[Ahmad]

Interesting book. Should be worth a read. Thank you LP for pointing out that the discussion has wandered so much off topic. In fact, a new discussion on lounges at the airport has been opened by AleRomUY and many contributors like yourself have started posing there.

[AnthonyDunn]

@ KarlMarx – 01/06/2014 16:35 GMT

Having expensively retro-fitted our Victorian, mid-terrace, solid wall-construction flat with an energy efficient boiler, thermal store and underfloor heating system plus a wood-burning stove, allied to installing wall, floor and ceiling thermal insulation plus double-glazing and eliminating almost all draughts, I have done just about everything possible to reduce my dependence upon Qatari, Norwegian and anyone else’s gas.

For the effectiveness of this, our gas consumption/bills are some 20% of my late mother-in-law’s entirely non-insulated home with the same floor area. If everyone else in the UK had done what I have done, the UK might possibly get by on its own North Sea-sourced natural gas supply without the need to import from anywhere. The next time you are in NW2 4QG, please feel free to call around and have a look at my take on “home improvement”.

So, on the hypocrisy scale that you are exacting, I would imagine that I barely register on this.

BTW, thanks SimonS1 for adding some facts to the discussion.

[SimonS1]

Based on the fact that 8% of the UK’s energy appears to come from LNG imported from Qatar I don’t think we all suddenly become hypocrites every time we turn the heating on.

[Ahmad]

One can always install gadgets to filter out the offending gas to avoid a guilty conscience. On a serious note, I agree however, that it is not quite at the same on the hypocrisy scale as flying QR and using Doha airport.

[rodders]

Tuesday 3rd June 2014
Well after living in Qatar for almost 5 years it was quite exciting to finally use Hamad International, I have just arrived from Dubai, en-route to Ankara.
We arrived at one of the further C gates so currently a long series of walkways to the main concourse, but a train shuttle looks like its soon to be implemented.
Fast track security screening for premium passengers was in operation, and took a couple of minutes, the main concourse is excellent, a good range of shops and various restaurants (a far cry from the old Doha airport), and the $20mm Teddy Bear sculpture was the centrepiece.
As a One World Emerald card holder we were able to use the temporary QR First Lounge, which is small, but attentive staff offering a waiter/ress style service, the business lounge next door was much larger. The menu was limited but sufficient for the early morning, and despite my first impressions the chairs were actually v comfortable indeed.
Overall I was v pleasantly surprised by the overall layout of the airport, similar in my view to Hong Kong, elegantly designed, and certainly not as much of a mega mall as Dubai, nor as garish!
Just a small word of warning, there are no ATM’s yet in the terminal, and the C Concourse departure gates 20 and above are on the lower level and all bus transfers, where it was crowded and clearly suffering from settling in pains!
Enjoy.

[KarlMarx]

AnthonyDunn

Despite your justifications, the fact is that those who live in glass houses should not throw stones.

Qatar supplies 8% of UK gas, the vast majority of LNG and the facilities to provide this were built using the same labour practices that you so violently object to being employed at Doha airport.

To quote Lugano Pirate, who summed it up perfectly “It’s very hard today to have moral convictions and actually stand by them!”

If you wish to prove your ethical credentials, I look forward to seeing you picketing the local gasworks on News at 10.

Personally, I accept the situation as being one of those regrettable things in life, where a nation’s interests are pre-eminent in decision making.

[Ahmad]

Just came across the following trip report on Flyertalk, courtesy Twitter; thought it might interest some posters and steer the discussion back to the topic:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/1582489-worlds-newest-aviation-hub-hamad-international-doha-doh-dxb-f.html

[AnthonyDunn]

Dear Karl Marx,

But that life was black and white rather than being so many shades of grey, how much simpler everything would be.

Bearing in mind that few of the products and services that we each of us buy on a daily basis carry a full list of provenance or full details of the ownership of the company(ies) that supply said goods and services and I dare say that each and every one of us is, to a greater or lesser extent, guilty of some degree of hypocrisy. The choice is whether, as individual consumers, we seek to translate into our buying behaviour any ethical or moral stance we have and to act accordingly. In my case, with regard to certain countries and companies, I endeavour to do this. With the energy efficiency measures that I have put in place, I have very definitely sought to minimise gas, electricity and water consumption – from wherever and whoever this comes. Can you make the same claim?

We can each of us choose to do something – even if it is incomplete, partial or minute in the global scheme of things – or we can take the view that we really couldn’t give a candle about anyone or anything else so long as we’re all right jack. I am pretty sure I know where I stand on this spectrum. It’s also interesting that you choose to focus on Qatari gas exports to the UK rather than on the OP issue and the corollary of the health, safety and employment standards enjoyed (or endured?) by the non-Qatari construction workforce.

And now back to the OP about Doha airport – including the manner in which it was built.

[sleak76]

Well I am here now, at the new DOH airport.

For those on transfer, there are lounges avail for First and Business Class QR passengers however they are just temporary.

After clearing security, follow the signs that says First and Business Class lounges (you will not see the QR logo). NB. You will also see signs saying Al Maha Lounge and Oryx Lounge with the QR Logo. DO NOT follow the latter (accessible by elevators) as the attendant there told me it was for pax not traveling on QR. She directed me to follow the First/Business Class lounge signs (that has no QR logo) and is accessible via the escalators.

The First lounge is tiny with just 6 sandwich selections, two hot soups, some sushi and tea/cofee machines. I left it and went to the adjacent Business Class lounge only to find the exact same food selection (but the lounge was three times the size). But when I say three times don’t expect huge. It is a quarter of the size of the Terraces Lounge at T5A South. No hot food here either.

When I talked to one of the attendants mentioning this was disappointing, he told me this was just temporary. As what is currently termed First Class will actually be a Priviledge Club lounge accessible for Gold Card holders while the current makeshift Business Lounge will be for Silver Card holders. (Incidentally, I do not think this is correct. I think he meant Platinum holders for the former and Gold for the latter). He then told me the permanent F/J lounges will open in about 4 weeks’ time and the permanent business class lounge is huge with capacity for 900 persons.

Finally, if you are coming here less than a month from now, you will find the current lounges functional with a locker area to store your bags, smoking room, Mac computer lab (desktops), family areas for kids, and shower suites for those who need it.

Hope this helps those seeking DOH info.

[AleRomUY]

Absolutely great info, sleak76!!
Thank you so much, and thank God we came back to the topic of the title and not continue discussing about gas and all those things, which are very important but it was not the motif for this forum.
Cheers sleak76 and let’s see how it goes for me in 2 weeks, I will follow your indications.

[sleak76]

Yeah I was getting sick of the politics of Qatar and really saw it as irrelevant and was happy to post something directly related to the topic.

Have a great trip AleRomUY and I am sure you will enjoy the new DOH airport.

[BigDog.]

Sleak76 and AleRomUY – being newcomers, if you become frequent posters you will notice that more often than not threads take a diversion or two but inevitably comes back to the OP.

There aren’t a raft of categories and sub-categories which occur on other sites (eg Flyertalk) but imo it works for the BT posters. So I respectfully ask, if you want to enjoy the forum and become informed, be a little tolerant and patient, it will drift back.

[AnthonyDunn]

@ sleak76 – 04/06/2014 14:59 GMT

When Al-Baker of Qatar Airways and a main board director of Heathrow Airport Ltd makes the jackass comment that LHR should adopt 24/7 operations and that “the locals(*) would soon learn to live with this…” you can expect that those of us subject to his ramblings will choose to comment on how he manages things in his own backyard. It cuts both ways. It’s also called “politics”.

(*) BTW, that’s hundreds of thousands in close proximity and millions under the inbound and outbound flightpaths. LHR isn’t stuck in the middle of an empty desert.

[sleak76]

BigDog
I’ve been a member of BT.com for years and seen these ramblings however I do assure you I am patient else I would have long left this site. It is the magazine’s content (and its online equivalent) that keeps me patient after all.

AnthonyDunn,
His (Al-Baker) ramblings, not mine. Don’t see why his ramblings are passed on to me, by you. I posted about the airport at DOH and the transit experience so LHR operating at 24/7 doesn’t interest me in this post.. it could operate for 3 hours a day for all I care. So why not find someone else to rant at as I sure as heck don’t care about what peeves you off with Al-Baker.

And finally, back to the topic:

Upon further investigation, I found out that the First (makeshift) Lounge does in fact have hot food. It just isn’t so obvious as you need to ask the waiting staff for a menu.

The menu is elaborate enough where you have a couple of pasta vegetarian dishes (pumpkin ravioli in tomato sauce and a penne pasta also in tomato sauce) and for us carnivores there is a grilled salmon option, grilled chicken, beef fillet and a rack of lamb in mint yogurt sauce.

The menu also states starters of prawn, 2 kinds of hot soup: lentil or seafood as well as 4 dessert option for those with a sweet tooth. So overall, it’s quite good and keeps the tummy filled between flights.

Cheers to all (ramblers or not).

[first_class_please]

I am in the First class lounge. Did the tour of this and business class.

Sleak76, thank you for saving me the effort of the full write up, it’s all as you describe.

I would add the transfer screening was the easiest I think I have ever had anywhere and that’s at 7.15pm, quite a busy time.

The airport is huge, contact gates to aircraft are nice and it all smells nice and new.

I would avoid the club seats against the back wall in the First lounge as there is a huge TV wall above them in the main airport which the constant light changing is quite annoying.

Although the seats do all have two UK power sockets each on the side table. That’s impressive.

Oh, and a good point, I have a business class ticket and Emerald card status. This is recognised on my ticket and when the lounge ladies at the top of the escalator scanned my boarding pass I was immediately directed to the First class lounge.

[Author]

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