ashbjr

I flew through Doha today and was informed that as of November 6th, passengers who upgrade using QMiles/Qcredits will no longer have access to Al Mourjan. What are your thoughts on this? I am quite disappointed personally; I thought access to Al Mourjan with upgrades was a nice and deserved benefit, given that the miles are hard earned. Has any one else been informed of this new rule? Could anyone else confirm?

YuropFlyer

That's a really terrible rule, if it's true.

I mean, even with stingy European carriers, you still get the same benefits when you make an upgrade with miles. And even when you get an overbooked op-up, usually same benefits apply. Maybe "meal chosen last" onboard. But no lounge access on a paid (with miles) upgrade? Hell, I can't see ANY European carrier even thinking about that.

ms101

If this is true, this is very disappointing as I often use my qmiles to upgrade my Y flights..... can't believe they are selling access to Al Mourjan now but not letting in qmiles/qcredit upgrades!

Crisu69

if they sell they get money, if they let you in in AM with an upgraded flight they give it to you for free.

make sense to me: cost cutting

will be there in AM in 2 days and will ask at the lounge

purple1addict

The bad news keeps on coming right now eh... And this is really bad if correct.

I'm going through tomorrow with a ticket upgraded using qmiles. I have a short transit so may end up running instead of lounging, but if I have time I'll check it out and report back.

railways

Yikes. This does look to be true, unfortunately.

From Upgrade at the airport:

"Lounge access will be offered based on the actual ticketed cabin."

This used to say: "as for the upgraded class" or similar.

Really bad news.

d3vski

Is this airport last minute upgrades only or pre-arranged upgrades?

(Even if the former, it’s still a tough silly rule)

FlyerRed5

Its official:

[QUOTE]
SUBJECT: Product Realignment - UoD using Qmiles/Qcredits
Process owner: Ground Services Page 1 of 1
According to the update received from Qatar Airways Privilege Club department, effective from the 06th of November, customers who purchase an upgrade upon departure (UoD) with Qmiles/Qcredits will be entitled to the baggage allowance and lounge access based on the actual ticketed cabin, and not the upgraded cabin.
However, frequent flyer members (i.e. platinum, gold, silver members) will continue to get their respective tier benefit when they purchase an UoD using Qmiles/Qcredits.
Example
A Gold tier member is booked on a revenue economy ticket, and purchases an upgrade
using Qmiles/Qcredits to the next higher cabin, the member will only get excess baggage and lounge access as per the gold tier entitlement i.e. :
 Excess baggage allowance of 15 KG
 Business class lounge access
ASMs to brief all concerned accordingly.
[UNQUOTE]

stargold

I can't help but think that Upgrade on Departure refers to when you turn up at check-in and use Qmiles/Qcredit to upgrade at the counter.

Still sucks, but not as massively as if it applied to upgrades booked beforehand.

FlyerTalker37

How can it possibly be applied to upgrade on departure and not all upgraded tickets? Aren't they all Business U ticket?

SullyofDoha

‘customers who purchase an upgrade upon departure (UoD)...’ seems to indicate that this only applies if you upgrade at the airport. However, I still remember the days when an op up to first at the airport got you access to Al Safwa...and seared scallops. Of course those days a long past. Anyways, I a a bit of a slave to QR’s Privilege Club, but the more cuts are starting to make me feel less bound. Then again, with companies like KLM and LH pulling out of Doha as well as the blockade keeping out competition from Emirates, Etihad, low cost carriers based in the UAE and a Gulf Air*, my options have significantly reduced over the last five months while QR continues to jack up the ticket price for DOH departures.

*just kidding about ‘Gulp’ Air, never part of my consideration set

Grace B

Well, it's always sad to lose an established benefit, but it won't bother me personally, as I don't have any Qmiles/Qcredits and always fly QR on fully paid business class tickets.

Perhaps the loss of upgraders from the al Mourjan lounge will be offset by an increase in paid entry pax, so it won't be any quieter at peak times.

Glad I took the decision not to credit any flights to the QR Privilege Club. I can only see things going further downhill from here.

Dr. HFH

So, I'm wondering about a few things.

1. What if you get your QPoint upgrade in advance, on the phone. Then it's not an Upgrade on Departure, is it.

2. QRPC Gold member purchases a Y ticket then upgrades, the example given upthread. S/he is admitted to the "Business class lounge." That's not AM, right?

Overall, this is disappointing. Lounge access, especially, should be based on boarding pass. Once they start differentiating between passengers within a cabin I see a slippery slope. Will passengers who upgraded start getting last meal choice? Overhead bin access only on a space-available-after-everyone-else-has-stored-their-things basis?

It's not right. If you're in a cabin, you're a passenger/customer in that cabin. Tickets/upgrades purchased with QPoints and QMiles aren't free; they're just paid for with a different form of currency.

FlyerTalker37

It is worse than this. I can not count the number of times I hadn't my first meal choice as I was seated in the last row in a cabin full of op-up pax. Not a big deal but those are clearly signs that QR does not care about PC members.

Crisu69

I would not be surprised now if the next step would be that upgraded customers would onyl get the service of the originally booked cabin class

So as a Y customer upgraded to J you would only get food+drink form Y.

Would be logical or not? Why give them food+drink in biz if they even can not have the food+drink in AM

I understand QR is under pressure regarding cost cutting but if they continue this way also with the other implemented disadvantages/cost cuttings it will not be to QR advantage on the long run