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Managed to bag First Class reward flight on Qatar from Doha to Bahrain, after a Business flight from the UK. It’s 55 minutes! How special can you be treated in 55 mins? Anybody flown similar?
I’ve done a few short Gulf routes on QR F. Note that QR markets forward cabins on Gulf or regional routes as FIRST class instead of BUSINESS. Nevertheless, QR are known to serve a meal on their shortest flight too.
You will get access to the QR First Class lounge which is an absolute treat especially if you have a long enough layover!
Did this last year DOH-AUH then SHJ-DOH in a 737 MAX
All very pleasant. As noted you get first class lounge access in Doha – has this reopened yet? If it has, make sure you don’t miss the sushi bar which is right by the bus gate you’ll probably end up using.
Onboard managed a glass of champagne (decent but non vintage IIRC) and it was a single plate of food.
The First Class bus at Doha was also very swish. 12 armchairs for 8 pax I think, with those in the cheap seats held behind the curtain until we had safely deplaned.
I’m guessing you will be ferried off the plane first while the lesser pax are trapped behind the curtain! This happened to us on DXB-DOH last month, the flight was 50 minutes but it took longer than that to get off the plane and be bussed to the terminal.
Do they not use air bridges for the smaller aircraft?
We landed miles away from the terminal! Fortunately, the immigration process and baggage retrieval were very efficient.
Thanks all! Excited!
Did this last year DOH-AUH then SHJ-DOH in a 737 MAX
All very pleasant. As noted you get first class lounge access in Doha – has this reopened yet? If it has, make sure you don’t miss the sushi bar which is right by the bus gate you’ll probably end up using.
Onboard managed a glass of champagne (decent but non vintage IIRC) and it was a single plate of food.
The First Class bus at Doha was also very swish. 12 armchairs for 8 pax I think, with those in the cheap seats held behind the curtain until we had safely deplaned.
We have this exact itinerary coming up in about 4 weeks time. I’m really excited about it. And yes, happily Al Safwa is now reopen further to the extended maintenance closure.
If you’re flying out of SHJ then don’t get there early. The airport is very small and the lounge restricts you to two drinks! Very tasty biriyani on the buffet thought!
Did this last year DOH-AUH then SHJ-DOH in a 737 MAX
All very pleasant. As noted you get first class lounge access in Doha – has this reopened yet? If it has, make sure you don’t miss the sushi bar which is right by the bus gate you’ll probably end up using.
Onboard managed a glass of champagne (decent but non vintage IIRC) and it was a single plate of food.
The First Class bus at Doha was also very swish. 12 armchairs for 8 pax I think, with those in the cheap seats held behind the curtain until we had safely deplaned.
Many regional flights are Bus gates. The first class limo buses are freezing cold!!!!
If you’re flying out of SHJ then don’t get there early. The airport is very small and the lounge restricts you to two drinks! Very tasty biriyani on the buffet thought!
Yes we are, so thanks for the great advice. The suggestion on the Qatar app is to arrive at the airport 3 hours prior to departure, so it’s good to know it’s not necessary at SHJ.
The suggestion on the Qatar app is to arrive at the airport 3 hours prior to departure, so it’s good to know it’s not necessary at SHJ.
Absolutely not. Traffic was also fine. I’d say that if you allowed 90 minutes you would have more than sufficient wiggle room. I was able to use the self service passport check system, then security is done at the gate. It’s literally 100m in an almost straight line from the drop zone to the lounge. Security is done at the gate, and QR seem to have the gate closest to the lounge as theirs.
Oh dear ☹️ Just came across this thread about short haul busses in DOH. Have booked DOH DXB F in about a week’s time hoping the Accor status match is still live. Bad knee so I find steps difficult when carrying my usual hand luggage – roller & heavy (stuffed!)Tumi handbag. Last time when boarding steps at DOH I was able to get help but am wondering if it will likely be a bus as well arriving in DXB ?
I really dislike ordering wheelchair assistance- often more of a hindrance than a help when I’m fairly mobile.
Greta post and comments on here. I have similar situation Doha to Dubai in first as well. So looking forward to filling my belly in the Al Safwar lounge.. 🙂
Greta post and comments on here. I have similar situation Doha to Dubai in first as well. So looking forward to filling my belly in the Al Safwar lounge.. 🙂
I was very impressed last week – ended up booking wheelchair assistance and felt really well cared for – especially in the Lounge where the “Wheelchair Coordinator” kept me well informed. Q Suite on board and finished the flight as a Platinum Elite (thanks Accor!) … now, how do I manage to requalify for next year 😁
Hoping for some shared knowledge tips on this, have used the well-known loop booking First with QR for AUH-DOH, 24 hours in Doha and then on SAME ticket ECONOMY to Baku (for the F1).
Absolutely confident I can get off the plane from AUH First and go to transfers using 2nd boarding pass and go to 1st lounge as an arriving passenger with a first boarding pass but it may be more favourable to make use before flight to Baku, but this is some 24 hours later.Don’t want to miss the chance of seeing the first lounge. I know QR are wild for inconsistencies at times.
Bags will be checked through so no reason why can’t go to transfers, scan 2nd leg, go to first lounge using arrival boarding pass then after visit leave airport to go to hotel/day in Doha. Fear is if I don’t do this would be refused admission the next morning.
There are so many examples of success when departing on first to DXB, AUH etc but not so many when this is the arriving leg.
Hoping for some shared knowledge tips on this, have used the well-known loop booking First with QR for AUH-DOH, 24 hours in Doha and then on SAME ticket ECONOMY to Baku (for the F1).
Absolutely confident I can get off the plane from AUH First and go to transfers using 2nd boarding pass and go to 1st lounge as an arriving passenger with a first boarding pass but it may be more favourable to make use before flight to Baku, but this is some 24 hours later.Don’t want to miss the chance of seeing the first lounge. I know QR are wild for inconsistencies at times.
Bags will be checked through so no reason why can’t go to transfers, scan 2nd leg, go to first lounge using arrival boarding pass then after visit leave airport to go to hotel/day in Doha. Fear is if I don’t do this would be refused admission the next morning.
There are so many examples of success when departing on first to DXB, AUH etc but not so many when this is the arriving leg.
No problem accessing Al Safwa on a regional F arrival connecting to long haul Y. You will need to present both arrival and departure BPs. I don’t think leaving the airport in between flights would affect this.
However your plan (including through-checked bags) is conditional on the transit time being under 24 hours.
If it is over 24 hours your bags will not be checked through and you won’t be able to access Al Safwa. Not sure about exactly 24 hours.
If after arriving, you don’t go straight to immigration but instead follow the connections route into the departures area (which sometimes requires security and sometimes doesn’t), I am unsure how you then proceed to immigration. It may require being escorted.
Obviously, you would be able to use the premium immigration area (and the arrivals lounge) when entering Qatar, but the normal security and immigration channel when leaving Qatar.
If the two flights first & economy are on the one ticket having luggage checked through won’t be a problem.
But if it’s two separate tickets, my experience is that bags will only be checked through if it’s under 12 hours between flights.
Accessing the first class lounge on arrival in Doha should be allowed but before the economy flight a day later, I’ll be very surprised if allowed in then.Is there anything written down about being able to access the Al Safwa lounge if you arrive on regional F and fly out on international Y (with a c.5 hour layover)? I’ve been refused access twice by showing both boarding passes. All on reward flights I should add.
The latest reason I was given was something along the lines of: If you arrive on Y and exit on F, that’s fine because you have paid for F. If you arrive on F but depart on Y, you are not eligible to use the lounge because only the departure flight gains access to a lounge. It’s very embarrassing being turned away at a lounge when some people in the queue have paid a fortune for the privilege.
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