quality and increasing AS costs for all users makes little sense.
Shorthaul F (business seats sold as F) or PLT are not worth offering an exceptional product.
Longhaul F would, but QR only operates 8 A380s and 6 77W (exCX) planes with F and fairly old F seats.
Not long ago, I had a discussion with a QR airport manager (on my usual route, F is offered at both end).
Most of these F pax are transiting in DOH, very few are paying full F. They are either award or avios upgrades from J.
That is understandable, as many of those willing to fork hefty F price prefer a nonstop alternative when available. When not available, QR might compete with other 1-stop airline (EK, SQ, ..), but QR F seats are outdated. Trying to get to compete on quality and increasing AS costs for all users makes little sense.
May 14, 2024, 11:00 pm
#4398
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Europe
Posts: 1,539
AS currently has 3 types of guests: regional shorthaul F, longhaul F , PLT and VIPs.
Shorthaul F (business seats sold as F) or PLT are not worth offering an exceptional product.
Longhaul F would, but QR only operates 8 A380s and 6 77W (exCX) planes with F and fairly old F seats.
Not long ago, I had a discussion with a QR airport manager (on my usual route, F is offered at both end).
Most of these F pax are transiting in DOH, very few are paying full F. They are either award or avios upgrades from J.
That is understandable, as many of those willing to fork hefty F price prefer a nonstop alternative when available. When not available, QR might compete with other 1-stop airline (EK, SQ, ..), but QR F seats are outdated. Trying to get to compete on quality and increasing AS costs for all users makes little sense.
Shorthaul F (business seats sold as F) or PLT are not worth offering an exceptional product.
Longhaul F would, but QR only operates 8 A380s and 6 77W (exCX) planes with F and fairly old F seats.
Not long ago, I had a discussion with a QR airport manager (on my usual route, F is offered at both end).
Most of these F pax are transiting in DOH, very few are paying full F. They are either award or avios upgrades from J.
That is understandable, as many of those willing to fork hefty F price prefer a nonstop alternative when available. When not available, QR might compete with other 1-stop airline (EK, SQ, ..), but QR F seats are outdated. Trying to get to compete on quality and increasing AS costs for all users makes little sense.
May 15, 2024, 12:45 am
#4399
Join Date: Jan 2012
Programs: QR Platinum / SQ Gold
Posts: 150
Flying ZRH-DOH-BKK in Business (upgraded both sectors with QCredits from a Economy Convenience fare (S Booking Class). I am QR Platinum member. Do I have access to Al Sawfa? Or will it be Al Mourjan or even only one of the Frequent Flyer Platinum Lounge?
May 15, 2024, 1:35 am
#4400
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: who knows!
Programs: FB PFL, TK Gold, PC Platinum
Posts: 446
you'll have access to AS
May 15, 2024, 2:12 am
#4401
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 9,356
https://www.aerolopa.com/ek-388-2cl
https://www.aerolopa.com/ek-73j
May 15, 2024, 3:39 am
#4402
Join Date: Apr 2015
Programs: Some
Posts: 5,367
My expectation is this new F will be only on a small handful of planes on a small handful of routes (LHR, CDG, SYD) and will basically replace the A380s currently. I don't foresee any major change in the way QR approaches F other than a better seat and therefore an attempt to charge slightly more for certain F flights.
May 15, 2024, 4:51 am
#4403
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: BOS/UTH
Programs: AA LT PLT; QR GLD; Bonvoy LT TIT
Posts: 12,865
My expectation is this new F will be only on a small handful of planes on a small handful of routes (LHR, CDG, SYD) and will basically replace the A380s currently. I don't foresee any major change in the way QR approaches F other than a better seat and therefore an attempt to charge slightly more for certain F flights.
May 15, 2024, 5:08 am
#4404
Join Date: Feb 2020
Posts: 364
My expectation is this new F will be only on a small handful of planes on a small handful of routes (LHR, CDG, SYD) and will basically replace the A380s currently. I don't foresee any major change in the way QR approaches F other than a better seat and therefore an attempt to charge slightly more for certain F flights.
It does not make operational sense to have a "handful" of planes, we who have flown F on QR A380 post-pandemic have experienced that first hand, small crew due to the limited number of flights and as such no training, you cant just swap out an A380 for another one so having a broken seat in F is a nightmare. Any airline having a specific cabin needs to have a fleet that supports it and as such a numer of routes.
May 15, 2024, 5:15 am
#4405
Join Date: Feb 2020
Posts: 364
Most of these F pax are transiting in DOH, very few are paying full F. They are either award or avios upgrades from J.
That is understandable, as many of those willing to fork hefty F price prefer a nonstop alternative when available. When not available, QR might compete with other 1-stop airline (EK, SQ, ..), but QR F seats are outdated. Trying to get to compete on quality and increasing AS costs for all users makes little sense.
That is understandable, as many of those willing to fork hefty F price prefer a nonstop alternative when available. When not available, QR might compete with other 1-stop airline (EK, SQ, ..), but QR F seats are outdated. Trying to get to compete on quality and increasing AS costs for all users makes little sense.
You cant book F, even if the leg from DOH can be F (And cabin is empty) for those transit passengers.
Last year they tried to do a "mixed cabin" offer where the DOH-X leg would be in F and they raised that ticket price with 10k SEK. But I have only seen that once.
atm I think QR is not fully committed to F, and one major reason is their A380 headache. They where firm to never let the A380 return, and they did (thank god for that) but without a plan they won't invest in things above (train new cc in first class servings, interior uplift, expand network etc)
May 15, 2024, 5:37 am
#4406
Join Date: Apr 2015
Programs: Some
Posts: 5,367
I’m aware of what is being said, my point is I don’t believe this will work / it’s just marketing. I have defected from QR to EK over the last few years because the QR F network is too small and the product sucks post-COVID. Unless there is a massive expansion in F network to put it on many routes, QR will be stuck in the place of making a profit on LHR-DOH and then having even more loss-making F cabins than it currently has because there is limited traffic to DOH and no one really wants to pay for an F ticket to fly one leg in J. Making the F cabin better alone wont solve this (look at EY, which is basically in the same situation of not being able to sell F Apartments and The Residence for the same reason).
May 15, 2024, 6:55 am
#4407
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: BOS/UTH
Programs: AA LT PLT; QR GLD; Bonvoy LT TIT
Posts: 12,865
Ah, I understand now. I also think that QR will have its work cut out for it to differentiate new F from QSuites. New F will have to be substantially better than QSuites to justify any significant upcharge, and without that, it's not worth it for them.
May 15, 2024, 10:09 am
#4408
Join Date: Mar 2024
Location: DFW
Programs: AA Platinum Pro/Oneworld Emerald, Bonvoy Platinum
Posts: 50
Yes, Im having this issue now. Were flying DFW-DOH in QSuites en route to MLE. The flights to/from MLE are on the ex-CX 777-300s that have an F cabin. However, I have not been able to upgrade from J to F, and there was no option at the time of booking either.