ISTFlyer

I don't have information about that.

If I'm not wrong, Al Mourjan access could be purchased on the QR website for something around $90-110 per person. To be specific, there should be a link available on MMB.
Although, until the Business/First Class lounges re-open, you would have access to the Al Mourjan for free + 1 guest via your BA Gold status.

For Al Safwa, I have no idea.

Genius1

Has it been confirmed that Business Classic oneworld status passengers will continue to have free seat selection and access to third party/non-QR oneworld airline lounges, as well as the QR F/J lounges once open post-COVID?

I'm assuming it's just Al Mourjan and QR's premium lounges at LHR, CDG and SIN that are excluded?

ISTFlyer

Yes, access to lounges through oneworld status has no impact on these changes and I have verified that non-QRPC OWS and higher get free seat selection on Business Classic fares.

Exactly, LHR, CDG, SIN, BEY & Al Mourjan excluded.

higham44

Having recently had my QR Business cabin flights (which at the time included free seat selection and lounge access in DOH to cushion a 6 hour layover) to HND cancelled, I took a QR travel voucher with the view of rebooking either to HND or another destination in 2021. I am not best pleased to discover the introduction of the new fare structure for R fares today! A dummy booking shows a return fare increase of a Comfort ticket (to have the free seat and lounge access) of 65%, which frankly is outrageous.

It will interesting to discover the price of seat selection (especially on 4 flights to/from SE Asia) and lounge access at DOH as individual additional extras over and above the cost of the new Classic fare.

Also as BA Silver, would that carry any weight in terms of waiving these charges?

lawyered

The Business and First Class lounges for OW elites leave much to be desired, especially if you've been to Al Mourjan or spoiled by Al Safwa. I only had to use them once on a miles upgraded flight but fortunately, I had STPC so spent the majority of the time in the airport hotel and pool/spa, only venturing there for the occasional snack. I've also spent 12 hour+ layovers in AM and AS with relative ease. It was a completely different ballgame in AS since you could get a private room and get some good rest.

ISTFlyer

As a BA Silver, you would not pay for seats.
Plus, you would have lounge access at DOH ( Al Mourjan if the Business/First Lounges are closed; the Business Class Lounge if it's reopened )

JAL Sakura Lounge access at TYO remains unaffected.

*******************************************

By the way, I have prepared this table for the convenience of members.
This table would also be added to the WIKI of this thread.

IAN-UK

In effect, the balance from your corner of Europe has probably swung firmly towards TK in terms of value. I'm looking at my Bali trip from Amsterdam, where TK's business-class fare is cheaper than QR's business-lite ticket by EUR100 or so.

To upgrade to QR Comfort-Business (a bizarre concept in itself!), would set me back an additional EUR1600 , and pput the QR service on par with TK's. They stand as much chance of pocketing that upsell from passengers as they do persuading Y folk to upgrade to business-lite.

Now for QR, coordinating the musings of H.E., his marketing and commercial teams and guys in IT is not a simple task. Bless them . But you'd think they just might have thought all this through before launching the policy. Definitely not the sharpest knives in the drawer.......

IAN-UK

You are very brave to go out on a limb like this. I'm not sure that QR has produced a detailed policy on these issues. History tells us that what currently can be done with seat reservation, can be undone very quickly: and policies can change capriciously.

Above all, don't attach much value to how lounge agents believe policies will evolve: they're unlikely to have any more idea than I, you or the man in the moon.

dave31

Well that's it, goodbye Qatar Airways. I have flown Qatar airways several times over the years and rate their business class as one of the best in the skies. Thoroughly enjoyed their Heathrow lounge and to a lesser extent Al Mourjan (because I am always tired when I arrive in transit). I have just had a quick look at the price differentials in the newly introduced Business class structure and there is no way that I will pay the extra being asked for prior seat selection or lounge access. Quite simply I will now look at other airlines rather than always tending to fly with Qatar. Perhaps I should add that as a pensioner, I no longer have any corporation footing the bill, hence the need to secure value for money, and their so called 'enhancement' will have cost them a customer. I doubt if this will bother them much!

ISTFlyer

When admission is not possible via travel class ( 'R' fare or 'I' fare ), access is still possible via status. In some cases, oneworld regulations apply so it was quite easy to prepare the table itself.

Although, it's true that QR could change the rules for status passengers on their own lounges and contract lounges.

Genius1

Why the difference between no access to the LHR/CDG/SIN/BEY QR lounges and access granted to the QR BKK lounge? I'm assuming it's because QR partner with a third party operator in all of those locations (except BKK) for status passengers in Y (and soon to be J Classic)?

Interestingly the BKK lounge no longer appears on the QR or oneworld websites.

msm2000uk

I'm going to say this, for a 2nd time, in the hope that people bother reading it.

QR have not yet fully filed the fare prices, so if you are looking more than 30 days in advance, there is a high chance the fares will be changed within the next few days. This is down to IT delays.

M

P.S. Thanks for the table IST_flyer but I think BEY needs to be changed to BKK

ISTFlyer

There's been an error on my side I guess, when I checked previously the BKK lounge was accepting OWS & OWE.

Now, these passengers are directed to the Miracle Lounge.
Table would be shortly updated.

Thanks for catching that.

ISTFlyer

Corrected version of the table

HB7

You and many others, including myself. The difference in prices are so crazy just for the ability to select your own seat and enter the lounge that it makes no sense to me.