Short connections at DOH (under 90 minutes)
 

Short connections at DOH (under 90 minutes)

Preparation is the key to having a comfortable short transfer at DOH. There should be no need to rush but you do need to be aware of where you are going.

Preparation:
Before you travel make sure that you have a reliable map of the airport such as airports-terminal-maps/doha-qatar. This map in spite of a number of errors is the best overall map of the departure areas available. The map has two gates B7, two gates C5 and the D and E gates are not numbered. Bus gates are not shown either.
The bus gates are located one floor down as follows: C20-C29 just by Gate C10, D20-24 and E20-24 are situated at the confluence of the C, D and E wings at the North node.
You should ask for "Rapid Transfer Tag"s for your luggage at Check-In.
Shortly before landing the aircraft's IFE usually displays a list of connecting flights with gate numbers so that you can find your departure gate. If it is not shown ask the cabin crew.

Recently I had a 65 minute transfer from gate B10 to gate C12 with security checks. I even managed 25 minutes in the lounge because I was well prepared!

If your flight is late arriving and your transfer time falls to under 45 minutes then QR staff will usually meet you at the gate and guide you to your connecting flight.

Follow the http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/qatar...embarking.html guide until you enter the departure area.

Check to see you know where you are and how to get to your departure gate.

Under development!
Your comments/ corrections/suggestions are welcome before this becomes a Wiki as part of the About DOH airport thread.

Reserved for future use.

If you have a short connection you should ask for "Rapid Transfer Tag" at Check-In for your luggage.

Last time I went through with a short connection I was met off the plane and accompanied to the next gate

CL9 thank you for your comment I have not experienced that myself.
Does the tag only apply to checked luggage or also to hand luggage?
I could envisage it on hand luggage which would give access to a 'Rapid Transfer' queue in security. Thoughts anyone?

No, the "Rapid Transfer Tag" is only for checked luggage.

It is like the "Priority" tag but has a different color (not sure if I remember right, but i think it was green or maybe orange)

Can confirm checked luggage receives Rapid Transfer tag that is orange, looks nearly identical to the Business Class one without the grey bit that says 'oneworld'. The First Class one is yellow. So I had two orange tags on each of my checked bags.

In the past, they gave the striped orange+yellow (?) rapid transfer boarding pass sleeves; business class got the burgundy ones; economy got yellow ones; DOH arrivals got the blue ones. But apparently they're now just using up the stock, and aren't gonna have them in the future.

Recently had a 60 minute connection from last B gate to E bus gate, but also had time for a quick bite at Al Mourjan. ^

There's also a green "long transfer" tag, but that is for a different thread...

amnicoll what was your cabin class? Was the flight late arriving? How long was your scheduled transfer? these all have a bearing on being met at the aircraft. This thread is intended for all passengers not just premium passengers so it needs to clear where this facility is available.

Also, be alert on deplaning to see if yours is one of the flights from which connecting pax are admitted directly back into the departures area, bypassing security and saving non-trivial time.

But surely you are directed into the process that applies to your flight: there's not that much you can do about it, either way: alert or not.

Yes. I was just saying be alert and don't go up the escalator if you're connecting and have the option to re-enter departures area. IME QR staff are not always proactive at making sure that everyone knows when you get off the plane.

I was in business. I can not now remember if the plane was late but it had been re-timed to leave BKK 30 minutes or so later (unbeknown to me until I arrived at the airport) and the original transfer was just under the two hours so perhaps an hour and 10/20 minutes.

In business class, I have had a short connection only twice on a PHL - DOH - JNB route. Both times I've been met by a cart that whisked me away to the plane. Unfortunately, both times my luggage was delayed by over 24 hours.

Post 1 of this thread has been corrected and has now become a Wiki.