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
Sep 20, 2017, 1:32 am
#1261
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 973
).Yeah, just before the family areas.
Sep 21, 2017, 12:07 am
#1263
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Philadelphia
Programs: AA (Exec Plat), ANA (Plat), Club Carlson (Gld), Hilton (Diamond), IHG (Plat), SPG (Gld)
Posts: 447
So I wanted to verify whether I should be able to access the Al Safwa lounge if I am arriving from BKK on the A380 and departing the following morning in business to MLE?
I saw that the FAQs at the top of this page says that flights from Bangkok qualify if connecting onward but then there is a note that transits of over 8 hours are less likely to qualify. However, my transit time would be close to 24 hours as the flight arrives at approximately 12:10pm and departs the following day at around 8:15 am.
I am assuming the answer is sadly no but just wanted to reconfirm.
Also, wanted to confirm that I can't use the fancy first class check-in either for my flight from DOH to MLE since it is J for the above routing. Not a big deal if I can't.
Thanks for the assistance.
I saw that the FAQs at the top of this page says that flights from Bangkok qualify if connecting onward but then there is a note that transits of over 8 hours are less likely to qualify. However, my transit time would be close to 24 hours as the flight arrives at approximately 12:10pm and departs the following day at around 8:15 am.
I am assuming the answer is sadly no but just wanted to reconfirm.
Also, wanted to confirm that I can't use the fancy first class check-in either for my flight from DOH to MLE since it is J for the above routing. Not a big deal if I can't.
Thanks for the assistance.
Sep 21, 2017, 2:12 pm
#1264
Suspended
Join Date: Apr 2017
Programs: BA
Posts: 609
Sep 21, 2017, 2:15 pm
#1265
Join Date: Jul 2016
Programs: QR Platinum OWE, LH SEN
Posts: 91
So I wanted to verify whether I should be able to access the Al Safwa lounge if I am arriving from BKK on the A380 and departing the following morning in business to MLE?
I saw that the FAQs at the top of this page says that flights from Bangkok qualify if connecting onward but then there is a note that transits of over 8 hours are less likely to qualify. However, my transit time would be close to 24 hours as the flight arrives at approximately 12:10pm and departs the following day at around 8:15 am.
I am assuming the answer is sadly no but just wanted to reconfirm.
Also, wanted to confirm that I can't use the fancy first class check-in either for my flight from DOH to MLE since it is J for the above routing. Not a big deal if I can't.
Thanks for the assistance.
I saw that the FAQs at the top of this page says that flights from Bangkok qualify if connecting onward but then there is a note that transits of over 8 hours are less likely to qualify. However, my transit time would be close to 24 hours as the flight arrives at approximately 12:10pm and departs the following day at around 8:15 am.
I am assuming the answer is sadly no but just wanted to reconfirm.
Also, wanted to confirm that I can't use the fancy first class check-in either for my flight from DOH to MLE since it is J for the above routing. Not a big deal if I can't.
Thanks for the assistance.
Sep 21, 2017, 5:22 pm
#1266
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 3,944
Joe1690 you would be checked-in for both flights at the F check-in desk at BKK and be in transit in DOH and would remain airside. Thus you do not need and would never see the "fancy first class check-in" which is landside at DOH even if your onward travel was in F.
Oct 8, 2017, 2:54 pm
#1267
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: LON
Programs: BAEC Gold, QRPC Silver, Hilton Gold, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 265
will be travelling CDG-DOH in F and onwards in longhaul J soon. have a 9h 25m layover and hoping to get sleeping rooms in Al-Safwa, are there any more data points regarding the F>J transit time must be less than 8 hours rule?
I don't see much regarding that and I went through all 85 pages of this thread!
I don't see much regarding that and I went through all 85 pages of this thread!
Last edited by ms101; Dec 3, 2017 at 3:20 pm
Oct 8, 2017, 3:12 pm
#1268
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 3,944
ms101 the 8 hour rule has been strictly enforced but if you look at https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/28899828-post25.html it appears that the 8 hour rule may have been removed or temporally removed.
Oct 10, 2017, 9:05 am
#1269
Join Date: Apr 2000
Posts: 2,637
With this long thread, the answer to my question may be may be buried somewhere on page X. Flying F LHR-DOH-AMM. LHR-DOH arrives at 23:59. Considering RJ for the connection (in J), but it leaves at 12:45 pm. A layover of 12+ hours. I assume no access. However, on some days there is a flight at 7:00 am. Is access possible without the onward J flight not on QR? What is the menu during the overnight hours? I flew DOH-LHR last March on the 7:00 am departure and the dining room part was not open until 5am. And breakfast was average. The CX 1st class lounges in LHR and HKG are better for breakfast food.
Oct 16, 2017, 12:00 pm
#1270
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: LON
Programs: BAEC Gold, QRPC Silver, Hilton Gold, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 265
ms101 the 8 hour rule has been strictly enforced but if you look at https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/28899828-post25.html it appears that the 8 hour rule may have been removed or temporally removed.
Oct 29, 2017, 2:17 pm
#1271
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: PNW
Programs: AS 100K
Posts: 1,548
what champagne is being served right now?
flying AMM-DOH-BKK in F next month and will be spending about 2.5hrs in the lounge. It will be my first time being there...not sure if I should make my connection longer. Unfortunately, QR doesn't have another flight that leaves AMM a couple hours earlier. So it's either a 10hr+ connection or 2.5hr.
flying AMM-DOH-BKK in F next month and will be spending about 2.5hrs in the lounge. It will be my first time being there...not sure if I should make my connection longer. Unfortunately, QR doesn't have another flight that leaves AMM a couple hours earlier. So it's either a 10hr+ connection or 2.5hr.
Oct 29, 2017, 2:51 pm
#1272
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: AF Plat, DL Gold
Posts: 366
what champagne is being served right now?
flying AMM-DOH-BKK in F next month and will be spending about 2.5hrs in the lounge. It will be my first time being there...not sure if I should make my connection longer. Unfortunately, QR doesn't have another flight that leaves AMM a couple hours earlier. So it's either a 10hr+ connection or 2.5hr.
flying AMM-DOH-BKK in F next month and will be spending about 2.5hrs in the lounge. It will be my first time being there...not sure if I should make my connection longer. Unfortunately, QR doesn't have another flight that leaves AMM a couple hours earlier. So it's either a 10hr+ connection or 2.5hr.
Oct 29, 2017, 3:13 pm
#1273
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: LON, PDX
Programs: DL PM, AS MVP 75K, HH/SPG/MR Gold, Amex Plat, PRG, CSR
Posts: 2,064
Oct 29, 2017, 5:46 pm
#1275
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 1,372
I was there 21 Oct. Had just arrived from PHL, was catching a flight to BEY (with an 8-hour layover). As soon as I walked into the lounge, one of the attendants walked up to me to ask where I was arriving from. I said PHL. He said, "Oh, a long flight. You must be tired. I can show you to our Quiet Area if you'd like, where they have private rooms where you can sleep and take a shower. Unless you'd like to eat first."
I indicated that I'd like to sleep and shower first, and he escorted me to the private rooms, where another attendant checked me in.
After a nap and a shower, I went out to the restaurant, where I had a delicious meal, with great service, and maybe two or three other small groups of people there.
I left through a back exit that takes you down to just past security...There was an attendant at the desk whom I had never seen before, so was surprised when he looked at me and asked "Beirut?" I said yes and he gave me directions to the gate.
They must just keep track of where everyone in the lounge is departing to. All around excellent service and attention, and some really beautiful ancient manuscripts and other artifacts on display in the lounge!
I indicated that I'd like to sleep and shower first, and he escorted me to the private rooms, where another attendant checked me in.
After a nap and a shower, I went out to the restaurant, where I had a delicious meal, with great service, and maybe two or three other small groups of people there.
I left through a back exit that takes you down to just past security...There was an attendant at the desk whom I had never seen before, so was surprised when he looked at me and asked "Beirut?" I said yes and he gave me directions to the gate.
They must just keep track of where everyone in the lounge is departing to. All around excellent service and attention, and some really beautiful ancient manuscripts and other artifacts on display in the lounge!