criso

Quick update on this.

When I dropped my bags off, I was given a lounge pass for the skyteam lounge with my details on it. As I didn't have alot of time and the lounges are at different ends I decided not to visit the MH lounge but stick with the one I had the invite for.
It's quite nice and comfortable. Breakfast buffet slightly mistimed as I took stuff just before they did a refresh so everything was quite cold. If I'd waited 10 minutes it would have been fresh.

zsc

It's the standard practice across all their lounges - it is meant for only their J and F passengers. Same policy applies at CDG. Even if you look at DOH lounges they purposely separate Mourjan/Safwa for only J/F-ticketed passengers for a reason. During the peak hours the BCL gets absolutely packed with travelers in Y, this would detract from the 'premium' experience they sell to their J/F passengers. Not to mention, the QR lounge at LHR/CDG is not huge. Adequately decent for the amount of premium class passengers and no more.

criso

It is their policy and one that I have observed in the past however 2 things. 1) Other airlines that are part of oneworld are happy to allow access to each others members by status. That would be why the MH agent commented on it is unusual if not unique across the partnership 2) QR allow you to purchase lounge access which you can't do at the BA lounges at LHR T5

So they may be excluding status passengers but they are replacing them with passengers that get access by paying which doesn't scream exclusive to me and overall the numbers may balance out.

remdk

criso please remember that
1) there are probably many, many more OWE and OWS's than there are passengers willing to purchase access to Al Mourjan. Overcrowding of the First class and Business class lounges certainly suggests this.
2) QR cannot control numbers of OWE and OWS's who could claim access to Al Mourjan. But it can strictly control the numbers of those who purchase access.
I know that lounges can refuse access due to overcrowding but how do they define overcrowding in lounges the size of Al Safwa and Al Mourjan?
There is also a difference between the capacity of the lounges with DOH having a much larger capcity.

criso

I was in a phase of travelling to or through Doha a few times a month when OWS and OWE were allowed to use Al Mourjan as the business class lounge had not been opened yet and did not see any significant overcrowding at various times of the year and day, However that was 2 years ago so I appreciate these numbers may be out of date and it may be busier now generally. I also I understand one factor in the current crowding of the business class lounge at HIA is that QR allow access to their silver members who are equivalent to oneworld ruby which other airlines don't and you can purchase access to this and the first class lounge so the crowding of this lounge has other factors and we don't know what percentage is OWE and OWS.

At LHR as BA and Oneworld mainly fly through T5 and T3, only MH and QR fly out of T4, so I think it's debatable how many extra there would be, the Skyteam lounge was pretty empty today at the time of the 2 QR morning flights.

Can't comment on CDG at all as refuse to transfer through there after having luggage misplaced 4 times in a row.

And as I said, other airlines seem to manage it and allow reciprocal access, I think QR is the only one that doesn't.

Dr. HFH

Not probably, -- I'd bet on it. In fact, statistically, there are many more OWEs and OWSs passing through HIA than there are QR J and F pax more or less by definition.


Lounges of other carriers can and do refuse access citing overcrowding, e.g., BA at BOS does it regularly. And, like BA, they don't need a written, published and quantifiable definition. It's whenever lounge management feels that the lounge is overcrowded.

criso

But I we are not comparing numbers of J and F versus elites, but the number of people willing to purchase lounge access versus elites. Then there is the additional pressure on the business lounge in HIA by allowing Silver members who are equivalent of oneworld ruby.

And there is a difference between having to restrict access for exceptional circumstances such as overcrowding and a published policy. Others only open at certain times of the day so are only any option for certain flights. At LHR T4 which was my query as oneworld airlines do not in the main fly out of T4 then there would be limited numbers of OWE and OWS.

Anyway we have digressed a little from the original question which was about practical alternatives due to this policy in LHR and maybe some opinions on the alternatives.

Dr. HFH

Yes, but that makes my statement even more likely to be accurate.