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
#1591
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 6
#1592
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 6
As things currently stand, you would have access to Al Safwa during transit if you either:
- depart in F
- arrive in long haul F (over 5 hours) and depart in J/Y*
*transit time should normally be less than 8 hours
So coming from MCT in F will not qualify regardless of your transit time I'm afraid. You will have access to the Al Mourjan on the basis of your departing flight in J though.
Having said that, msm2000uk has mentioned there will be a change to Al Safwa access rules from 1st Jan 2019. We don't yet know what that change will be - so watch this space I guess!
still not eligible?
#1593
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: LHR
Programs: QR Platinum, WY Gold, Shangri-la Diamond, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,149
#1594
Join Date: Mar 2017
Programs: QR Platinum, Star Alliance Gold (LH Sen)
Posts: 764
#1596
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: LHR
Programs: QR Platinum, WY Gold, Shangri-la Diamond, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,149
Thanks as always for the update M! Any clues as to why there is a delay? Internal matters/discussions or is QR having to consult (e.g. with oneworld) over the change to access rights? No worries if you can't say!
#1597
Join Date: Dec 2002
Programs: QR Plat
Posts: 2,413
Just passed by AS, my ticket was inbound in F from BKK (upgrade J to F with cow credits), and outbound J to OSL and was told in no uncertain terms I would not get in.
I was specifically told upgrades of absolutely any kind got no access.
Someone might want to mend the wiki.
-A
I was specifically told upgrades of absolutely any kind got no access.
Someone might want to mend the wiki.
-A
#1598
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: South Africa
Programs: QR PC Platinum
Posts: 412
Just passed by AS, my ticket was inbound in F from BKK (upgrade J to F with cow credits), and outbound J to OSL and was told in no uncertain terms I would not get in.
I was specifically told upgrades of absolutely any kind got no access.
Someone might want to mend the wiki.
-A
I was specifically told upgrades of absolutely any kind got no access.
Someone might want to mend the wiki.
-A
#1600
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: AUH
Posts: 8,245
Even flying DOH-BKK on Qcredits-upgraded F (or indeed, any other method of upgrade other than reissuing the ticket in paid F) will only entitle you to AM not AS, so inbound access in your scenario was never going to be possible.
#1601
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: 8,897
Access is granted based on the underlying fare class at the time of booking - so an upgraded J to F ticket, is still a J ticket.
The Al Safwa staff know which area of the booking to check, prior to a passenger being given access.
M
#1602
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Gold, TK Gold, HHonors Silver
Posts: 396
I'm with Dr. HFH here, the rooms aren't intended for use as a hotel if your layover is comfortably above the period where you would qualify for STPC and when I see people moaning that they are only available for 6 hours it does annoy me a little bit - if you need the room for more than 6 hours then I would suggest you are spending too long in the lounge anyway and a hotel would be a better choice! Equally, if everyone on a two-hour layover had access to them I think there would be a lot people asking for a room 'just to see what they were like' etc. given the curiosity various blogs have created around Al Safwa and the quiet rooms.
They work perfectly for overnight layovers of up to around 8 hours where you sleep for up to 6 hours, with possibly dinner before bed and breakfast in the morning afterwards. I have perhaps been extremely lucky but over maybe 8 overnight connections so far this year where I've needed a room for a nap they have always been available - this is precisely because QR are strict on access and don't give out the rooms just so people on shorter layovers can have a shower in them and chill out.
I also actually prefer the shower in the family area as a shower as I find it slightly better ventilated and the water temperature actually adjusts, unlike the showers in Al Mourjan for instance!
They work perfectly for overnight layovers of up to around 8 hours where you sleep for up to 6 hours, with possibly dinner before bed and breakfast in the morning afterwards. I have perhaps been extremely lucky but over maybe 8 overnight connections so far this year where I've needed a room for a nap they have always been available - this is precisely because QR are strict on access and don't give out the rooms just so people on shorter layovers can have a shower in them and chill out.
I also actually prefer the shower in the family area as a shower as I find it slightly better ventilated and the water temperature actually adjusts, unlike the showers in Al Mourjan for instance!
#1603
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: BOS/UTH
Programs: AA LT PLT; QR GLD; Bonvoy LT TIT
Posts: 12,634
Yes, the sleeping rooms are part of the lounge. If you have access to AS, you have access to the sleeping rooms.
#1605
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: BOS/UTH
Programs: AA LT PLT; QR GLD; Bonvoy LT TIT
Posts: 12,634
From a practical perspective, how would they know?