Qatar Airways introduces ‘basic business class’ with NO lounge access

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• memesweeper says:

  10 Nov10 November 08:28

  Very shortsighted policy from Qatar. A lot of business travellers have their travel booked for them, and a lounge to work in is a key part of the business class offering. If they don’t get a lounge with Qatar they’ll be on the blower to their agent saying ‘never again’. They don’t have time or inclination to read the small print.

  It would have been much smarter to position this bundle as a ‘premium leisure’ fare and ensure it does not appear on GDSes as a business fare and it won’t be booked by mistake.

  I assume a BA codeshare on Qatar will book into ‘normal’ business?

  • Andrew (@andrewseftel) says:

    10 Nov10 November 09:54

    Wouldn’t surprise me if negotiated corporate deals include seat selection and lounge access (much like how seat selection is included on many BA J corporate fares). Incremental cost is pretty slim given the density of elites coming through the channel.

    • Lady London says:

      10 Nov10 November 11:35

      I have never worked for a corporate where BA did not give seat selection from time of booking free of charge.

• GT says:

  10 Nov10 November 08:58

  Just priced up flights Cardiff – Sydney. Classic £2,900, Comfort £6200.

  We certainly won’t be paying £3,300 to get ‘free’ seat selection and lounge access. It will be interesting to see what happens if we need to change the dates of the R class booking we have on this route next year.

  Qatar have just dropped well down my list.

  • Lady London says:

    10 Nov10 November 11:39

    That, and the enforced invasive mass physical searches large numbers of female Qatar Airways passengers were hauled off departing planes to undergo at Doha Airport recently.

    QR is now no longer my go-to airline for Eastern trips

• tony says:

  10 Nov10 November 09:16

  Having had a closer look, the BHX-HKG ‘classic’ fare is £1660 which is the same as the lead fare was when I looked a few months ago, so they aren’t discounting. Comfort prices up at £3324. On the same route, EK is £2240 basic (seems expensive) or £2440 with lounge, seat selection and a limo (making it a bargain). ex London and Cathay or BA can be had for £1850, or even cheaper if you go via an agent. Really does seem like a very strange pricing policy.

• Paul says:

  10 Nov10 November 09:18

  Personally, as a leisure only traveller, all that matters to me is the headline rate to be able to have a seat I actually fit in comfortably. If the headline rates are similar, then I’ll worry about peripheral benefits, both on the ground and airborne. Does ‘unbundling’ mean lower headline rates? The cynic in me leans towards no, but we shall see…

  • mvcvz says:

    10 Nov10 November 14:53

    Indeed. I stopped flying economy when the seats were replaced by baby carriers.

• Greenpen says:

  10 Nov10 November 09:39

  I think those very cheap fares from European airports will fall into that Classic fare. I am sure, albeit from memory, that all mine have been R.

• mikescores says:

  10 Nov10 November 09:48

  Hello All
  Maybe the eternal optimist, but the benefits available to one-world Sapphire on the QA website still give access to “business class lounges” and pre-reserved seating. Unless, of course, it hasn’t been updated yet ……
  Stay safe

• Phillip says:

  10 Nov10 November 09:55

  Unless status benefits are denied, it seems to be a policy geared towards rewarding customers with status – the only downer being that you miss out on the main Doha lounges. That said, on my last visit in January, on the way out when I had a couple of hours to spare, the lounge was so busy, it wasn’t enjoyable. While on the way back my connection was short and therefore got off one plane and onto another.

  It’s certainly disappointing but given how cheap some of the ex-European/Scandinavian fares have been, I don’t blame them. They could be more creative with “unbundling” though.

  • Fraser says:

    10 Nov10 November 10:07

    Am I the only person totally underwhelmed by the Al Mourjan lounge? As BA Silver, my only concern really is if the tier points change, and maybe seat selection if travelling with a companion.

    But then some people would gladly pay extra NOT to sit together 😜

    • Rich says:

      10 Nov10 November 10:48

      I was underwhelmed by the DOH lounge too – it’s dull and dirgeful. And the outstations are third party lounges I’d probably get through PP anyway (I don’t fly from LHR). Seat selection holds no interest for me either, as long as it’s all aisle access.

      Certainly not good news, but personally will have very little effect on me as long as the TPs keep flowing.

    • mvcvz says:

      10 Nov10 November 14:55

      Yes, I thought it was overwhelmingly mediocre as well.

    • Dubious says:

      11 Nov11 November 04:13

      I quite like it when you have a super long transfer and you spend some time in the city between flights.
      This helps by using the arrival lounge, shower and reasonable breakfast (can skip the meal on the flight to sleep longer) before picking up a rental car.

      Can use the Al Mourhan for another shower before the flight and possibly a quick sandwich too.

      I the lounge is quite a dull space to sit in for 3 hours between flights though.

• Andrew says:

  10 Nov10 November 09:58

  I always thought part of the logic behind airport lounges was that it was far cheaper to feed and water people on the ground compared to in the air and the more you eat or drink on the ground the less you will in the air? That’s not perfectly the case I know but it must be true to some extent? If I was travelling business and didn’t have lounge access then I’d make an extra effort to take advantage of the amenities once airborne.

  • Chris L says:

    11 Nov11 November 10:29

    Most business travellers just want to get their head down when they get on board. Being able to have a decent meal beforehand means you can hit the pillow as soon as the seat belt signs go off. This is particularly important when you’re flying from North America to Europe overnight – the flight duration generally doesn’t give you enough time to have a 3-course meal and a decent amount of sleep. Leisure travellers tend to make the most of the on-board service. Given that business travel has been decimated recently, most airlines are switching their focus towards leisure travel, which might explain Qatar’s move.

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