[AMcWhirter]

Here’s a piece in today’s Doha News about the new airport:

http://dohanews.co/need-know-youre-flying-hamad-intl-airport/

[first_class_please]

Added updated lounge info to this thread:-

http://www.businesstraveller.com/discussion/topic/Qatar-Airways-One-World-shambles

[Ahmad]

I sometimes have to go at very short notice so was having a look at the Qatar Airways website for availability. There, I came across a link to the new airport’s enhanced website. Here is a link to the Premium Passenger information page on the new airport’s website:

http://dohahamadairport.com/airport-guide/traveller-guide/premium-travellers

At last there is some clarification on which lounges are available at the moment. Trip reports by posters will fully clarify the matter and I for one am looking forward to them. Thanks in advance to those who have volunteered.

[LuganoPirate]

Thanks Ahmad, a very useful link.

It seems the bus transfer is now over as the plane will dock at the terminal so that will save the often long drive with stops from the plane.

But, QR business travellers get to use the Oryx lounge but have to pay 40 riyals? Did I understand that correctly? Also, the oryx lounge seems to be there for all business class passengers using other airlines. Well, that’s going to be a very crowded lounge I think.

I have no status with QR as I only use them twice a year and so my miles go to mrs. LP who travels frequently with them and has gold status. So please correct me if I’m wrong here, but now if alone I go to the Oryx lounge and must pay, but if with Mrs. LP I can join her in the Gold lounge?

This seems a much worse deal than before but explains why there are only 1,000 seats in the Gold Business lounge I guess!

[Ahmad]

LuganoPirate,

The bus transfer may not entirely be a thing of the past, as someone else pointed out at busy times it may still be de rigueur. I suppose the vouchers Qatar’s CEO was talking about when speaking to Tom would be given to business class passengers for using the oryx lounge (I am just guessing here). You are correct in assuming that, at the moment, you will only be entitled to use the Gold Lounge when accompanying Mrs LP. However, this doesn’t appear to be the Business Class Lounge with 1,000 seats according to The Doha News article referred to by AMcWhirter in his post of the 26th. There appear to be separate First and Business Lounges for QR passengers traveling in those classes which, apparently, are not ready for use yet. Hope this clarifies things but please be cautioned that these are my personal assumptions based on the information I have gleaned so far. I may be totally off the mark. Let’s wait for someone to report from on the ground, as it were, after their trip through the airport.

[BarbicanTraveller]

Passed through yesterday morning. Currently NOT a Premium Product!

Very disorganised – but early days so will give the benefit of the doubt!

First Class Lounge was unusable as too busy and for me personally the cigarette smoke was unacceptable.

Boarding of the delayed QR 007 was haphazard verging on chaotic.

Throughput the terminal not enough seating with people sitting on the floor.

[Ahmad]

Oh dear. Let’s hope it is just teething problems due to fact that the fully fledged airport was not ready by opening date. I consider this to be a soft opening and will, if possible, avoid the airport for the next few weeks if I can help it.

[SimonS1]

I saw on BT that the QR A380 to Heathrow has had to be delayed as well.

[Ahmad]

I don’t want to appear totally negative. By the looks of it the new airport seems to be excellent in terms of premium facilities, once ready, if the lounge seating numbers are accurate.

[LuganoPirate]

Thanks for the clarification Ahmad and Barbican. It will be interesting to hear the experience of other forum travellers as they pass through and matters hopefully improve. Mrs. LP and brood will be transiting through end June so we’ll see if things have improved by then.

In view of the delays to the new airport, I think if I was CEO I’d have postponed the transfer to the new one until all the lounges were finished and ready for operations. Hopefully other travellers will be as forgiving as Ahmad, I’m not sure I would be if paying for a premium product.

[Ahmad]

Glad to be of help LP, do let us know how the airport fares when your clan passes through it. I am normally not that forgiving (see my recent KLM posts) but the other choices in the region aren’t that great either. Particularly if you take the offering as a whole, i.e., ticket price, cabin comfort, number of seats abreast and service/meals etc.

[AleRomUY]

Dear AhmadAR, I agree with you but I also agree with LuganoPirate.
If we pay for a Premium Service, we would like to receive the Premium Service.
I will have a 4hr40′-layover on the 18th/19th (from 9:10PM to 1:50AM, awful hours) and I would love to be those hours at the Premium Terminal in the older airport instead of being who knows where!!
And when I come back on 12th/13th July, it will be even worse since I will have almost (but less) than 8 hours to be there!!!!

[Ahmad]

I understand how you feel AleRomUY and like I said before, I don’t envy people having to put up with the current state of affairs. That is why I will be avoiding the place if I can help it even though, in some cases, I will be losing out on my Qpoints because of flying non OneWorld carriers. If others have a choice I will recommend the same. Not so long ago, Dubai had a soft opening of their terminal 3 and it took time for all facilities to be operational. I avoided Dubai in those days and immediately prior to that when they were bursting at the seams and bussing many flights into the terminal after a grand tour of the airport Doha style (incidentally that prompted me to switch to QR). Thankfully those days are past and hopefully it will be the same for Doha. I like the Qatar product better than Emirates on my frequented routes and hope the teething problems are just that…

[AleRomUY]

Dear AhmadAR, absolutely agree with you!
When I booked this ticket for leaving Jakarta on the 18th to the US, and coming back in July, there was no confirmed date of the movement to the new airport, so I was expecting to enjoy the Premium Terminal at the old airport as before. But….. things changed and now I am facing the unexpected at Hamad Airport.
Let’s cross fingers and the transfer is as smooth as possible!
And also agree with you, I prefer the Business class product in QR rather than the one in EK.
I will keep you posted on what happens on my transit on the 18th at night.
Cheers buddy!

[SimonS1]

So this didn’t really turn out as planned then.

The lounges not ready, and the A380 to London delayed.

One day they will get it finished. I’ll believe it when I see it.

[Author]

Posts