Old Nov 5, 2015, 11:11 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
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


Print Wikipost

QR Al Safwa First Class Lounge

Old Dec 30, 2018, 4:55 am
  #1591  
 
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 6
Originally Posted by msm2000uk
The change has been put back, so I can't say much until it's officially announced - which is annoying!

M
Hope the announce would be that PCPLP flying in J allowed to access AS lounge regardless of transit time.

pls let us know as soon as you get informed
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Massenet Lee is offline  
Old Dec 30, 2018, 4:58 am
  #1592  
 
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 6
Originally Posted by purple1addict


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!
If any delay caused or if I went shopping first before entering the lounge, it would be less than 8 hrs.

still not eligible?
Massenet Lee is offline  
Old Dec 30, 2018, 5:31 am
  #1593  
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: LHR
Programs: QR Platinum, WY Gold, Shangri-la Diamond, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,149
Originally Posted by Massenet Lee
If any delay caused or if I went shopping first before entering the lounge, it would be less than 8 hrs.

still not eligible?
You're not eligible because you're not arriving in long haul F.

Please re-read my post and/or the wiki for details
purple1addict is offline  
Old Dec 30, 2018, 7:48 pm
  #1594  
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Programs: QR Platinum, Star Alliance Gold (LH Sen)
Posts: 764
Originally Posted by msm2000uk
The change has been put back, so I can't say much until it's officially announced - which is annoying!

M
It seems that QR really is doing everything to make already annoyed frequent customers more annoyed!
Strange strategy....
NoY likes this.
Traveller999 is online now  
Old Dec 30, 2018, 8:29 pm
  #1595  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Doha, Qatar
Programs: Qatar Airways Privilege Club Platinum; Accor Le Club Platinum
Posts: 1,069
I was in the lounge on Friday and Saturday. There might have been 8 guests at any one time (maximum).
SullyofDoha is offline  
Old Dec 31, 2018, 12:26 pm
  #1596  
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: LHR
Programs: QR Platinum, WY Gold, Shangri-la Diamond, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,149
Originally Posted by msm2000uk
The change has been put back, so I can't say much until it's officially announced - which is annoying!

M
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!
purple1addict is offline  
Old Dec 31, 2018, 2:09 pm
  #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
ph-ndr is offline  
Old Dec 31, 2018, 3:21 pm
  #1598  
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: South Africa
Programs: QR PC Platinum
Posts: 412
Originally Posted by ph-ndr
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
AFAIK it was pretty much clear that no upgrades of any kind gets you access. Only full F revenue/redemption tickets
kl1987 is offline  
Old Dec 31, 2018, 11:05 pm
  #1599  
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Programs: QR Plat
Posts: 2,413
Where on the wiki page do you read this? It mentions opups, beyond that is just says first class.

-A
ph-ndr is offline  
Old Jan 2, 2019, 12:03 am
  #1600  
 
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: AUH
Posts: 8,245
Originally Posted by ph-ndr
Where on the wiki page do you read this? It mentions opups, beyond that is just says first class.

-A
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.
stargold is offline  
Old Jan 2, 2019, 2:04 am
  #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
Originally Posted by ph-ndr
Where on the wiki page do you read this? It mentions opups, beyond that is just says first class.

-A
I have amended the WIKI to make it a tad clearer.

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
msm2000uk is offline  
Old Jan 5, 2019, 8:11 am
  #1602  
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Gold, TK Gold, HHonors Silver
Posts: 396
Originally Posted by lost_in_translation
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!
What about passengers who are not connecting. Would they be able to use the rooms at all if they arrive at the lounge 6 hours before their departing flight in F? Thanks
umbyboy is offline  
Old Jan 5, 2019, 9:02 am
  #1603  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
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Originally Posted by umbyboy
What about passengers who are not connecting. Would they be able to use the rooms at all if they arrive at the lounge 6 hours before their departing flight in F? Thanks
Yes, the sleeping rooms are part of the lounge. If you have access to AS, you have access to the sleeping rooms.
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Dr. HFH is offline  
Old Jan 5, 2019, 5:47 pm
  #1604  
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 589
Transfer time in the AS will be from 1800 till 1640 the following day, can I leave my hand bag in the AS leave DOH go to Souk Waqf for about 2- 3 hours then return back into the AS?.
ual902 is offline  
Old Jan 5, 2019, 7:22 pm
  #1605  
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Originally Posted by ual902
Transfer time in the AS will be from 1800 till 1640 the following day, can I leave my hand bag in the AS leave DOH go to Souk Waqf for about 2- 3 hours then return back into the AS?.
I tried the same thing at Al Mourjan. If you ask, the answer is likely to be no. AM manager explained to me that if you leave the airport, your bag(s) must go with you.

From a practical perspective, how would they know?
Dr. HFH is offline  

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