MichaelSg

Just had Y class flights with transit in Doha. There is no more access to Al Mourjan Lounge for Platinum members. I was asked to use the new Gold/Platinum lounge at the new terminal. The lounge was rather underwhelming to say the least. This is just another cut of privileges after the Al Maha Service has been reduced to just arrival gate to lounge service; no more lounge to departure gate service for Platinum members. I guess access to Al Safwa for C class guests will be axed next

N1Rotate

The Mourjan access for Platinum flying in Y was temporary during construction and pandemic closures. Remember there used to be a QR 'First Class' lounge for Platinums and Al Mourjan was for passengers ticketed in Business Class only. The two new lounges for Platinums might be underwhelming for you but they are a step up compared to the old 'First Class' lounge.

KingCanute

You have already posted this elsewhere. Did it really need a whole new thread for exactly the same thing?

QR provide better than average facilities at DOH for their own status holders. But as with most airlines, they love J and F pasengers more than Y passengers. If you want Al Mourjan or Al Safwa, you have to buy a premium class ticket.

If you want to be escorted all around the airport you have to pay for it. Even F passengers don't get that for free.

Traveller999

To be fair ;-) before and during the pandemic the Al Maha service did pick you up at the arriving airplane, escorted you to the lounge AND picked you up again at the lounge for escorting you to the departure gate - at least my experience.
Nowadays the service ends at the lounge � if I remember right, since beginning of this year

IAN-UK

What features underwhelmed you about the Plat-lounge? It's certainly smaller than Mourjan. But, for me, that works: it's easier to get around yet, oddly enough, always appears less crowded than its big brother. Maybe the Gold lounge takes more of a hit.

I guess some Plats feel miffed to be denied a privilege to which they were once entitled. But while QR provides a facility far more comfortable, far better equipped and staffed than all but a handful of lounges worldwide I'm happy.

As for the the Maha guiding services, I've never understood why reasonably seasoned traveller might want to use them - except, perhaps, as a means to squeeze through tight connections.

KingCanute

That was better treatment than paying F passengers have received for many years! No doubt the writing was always on the wall. The escort always felt unnecessary to me even when travelling in F.

Yes I guess, but it is unrealistic to regard the restoration of normal privileges after temporary measures put in place during covid are wound down as somehow being a systematic cut. In fact as posters have pointed out, the new status lounges are an upgrade on what non-premium passengers were offered before. And as you suggest, surely a top tier frequent traveller knows their way around the airport well enough already, even after the highly disorienting impact of travelling in Y...

Traveller999

But it was that way, I do not think they did it especial for me

I all the time used this service when traveling with family (and will in a about one week again), as it did give me the "time" to focus on my little girl (and the grown up one as well) and not on the way ;-) - so for me it was not unnecessary in these cases :-)
However, this service is/was included in the "perks" for FT - so some kind of disappointing if this "perk" is reduced, is justified and understandable :-)

KingCanute

Ah yes then of course I can see that it has value where assistance is needed or helpful, as in your circumstance.

Personally though I have al maha in the same box as the lounge passes, and perhaps even the qcredits - of no practical use based on my travel patterns.

I booked al maha once at the old terminal, and upon arrival they all looked at me as if I was mad to choose to do something that took longer than just walking to the regular immigration desk. And I had the escort at the new terminal on F tickets a few times before it was scrapped, and it just felt a bit uncomfortable and certainly unnecessary.

But I get that people in your situation would benefit from some extra help. Without any need for extra assistance though, for me it's a massage I never needed