11 hr DOH Overnight Layover
Sep 14, 2018, 10:20 pm
#17
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Arizona
Posts: 5,688
I have spent the night in the First Class Lounge past the bar and next to the prayer room. There were only two real pieces of furniture you could sleep on at the time. I am not sure if the lounge closed and they did not kick us out or if they just let us be but we spent the night
Sep 14, 2018, 11:42 pm
#18
Moderator: American AAdvantage & Marriott Bonvoy
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: PHX
Programs: American ExPlat; Marriott/SPG Lifetime Plat; Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 8,115
My wife and I have MLE>DOH>ORD on hold in Feb, but it involves arriving 9:40PM in DOH and not leaving until 7:30AM the next day. 11 hrs, and my wife will be roughly 6 months pregnant. Is there something we can do to pass the time, or make this layover smoother? I assume it is not worth leaving the airport that late at night.
"At that hour of night, there is nothing outside the airport worth seeing. Stay in transit.
As soon as you book your ticket, book a room at the Oryx airside airport hotel. Really. It may be more expensive than you might like but it's right there and it's very nice -- and doesn't matter. She'll be ~24 weeks pregnant. Trust me on this, especially if it's your first. She's pregnant and uncomfortable and you're dragging her around the world: Home - Oryx Airport Hotel
Once you settle in, the stunning business class lounge at DOH is a 5 minute walk away and you can stroll over and satisfy whatever craving she may have.
You'll be a hero."
Sep 14, 2018, 11:55 pm
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 812
Sep 15, 2018, 12:01 am
#20
Moderator: American AAdvantage & Marriott Bonvoy
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: PHX
Programs: American ExPlat; Marriott/SPG Lifetime Plat; Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 8,115
Sep 15, 2018, 12:32 am
#21
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Hearts
Programs: SPG,HILTON
Posts: 11
I don’t know if this applies on you but maybe u find it useful
“those upgrading from economy to business class with points will no longer have access to the AM Lounge And for those upgrading from business to first class (or from economy to first class on short-haul routes in the region), you’ll no longer get access to the Al Safwa Lounge in DOH.” Source reputed blog
At checkin counter reconfirm lounge access, if not allowed , get the hotel , its worth 1000times considering your pregnant wife. Rest is really important.
“those upgrading from economy to business class with points will no longer have access to the AM Lounge And for those upgrading from business to first class (or from economy to first class on short-haul routes in the region), you’ll no longer get access to the Al Safwa Lounge in DOH.” Source reputed blog
At checkin counter reconfirm lounge access, if not allowed , get the hotel , its worth 1000times considering your pregnant wife. Rest is really important.
Sep 15, 2018, 6:50 am
#23
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: BOS/UTH
Programs: AA LT PLT; QR GLD; Bonvoy LT TIT
Posts: 12,742
I don’t know if this applies on you but maybe u find it useful
“those upgrading from economy to business class with points will no longer have access to the AM Lounge And for those upgrading from business to first class (or from economy to first class on short-haul routes in the region), you’ll no longer get access to the Al Safwa Lounge in DOH.” Source reputed blog.
“those upgrading from economy to business class with points will no longer have access to the AM Lounge And for those upgrading from business to first class (or from economy to first class on short-haul routes in the region), you’ll no longer get access to the Al Safwa Lounge in DOH.” Source reputed blog.
OP was clear that they're on award tickets as opposed to upgrades. No need to rely on bloggers; passengers holding award tickets are entitled to AM or AS lounge access. This is different from passengers holding paid tickets which have been upgraded using some type of non-cash mechanism. Those passengers are entitled to lounge access based on the ticket that they purchased, before upgrade.
Sep 15, 2018, 9:54 am
#24
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 776
OP was clear that they're on award tickets as opposed to upgrades. No need to rely on bloggers; passengers holding award tickets are entitled to AM or AS lounge access. This is different from passengers holding paid tickets which have been upgraded using some type of non-cash mechanism. Those passengers are entitled to lounge access based on the ticket that they purchased, before upgrade.
Sep 15, 2018, 7:42 pm
#25
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Somewhere between 0 and 13,000 metres high
Programs: AF/KL Life Plat, BA GGL+GfL, ALL Plat, Hilton Diam, Marriott Gold, blablablah, etc
Posts: 30,499
The only part of most above answers I’d disagree with is limiting one’s off airport choices to the oryx rotana. It’s not that close to the airport anyway and Uber is cheap. Late evening and early mornings, most transfers will take 15-30 minutes by Uber at most (including the oryx, probably the only exception is th Sharq which is nearer and lovely but expensive).
So airport hotel most convenient but very expensive, or plenty of choice of 4 and 5* for quite to very cheap. I’d definitely recommend NOT to plan to sleep in the lounges the ill-named ‘quiet zone’ is made of booths which are nice to rest in but certainly not to sleep, and that’s what you’ll want at that time of night.
So airport hotel most convenient but very expensive, or plenty of choice of 4 and 5* for quite to very cheap. I’d definitely recommend NOT to plan to sleep in the lounges the ill-named ‘quiet zone’ is made of booths which are nice to rest in but certainly not to sleep, and that’s what you’ll want at that time of night.
Sep 16, 2018, 2:04 pm
#26
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Tampa, FL
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Delta Platinum
Posts: 1,732
Check your ticket...QR used to offer free hotels to people with long layovers. We used that when transiting DOH last year on IAH-SIN itinerary. The lounge is OK to sleep in. There are quiet rooms with day beds, but not too comfy for a pregnant woman. You may be able to get QR to foot the bill for your overnight stay in the transit hotel as you are on a J itin.
Sep 16, 2018, 8:31 pm
#27
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Canada
Posts: 13
Last year, I booked the +qatar program, which requires a 12+hour layover, painlessly online, but transit accommodation seems to be more difficult to book.
Sep 16, 2018, 9:14 pm
#28
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: USA
Programs: AA LT Plat, UA LT Gold, HH Diamond, Marriott LT Gold
Posts: 956
Check your ticket...QR used to offer free hotels to people with long layovers. We used that when transiting DOH last year on IAH-SIN itinerary. The lounge is OK to sleep in. There are quiet rooms with day beds, but not too comfy for a pregnant woman. You may be able to get QR to foot the bill for your overnight stay in the transit hotel as you are on a J itin.
Sep 16, 2018, 11:21 pm
#29
Join Date: Jul 2010
Programs: HHon Diamond, IHG Plat, SPG Gold, TG Gold, QR Plat, OZ Gold, AF Silver, Hertz #1 Gold, Priority Pass
Posts: 447
I haven't traveled with a pregnant woman, however I would recommend, if you are heading out anyway, to stay in one of the hotels in the souq. The souq only really gets busy from 9pm onwards to like 1am so there is a lot to see there, experience it and catch some winks before a quick taxi in the morning to the airport.
My 2 cents having been to DOH 100s of times.
My 2 cents having been to DOH 100s of times.
Sep 17, 2018, 10:22 am
#30
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: PVD, BOS
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 1,664
Check your ticket...QR used to offer free hotels to people with long layovers. We used that when transiting DOH last year on IAH-SIN itinerary. The lounge is OK to sleep in. There are quiet rooms with day beds, but not too comfy for a pregnant woman. You may be able to get QR to foot the bill for your overnight stay in the transit hotel as you are on a J itin.