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
Jan 5, 2019, 7:47 pm
#1606
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 589
Exactly, when I was in the AS in 2016 upon exiting no one asked anything.
Jan 6, 2019, 12:53 am
#1607
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 8,769
I did this when I went on the transit tour of Doha (reasonable value for 40QAR). Left my bags in the lockers at AS, didn’t ask just did it. Had no issue.
Jan 6, 2019, 2:24 pm
#1608
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,203
I looked over the past 3 months of posts and I think I know the answer, but can someone confirm.
Award routing...arrive from US, QR J, connecting to MCT, QR F. Looks like a 8-9 hour connection time at DOH depending on my final routing. It appears that I'll have access to AS awaiting the connection, correct?
Award routing...arrive from US, QR J, connecting to MCT, QR F. Looks like a 8-9 hour connection time at DOH depending on my final routing. It appears that I'll have access to AS awaiting the connection, correct?
Jan 9, 2019, 11:30 am
#1609
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Doha, Qatar
Programs: Qatar Airways Privilege Club Platinum; Accor Le Club Platinum
Posts: 1,077
Al Safwa Lounge Access of Sale
Several travel blogs are reporting QR’s newest policy for the AS Lounge. If you have a paid business class ticket with QR, you can now purchase access to AS Lounge for 250 Qatar Riyals.
Jan 9, 2019, 11:33 am
#1610
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Cumbria
Programs: BAEC GGL/CCR, Hilton Diamond, Starbucks Gold
Posts: 4,510
https://onemileatatime.com/buy-qatar...lounge-access/
More details here. In terms of what is available me so far.
More details here. In terms of what is available me so far.
Jan 9, 2019, 11:43 am
#1611
Join Date: Jan 2015
Programs: QR Platinum
Posts: 470
https://onemileatatime.com/buy-qatar...lounge-access/
More details here. In terms of what is available me so far.
More details here. In terms of what is available me so far.
Jan 9, 2019, 4:17 pm
#1612
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Cumbria
Programs: BAEC GGL/CCR, Hilton Diamond, Starbucks Gold
Posts: 4,510
Yes, but it was certainly more than the OP provided, and as he referred to blogs, that is what I showed.
Also worth having this link in case they do get additionally information that they then post.
Jan 10, 2019, 3:30 am
#1614
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 8,769
Thanks BA6501 for answering in the affirmative. A bit of a follow-up, I am thinking that I am going to go into the city for a bit during the layover. It appears that I can enter the lounge, shower, leave my carry on in a secure locker, go out and about, and be able to re-enter the lounge at a later time holding the F ticket to MCT. Correct?
If you haven’t been to Doha before I would recommend the transit tour for 40 QAR. It’s a bit Truman Show-esque but is an easy way to see a few different bits of Doha and you get some time to wander round the souk at the end.
https://www.qatarairways.com/en-gb/o...city-tour.html
Jan 10, 2019, 5:51 pm
#1615
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,203
Yes that is correct, and exactly as I did as per my post above.
If you haven’t been to Doha before I would recommend the transit tour for 40 QAR. It’s a bit Truman Show-esque but is an easy way to see a few different bits of Doha and you get some time to wander round the souk at the end.
https://www.qatarairways.com/en-gb/o...city-tour.html
Jan 11, 2019, 10:40 pm
#1617
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: BOS/UTH
Programs: AA LT PLT; QR GLD; Bonvoy LT TIT
Posts: 12,753
Both Al Mourjan and the deli are open and have their regular food options (my DOH connections are often at those hours). I don't know about Al Safwa. If you have no lounge access, many of the non-lounge restaurants do close for some period overnight.
Jan 12, 2019, 3:26 am
#1618
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 8,769
The normal a la carte menu is available in Al Safwa. I ate a full meal between midnight and 1am there recently. The sushi and deli section were also open and they were happy to serve me sushi from there in the a la carte dining area.
Jan 12, 2019, 5:22 am
#1619
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: The Island. UK
Programs: BAEC Silver/Hilton Diamond/IHG Spire
Posts: 351
For info: Despite what some have said in this thread, I recently accessed the lounge following BA123 in First connecting to QR in whY on separate tickets. Some confusion to start with but they were more than happy. Maybe I was lucky but always worth a go.
Jan 18, 2019, 2:36 am
#1620
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 49
I'm arriving in Y from MLE-DOH 1st May around 1pm and departing in F from DOH-FRA 2nd May around 8am, a 19 hour layover/connection.
Is there anything stopping me from going into Al Safwa and using their sleeping rooms instead of heading into Doha or will they not let me in until the 2nd?
Also, I booked the Y and F on separate redemptions, can I check bags all the way through to FRA or will I need to collect and recheck? (sorry if OT).
Thanks
Is there anything stopping me from going into Al Safwa and using their sleeping rooms instead of heading into Doha or will they not let me in until the 2nd?
Also, I booked the Y and F on separate redemptions, can I check bags all the way through to FRA or will I need to collect and recheck? (sorry if OT).
Thanks