Qatar Airways: OneWorld shambles
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at 08:43 by BarbicanTraveller.
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TheMidasGoldParticipantArrived in Doha this evening on a QR flight with a 6 hour layover before my onward flight to London. I am BA gold (One World emerald) and was looking forward to trying out the first class lounge in the premium transfer terminal.
Despite all the e-mails, publicity and hype surrounding Qatar Airways joining One World, emerald members are NOT entitled to use the first class lounge in the premium transfer terminal.
After being asked to leave the lounge, the supervisor explained to me that Qatar have decided NOT to designate the first class lounge in the transfer terminal for one world emeralds. It can only be used by passengers traveling in first, much the same as the BA Concorde lounge.
There is no mention of this on the Qatar Airways or One World website.
I deliberately chose this route to try out the lounge and feel completely swindled.
What a complete load of nonsense,
5 Nov 2013
at 20:49
TheMidasGoldParticipantNot sure BA would be all that interested. It’s not something that’s under their control.
5 Nov 2013
at 22:16
TheMidasGoldParticipantI have just spoken to the QR supervisor at Doha who showed me the one page laminate they have explaining the OW lounge access policy at Doha.
Main points as follows:
– OW emerald and sapphire flying economy : no lounge access permitted unless your journey starts in DOH when you can use the Oryx Lounge. If you are transferring in economy with QR you do not have lounge access
– OW emerald and sapphire traveling F or J can use the F lounge only if they are flying F
QR is in a complete mess on this. What’s the point in joining a global alliance when you’re not going to play by the rules of the club!
QR is truly one of the world’s great airlines but this policy makes them look grubby.
5 Nov 2013
at 23:11
BA319131ParticipantThis is quite poor, one would expect a certain standard as part of the alliance joining criteria, one of those being for lounge access for premium card holders regardless of class of travel, very disappointing and disjointed from a seamless travel view.
5 Nov 2013
at 23:44
stevescootsParticipantI tend to agree with QR on a couple of things. The business lounge in the premium terminal is perfectly fine for anyone using a OW card but not actually travelling in F. TBH the F lounge is pretty much the same as the business lounge last time I was in F 2 years ago. QR don’t let top tier flyers who are flying QR business into the F lounge, why would they let those flying other airlines or economy in?
Does BA/CX let top tier economy class passengers flying other OW airlines into their F lounges? I know when I was BA gold flying economy on BA I was not allowed into the Concorde room, had to use gallieries.
on another note I was in the QR premium lounge last week (flying QR) and it was packed, standing room only for 30 mins. with 3 flights arriving just from London in the space of 3 hours the lounge isn’t big enough anymore, I can see the logic in restricting it but they should at least allow use of the Oryx lounge to OW flyers until the new airport opens
6 Nov 2013
at 01:22
TheMidasGoldParticipantYes, BA does let their own gold card holders and a guest into the F lounge, even if they are flying economy. This applies to
other OW emeralds as well. The irony is that a QR emerald can use the BA F lounge! As far as I am aware so do other OW airlines, with the exception of AA on some domestic routes.My point is simply if you don’t want to play by the rules, then don’t join the club!
6 Nov 2013
at 02:10
stevescootsParticipantso I wonder why I was turned away and sent beck to galleries? (pre avios days)?
6 Nov 2013
at 02:40
IanFromHKGParticipantComplaining to BAEC is going to be a total waste of time. You should be complaining to oneworld.
The oneworld access rules at first sight seem to be clear, and contain what should be a comprehensive list of exceptions to the policy. Those exceptions include specific references to the Concorde Rooms and arrival lounges, but they do NOT exclude Qatar’s lounges.
However, if you go into the Lounge Finder part of the site and type in LHR and select the Qatar lounge in T4, the lounge description that crops up does say “Notes: This lounge is only available to oneworld customers traveling in First and Business Class cabins”
This does seem to support Qatar’s position, but it does make the description referred to in my second paragraph above misleading by virtue of its omission to include an appropriate exception
As regards Doha – it seems to me that Qatar can legitimately refuse access to the lounges in the premium terminal in Doha since economy pax shouldn’t be using the pemium terminal anyway (nowhere in the oneworld rules does it say economy pax with elite status have access to premium terminals). I understand, however, that they do offer a lounge (albeit only J, not F) in the main terminal at Doha.
6 Nov 2013
at 02:58
first_class_pleaseParticipantIt is listed on the oneworld site, the oryx lounge in main terminal in doha is included, not the premium terminal lounges.
http://www.oneworld.com/ffp/lounge-access/
This may change when the new airport terminals open, the premium lounges are already overcrowded and have been for a long time.
6 Nov 2013
at 03:05
stevescootsParticipantso, in theory I can use my QR gold to access Cathay F lounge in HKG?
6 Nov 2013
at 03:56
IanFromHKGParticipantNo, Steve – QR Gold is oneworld sapphire, and only gives access to business lounges
6 Nov 2013
at 04:27
QatarAirwaysSocialParticipantHello. We’d like to make a correction: oneworld Emerald & Sapphire members DO get access to Oryx lounge at Doha International Airport irrespective of whether they are in transit or are commencing their travel in DOH.
We hope this is useful to all of you. All the best.
Michael Stellwag
Qatar Airways Social Media6 Nov 2013
at 05:05 -
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