Old Nov 5, 2015, 11:11 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: CPH-Flyer
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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


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QR Al Safwa First Class Lounge

Old Apr 13, 2018, 4:50 pm
  #1411  
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Originally Posted by IAN-UK
I get the sentiment, but the poor saps are paying F-class fares to sit in J-class cabins. Unless they are on connecting flights paying J-class fares to sit in J-class cabins but receiving F-class FFP benefits.

Complicated. But have you seen those intra-Gulf F-class fares ?
It's why they're F and not classified as J fares
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Old Apr 13, 2018, 5:18 pm
  #1412  
 
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Have the rules changed at all for example:

Muscat - DOH - BKK = F>J No AS lounge access

However on the reverse route AS is allowed
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Old Apr 14, 2018, 1:31 am
  #1413  
 
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Still the same, unless you upgraded from Y.
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Old Apr 19, 2018, 11:36 am
  #1414  
 
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I intend to upgrade J to F if possible from BKK-DOH and use points to purchase a seperate outright ticket in F from DOH to CDG. I understand that upgrades do not entitle one to AS lounge access but will the reward ticket from DOH -CDG get me in?

Many thanks.
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Old Apr 19, 2018, 12:43 pm
  #1415  
 
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Dear wise ones...

I'm flying MEL-DOH in First, arriving at 04:55, and connecting to DOH-VIE in Business at 15:45. QR on a BAEC redemption ticket.

I believe that I'll have access to the Al Safwa First Class Lounge, but I'm considering doing a very brief (tourist) visit to the city. Would I be able to get into the lounge to shower and freshen up, go to the city, and then return to the lounge before the VIE flight? Is it doable!?

I'm not sure about the timescale for getting into the city on public transport.
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Old Apr 19, 2018, 12:49 pm
  #1416  
 
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Originally Posted by chokdee
I intend to upgrade J to F if possible from BKK-DOH and use points to purchase a seperate outright ticket in F from DOH to CDG. I understand that upgrades do not entitle one to AS lounge access but will the reward ticket from DOH -CDG get me in?

Many thanks.
Yes, an outright reward ticket DOH-CDG would grant you access. I hope you are prepared to / have enough Qmiles to pay x2 miles however, as it has been quite a while now since QR released any standard award availability in F on this route or any of the A380 routes.
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Old Apr 19, 2018, 12:59 pm
  #1417  
 
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Originally Posted by headingwest
Dear wise ones...

I'm flying MEL-DOH in First, arriving at 04:55, and connecting to DOH-VIE in Business at 15:45. QR on a BAEC redemption ticket.

I believe that I'll have access to the Al Safwa First Class Lounge, but I'm considering doing a very brief (tourist) visit to the city. Would I be able to get into the lounge to shower and freshen up, go to the city, and then return to the lounge before the VIE flight? Is it doable!?

I'm not sure about the timescale for getting into the city on public transport.
Yes, this is possible and you should have plenty time to do this. Outside of rush hour the centre of Doha is not a long drive at all (<30 mins) but at rush hour things are somewhat different! There is no good public transport connection to the airport so you'll be relying on Ubers, but they are cheap and efficient in Doha. My advice would be to head to Al Safwa and ask for a sleeping room on arrival, have a shower there and possibly take a quick nap, then enjoy a leisurely breakfast in Al Safwa afterwards until after rush hour has finished, before heading out in Doha around 9.30/10 for a few hours. If this is a weekend you'll have even less trouble and can leave earlier without issues. You don't need to be back at DOH until a couple of hours before your flight. The premium immigration and security at DOH is extremely efficient, I wouldn't recommend this but I've left the DoubleTree (about 15-20 minutes drive) around 1 hour 15 minutes before a long haul flight before and still managed to reach the gate comfortably before boarding commenced...
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Old Apr 19, 2018, 1:06 pm
  #1418  
 
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Originally Posted by lost_in_translation
Yes, this is possible and you should have plenty time to do this. Outside of rush hour the centre of Doha is not a long drive at all (but at rush hour things are somewhat different!). There is no good public transport connection to the airport so you'll be relying on Ubers, but they are cheap and efficient in Doha. My advice would be to head to Al Safwa and ask for a sleeping room on arrival, have a shower there and possibly take a quick nap, then enjoy a leisurely breakfast in Al Safwa afterwards until after rush hour has finished, before heading out in Doha around 9.30/10 for a few hours. If this is a weekend you'll have even less trouble and can leave earlier without issues. You don't need to be back at DOH until a couple of hours before your flight. The premium immigration and security at DOH is extremely efficient, I wouldn't recommend this but I've left the DoubleTree (about 15-20 minutes drive) around 1 hour 15 minutes before a long haul flight before and still managed to reach the gate comfortably before boarding commenced...
It'll be on a Tuesday, so perhaps a little busier.

Thanks very much for the info lost_in_translation, much appreciated. Sounds like it will be worth a go. Will I have premium immigration for arrival at DOH though?
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Old Apr 19, 2018, 1:17 pm
  #1419  
 
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Originally Posted by headingwest
It'll be on a Tuesday, so perhaps a little busier.

Thanks very much for the info lost_in_translation, much appreciated. Sounds like it will be worth a go. Will I have premium immigration for arrival at DOH though?
Yes, just show your inbound F boarding pass at the reception desk to the premium class immigration facility (it's through the doors to the left as you enter the immigration hall, there is a mini-arrivals lounge with drinks etc. then some immigration gates at the far end of the lounge).
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Old Apr 19, 2018, 1:18 pm
  #1420  
 
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Originally Posted by lost_in_translation
Yes, just show your inbound F boarding pass at the reception desk to the premium class immigration facility (it's through the doors to the left as you enter the immigration hall, there is a mini-arrivals lounge with drinks etc. then some immigration gates at the far end of the lounge).
Brilliant. Thanks once again. ^
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Old Apr 19, 2018, 1:24 pm
  #1421  
 
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Originally Posted by lost_in_translation
Yes, this is possible and you should have plenty time to do this. Outside of rush hour the centre of Doha is not a long drive at all (<30 mins) but at rush hour things are somewhat different! There is no good public transport connection to the airport so you'll be relying on Ubers, but they are cheap and efficient in Doha. My advice would be to head to Al Safwa and ask for a sleeping room on arrival, have a shower there and possibly take a quick nap, then enjoy a leisurely breakfast in Al Safwa afterwards until after rush hour has finished, before heading out in Doha around 9.30/10 for a few hours. If this is a weekend you'll have even less trouble and can leave earlier without issues. You don't need to be back at DOH until a couple of hours before your flight. The premium immigration and security at DOH is extremely efficient, I wouldn't recommend this but I've left the DoubleTree (about 15-20 minutes drive) around 1 hour 15 minutes before a long haul flight before and still managed to reach the gate comfortably before boarding commenced...
I have admittedly never been yet, but through my online research, the public buses from the airport to the tourist area near the museum and Souk seem pretty straightforward. The frequency looks to be decent. There even seems to be a bus kiosk at the airport where you can buy the smartcard (essentially the tickets) and can ask any info.
Info: https://dohahamadairport.com/airport...he-airport/bus

Again, I haven't personally experienced this yet, so I could be wrong in it's usefulness.
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Old Apr 19, 2018, 1:51 pm
  #1422  
 
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Originally Posted by Flamenguista
I have admittedly never been yet, but through my online research, the public buses from the airport to the tourist area near the museum and Souk seem pretty straightforward. The frequency looks to be decent. There even seems to be a bus kiosk at the airport where you can buy the smartcard (essentially the tickets) and can ask any info.
Info: https://dohahamadairport.com/airport...he-airport/bus

Again, I haven't personally experienced this yet, so I could be wrong in it's usefulness.
Interesting! By my reckoning that will cost me about 10 QAR to the city and back. Can't be bad!
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Old Apr 20, 2018, 12:17 am
  #1423  
 
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Originally Posted by headingwest
Dear wise ones...

I'm flying MEL-DOH in First, arriving at 04:55, and connecting to DOH-VIE in Business at 15:45. QR on a BAEC redemption ticket.

I believe that I'll have access to the Al Safwa First Class Lounge, but I'm considering doing a very brief (tourist) visit to the city. Would I be able to get into the lounge to shower and freshen up, go to the city, and then return to the lounge before the VIE flight? Is it doable!?

I'm not sure about the timescale for getting into the city on public transport.
Just as a note of warning, there used to be a policy that those arriving in long haul F and departing in J would only be granted access to Al Safwa if their transit time was under 8 hours. As yours is much longer than this you *may* find yourself being redirected to Al Mourjan. That said, you can come and go from there all day if you wish.

I find the meter taxis cheap enough and plentiful these days in Doha, and often cleaner inside than the ubers. So I don't think you'll have problems getting around one way or another.
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Old Apr 20, 2018, 1:48 am
  #1424  
 
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Originally Posted by Johnnieboy
Just as a note of warning, there used to be a policy that those arriving in long haul F and departing in J would only be granted access to Al Safwa if their transit time was under 8 hours. As yours is much longer than this you *may* find yourself being redirected to Al Mourjan. That said, you can come and go from there all day if you wish.

I find the meter taxis cheap enough and plentiful these days in Doha, and often cleaner inside than the ubers. So I don't think you'll have problems getting around one way or another.
Thanks for the warning. I'll report back here if that is still the case.
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Old Apr 20, 2018, 8:08 pm
  #1425  
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Originally Posted by headingwest
I'm not sure about the timescale for getting into the city on public transport.
Decanting yourself from First to public transport is always going to be fun.

Don't worry, I'm geeky about public transport and I'll happily use it where it's not desperately inconvenient. Currently decided against the 102 from Batu Ferringhi to Penang airport: it just takes too long and Georgetown traffic can cause insane delays: so it'll be Grab at a 6 premium over Rapid Penang.



With time at a premium bus travel doesn't stack up for a few hours' visit to the city.

The buses are lovely, but they run to a schedule and on routes that are not always the most direct. They certainly won't drop you off at the door to the museum. all that adds up to quite a potential time penalty, and a degree of sweatiness.

You'd need a travel card, which ran at QAR20 for the unlimited 24H one, or you can get a two-ticket version from the driver for QAR10. Not a king's ransom, but unless things have changed (and they were going to) you can't use a credit card at the airport to get the Karwa card. So that means getting cash from ATMs or Forex desks.

On the other hand Uber is easily available, fast and cheap. So are taxis, but while Uber puts the charge on your registered credit card, taxis want cash.
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