Qatar Airways business class with Avios – observations
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Forums › Frequent flyer programs › British Airways Club › Qatar Airways business class with Avios – observations
Some observations on Qatar business class, based on flights from Edinburgh to Doha to Auckland and return using Avios, February/March 2024
1. At check-in in Edinburgh we were told that because we were using Avios we could not use lounges: our boarding passes had ‘No lounge access’ printed on them. We argued with this but to no avail. Has anyone else experienced this? Fortunately we persuaded the nice lady in the BA lounge that we should be allowed in, and we had no difficulty accessing the lounges in Doha or Auckland, but it was a worrying experience.
2. Our seating arrangements in Qpods on the Doha-Auckland leg (16 hours) were disappointing. Qatar has assigned us to window seats 2B and 3A. On their seat map it looks as though these two seats occupy a single pod, and as we were travelling together we assumed that was why they had assigned them to us. In the event they were totally separate and we had to spend the 16 hour flight largely in isolation. So if you want to be together, make sure you are in the centre seats, E and F (which we did on our return flight). Incidentally, the centre pods are a bit bigger than the window ones, which are really quite cramped.
Hope this is helpful to future travellers.
It sounds like a great trip, despite the issues!
Could you not select/change your seats after booking? The seat map for Q Suites shows single seats at the windows, alternately facing front and rear, did you maybe have an equipment change at some point? I always check out online reviews and videos of cabins to make sure I get the seat I’d like – there will always be someone who’s made a video of their trip and posted it on the internet!
I vaguely remember something about award bookings no longer including lounge access, I think some cash fares are excluded as well, though your experiences from DOH onwards would seem to contradict this. Do you have OW status which would give you lounge access regardless?
I’ve done Doha twice a year for the last few years, latest last November.
I always book business avios seats via the Qatar website and have always had lounge access.
From memory I think it even lists lounge access at selection along with the cancellation terms.
Well last time I flew anyway.
Be a bit of a game changer for me if that’s changed…
https://onemileatatime.com/qatar-airways-lounge-access-award-tickets/
There seems to be quite a bit of conflicting information out there! Something must have triggered the “no lounge access” on the BPs, though.
And here’s where I must have remembered it from:
Wondering if OP was ticketed wrongly?
This has me worried as I have return business class flights from Edinburgh to Australia and was counting on lounge access. My tickets are labelled as Class ‘Business (U)’ with Fare Basis ‘UMILES1’. Not quite sure what that means. Booked using AVIOS.
we just flew from ams to doha to bali using avios in business class and had not issue with lounge in doha. Amsterdam lounge was not open!
Had lounge access LHR-MEL in December on a reward seat. Very nice lounge at LHR. Had to run through the airport in Doha though to make connecting flight, so no chance of trying the lounge there.
As of just now, the Qatar web site says on the flight selection page of the redemption booking process “Lounge access in Doha & select airports” (that was shown for both standard and Flex Avios redemptions). That was before I added my OW Emerald details, so the system just saw me as Qatar Burgundy. Booked into U fare class. The e-ticket just says “Business Class” (no sign of “lite”, which is the one to watch out for, that doesn’t include lounge).
I flew London to Muscat via Doha last month on an avios redemption in J & F respectively. I got access to the Premium lounge in LHR T4 and the Al Safwa 1st lounge in Doha, so you should have been granted access.
I have seats booked in October on QR using Avios on the QR site and it’s suggesting using the BA lounge at EDI.
I flew with QR to ICN 14 months ago from EDI using Avios and we had access to the BA lounge at EDI and lounges in DOH & ICN. The only quibble was that access to the fast track security at EDI was officially denied us (as would be with a cash paid J ticket on QR) and the check-in staff said we should ‘give it a go, see what happens’! We decided not to give it a try as security queues were short.
I have not heard of Avios pax on QR booked thru QR being denied access to lounges and the evidence online seems to suggest otherwise. I’m happy to be advised otherwise of course…….
My tickets are labelled as Class ‘Business (U)’ with Fare Basis ‘UMILES1’. Not quite sure what that means. Booked using AVIOS.
I flew LHR to SGN last week and, like you, was on a ‘U’ ticket booked with Avios (via Qatar’s website). Lounge access was not a problem in either LHR or DOH. We were welcomed into the lounges you’d get on a cash full business class fare.
I wonder if this is only an issue at non-QR lounges? Or just an issue at a few outstations?
Just realised that my seat class is showing as U. I had upgraded from a cash economy ticket to business using Avios. If I can get into a lounge, I’ll be happy that I ended up spending 19K Avios.
I believe upgrades are treated differently?
I believe upgrades are treated differently?
Yep from my understanding Upgrading using avios does not entitle lounge access as lounge access is based on the initial underlying fare
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