Checked luggage on long layover at DOH
 

In a couple of weeks, we are flying SOF-DOH-BKK, our first ever trip on QR :)

We are scheduled to arrive in DOH at 00:55 and to depart again at 20:55, hence 20 hours in transit.

We are planning to catch a few hours sleep at the Crowne Plaza, then spend a few hours wandering round souks etc. before heading back to the airport, so are kind of hoping we'll check in our bags at SOF and not see them again until BKK - is that a fair assumption ?

Thanks in advance !

Fitch until recently (last last year) you could not short-check your luggage to DOH. With the 96 hour visas introduction yhis changed for holders of that visa type. Due to fecent further changes I do not know the present state but you should be able to request your luggage through checked to BKK. Just remember to ask and then check for BKK on your baggage tag as well as DOH.

Do not screw your expectations sky-high but just relax and enjoy the QR service.

I have a 12 hr layover in DOH, and they are providing me with free transit accommodation at Oryx Rotana. It seems that in these circumstances, bags are automatically tagged through to final destination and there is no option to retrieve them in DOH. Is that correct?

riteshshah welcome to the QR forum.

You appear to have STPC and if you look at the Wiki on http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/qatar...t-do-i-do.html you will see that luggage is checked to your final QR destination. (In some circumstances it may be checked through to your final, non QR, destination.). So yes that is correct.

One thing I have learnt from experience and these forums is always check the baggage label once it has been put on your bag and do not rely on what you have been told

We are both UK passport holders so will get visa on arrival.

There'll be plenty of room in our carry-ons for one change of clothing, so no suitcases to wrangle at DOH will be a big plus :)

We did look into the free hotel thing but seem to have missed the boat date-wise, also it's not clear on the QR website if UK citizens are even eligible.

Anyhow I have a bunch of IHG points to burn so the CP is effectively free anyway...

The free hotel promo got extended until end of the year, so you might want to look into it again.

Hmm, so I went to https://transitvisa.qatarairways.com...plicantDetails and put in PNR and surname.

So far, so good: it found the booking and asked if we wanted to apply re the SOF-DOH-BKK journey.

Yes, I said, and again it happily took me through to the application form.

BUT, at this stage there is a dropdown box titled "Nationality". And on the linked list there is no sign of UK, United Kingdom, Great Britain, England or indeed anything matching our (UK) nationality.

So I'm stuck :(

Did I go to the right page ???

EDIT: I have now been on hold with QR London reservations for 25 minutes....

25 minutes for the reservations line, not even customer support ? That's terrible.

Will give it 5 more mins then give up - at least I'm using Skype so it's pennies !

EDIT REDUX: Well I finally got through in minute 30, but it seems we are not eligible as there is a shorter connection available. No biggie, we will stick to Plan A and go to the Crowne Plaza on points :)

Fitch holders of UK passports no longer need a visa. Thus your application will fail.
See http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/qatar...countries.html for details.

You didn't. You probably wanted to go to this page: https://discoverqatar.qatarairways.com/us-en/plusqatar

In August , I had a MUC-DOH-BEY flight with at 12hour layover in DOH. The MUC desk was able to short check my luggage to DOH at my request.

so what is the time/layover hours when the would allow one to have luggage short checked? (Have a 2 day stopover coming up....) Is there anything written in the small print at QR?

In IATA language a stopover is a break of journey greater than 24 hours and anything less is a transit. I don't know but that could be the rule for QR also.