Platinum Access to QR First Class Lounge
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Europe
Programs: UA:1K MM, AF:FB-Platinum; QR: PC Platinum, FI: Saga Gold
Posts: 2,925
Platinum Access to QR First Class Lounge
I met a fellow FlyerTalker in the bar area on the A380 on a recent flight and he told me he always went to the QR First Class lounge while flying QR Business as a Platinum member. Any truth in this ?
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold, SQ Gold, KQ Platinum, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Hilton Gold, Marriott Silver, Accor Silver
Posts: 16,306
Very possibly. The First Class lounge is not the same as the Al Safwa First lounge. See https://www.qatarairways.com/en/lounges/worldwide.html under 'Doha'.
#4
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 776
Well, technically, both lounges are proper F lounges, while one of them also allows access for OWE.
Informally, no OW F flyer in his right mind would ever go to the F lounge rather than AS, unless he has a good reason like having guests that don't get access to AS. While there's always some randomness in QR's behavior, I have never heard of anyone not traveling on a OW F ticket getting access to AS.
I am pretty sure that if I would show the AS lounge dragon my QRPC card and my C ticket, they would give me the walk of shame treatment (all the way down that extra long escalator) without blinking an eye.
Informally, no OW F flyer in his right mind would ever go to the F lounge rather than AS, unless he has a good reason like having guests that don't get access to AS. While there's always some randomness in QR's behavior, I have never heard of anyone not traveling on a OW F ticket getting access to AS.
I am pretty sure that if I would show the AS lounge dragon my QRPC card and my C ticket, they would give me the walk of shame treatment (all the way down that extra long escalator) without blinking an eye.
#6
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 776
Yeah ok there are those once in a lifetime cases, but if "he always went" to AS, he either has serious connections (was his last name Thani by any chance?) or he just had one too many.
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold, SQ Gold, KQ Platinum, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Hilton Gold, Marriott Silver, Accor Silver
Posts: 16,306
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Europe
Programs: UA:1K MM, AF:FB-Platinum; QR: PC Platinum, FI: Saga Gold
Posts: 2,925
#9
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 223
I've been sent to Al Mourjan as a platinum flying economy due to the OWE lounge crowding so it wouldnt surprise me that they would send a platinum flying business to Al safwa when Al mourjan is crowded. especially since Al safwa generally sits empty due to flight suspensions.
#10
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 3,944
pstation in cases of severe overcrowding passengers, mainly OWEs, are sent to Al Mourjan. But I think that you will find you can count the 'real' reports of being sent to Al Safwa on the fingers of one hand, and still have fingers left over! There are also several posts where it is fairly clear that the poster has, as man do, confused First class lounge and Al Safwa lounge.
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Europe
Programs: UA:1K MM, AF:FB-Platinum; QR: PC Platinum, FI: Saga Gold
Posts: 2,925
????? Don’t know where this remark is coming from. I am by no means confused by the two, although never been to the generic First Class lounge. Only the real QR lounge
#13
Join Date: Jan 2015
Programs: QR Platinum
Posts: 463
1 time was even refused AS when arriving longhoul in first but connection time was more then 8 h.
That makes me think they not really care if AM is full and AS empty.
only 1 time whenn travelled Y was send from first class to AM because there was some work going on in first class but thats long time ago already
Last edited by Crisu69; Jan 6, 2018 at 10:08 am
#14
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 37
Is there an error at QR website lounge access overview? If you go to manage your booking there is a "Book lounge access" button on the right side. This brings me to an overview of my both DOH flights and the Qatar Business, Qatar First and AM lounge.
I'm traveling business (with QR for the first time) and have no special status - but it shows at Qatar First Class Lounge "Included. You are eligible to access this lounge for FREE". I think I don't have access there?
//edit:
Found this thread: Transit DOH - flying Business - F Lounge access?
Not an answer why it shows "Included" (cause I'm not BA Gold), but tells me first class lounge is not better as AM lounge.
I'm traveling business (with QR for the first time) and have no special status - but it shows at Qatar First Class Lounge "Included. You are eligible to access this lounge for FREE". I think I don't have access there?
//edit:
Found this thread: Transit DOH - flying Business - F Lounge access?
Not an answer why it shows "Included" (cause I'm not BA Gold), but tells me first class lounge is not better as AM lounge.
Last edited by cyru5; Jan 6, 2018 at 10:31 am
#15
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 3,944
cyru5 welcome to the QR forum. You will hopefully find the Qr dashboard a very useful tool.
Since you are in the J (business) cabin on QR or OW (Oneworld) flights you automatically have access to Al Mourjan.
To understand what is happening you need to understand the lounge structure at DOH
1) Al Safwa is the premiun first class lounge for F passengers on QR or OW flights.
2) Al Mourjan is the premium Business class lounge for J passengers on QR or OW flights
Several levels of quality and ambience below these are
3) First class lounge which is mainly for QR Platinum and OW Emerald status passengers
4) Business class lounge which is mainly for QR Gold and Silver and OW Sapphire status passengers.
There is also the paid Oryx lounge. But ignore that for the moment. It will not figure here.
Your travel class decides which of the lounges you have access to for 1 and 2 on the list above and your status level with Privikege Club/Oneworld 3 and 4.
Once your lounge access has been decided you also have access to lounges lower down the list.
This is useful if you are in J (Al Mourjan), you have status and you wish to invite guests into a lounge then 3 and 4 can be used..
While it is an exaggeration you could say that 1 and 2 are five star and 3 and 4 are two star lounges
Access rules are slightly more complicated than indicated here but you can see them in the Wiki on the QR Lounges at HIA dashboard widget.
Since you are in the J (business) cabin on QR or OW (Oneworld) flights you automatically have access to Al Mourjan.
To understand what is happening you need to understand the lounge structure at DOH
1) Al Safwa is the premiun first class lounge for F passengers on QR or OW flights.
2) Al Mourjan is the premium Business class lounge for J passengers on QR or OW flights
Several levels of quality and ambience below these are
3) First class lounge which is mainly for QR Platinum and OW Emerald status passengers
4) Business class lounge which is mainly for QR Gold and Silver and OW Sapphire status passengers.
There is also the paid Oryx lounge. But ignore that for the moment. It will not figure here.
Your travel class decides which of the lounges you have access to for 1 and 2 on the list above and your status level with Privikege Club/Oneworld 3 and 4.
Once your lounge access has been decided you also have access to lounges lower down the list.
This is useful if you are in J (Al Mourjan), you have status and you wish to invite guests into a lounge then 3 and 4 can be used..
While it is an exaggeration you could say that 1 and 2 are five star and 3 and 4 are two star lounges
Access rules are slightly more complicated than indicated here but you can see them in the Wiki on the QR Lounges at HIA dashboard widget.