[FDOS_UK]

I am going to the BA concourse D lounge, tomorrow.

WIll post a short impression of it.

[MartynSinclair]

Take BKK, BA got rid of their lounge and now passengers generally using the amazing CX lounge.

Why should CX bear all the cost for BA guests (although I imagine they will get billed for something)

Would it not be better for the One World alliance airlines join together…. each having a branding opportunity and working out a shared cost based on an agreed formula…

[esselle]

CX will have a well defined formula and charge BA on a per pax basis so they will probably profit from, rather than loose the deal
The Al Safwa lounge is in a category of its own in my view. Ni surprise entry is carefully controlled. If you fly regional business class on QR they deem it to be F and that gets you access.

[SenatorGold]

@esselle – thank you for the advice about regional business class giving you access to the Al Safwa Lounge. I didn’t know that (and no one has said anything to let me know), and I’ve missed out on my last two trips via Doha.

Do they allow you access to the Al Safwa lounge if you’re transferring from a regional business class flight to business on the London flight?

[paulkaz]

Martyn certainly the QF branded lounge in Los Angeles is designed styled and run by Qantas but available to other oneworld flyers and the costs shared amoungst the airlines presumably on a % of use basis. The First lounge is not exclusive for Qantas passengers. Likewise in Sydney Melboune Hong Kong and Singapore ( later 2 business only) so i assume the cost sharing applies.
QR use the QF lounges in Austraila. QF doesnt fly to Doha so the reciprocal right doesnt apply. QF uses EK lounges in Dubai. So different partners for different dances!

[FDOS_UK]

Senator, they haven’t traditionally (though it’s been a year since I last flew QR and things change….)

As esselle states, you can fly on an A320 in ‘First Class’ and get entry, then board the same airframe to go to Europe and it will be branded ‘Business Class’, so no Al Safwa.

Similar thing can happen on EK, you fly in on a 2 class 777 in business on a business class ticekt, then find your onward connecting 2 class 777 is ‘First and economy’ and into Y you go!

[esselle]

SenatorGold
I’m not sure but I suspect not.I often travel MAN-DOH-DXB-DOH-MAN booked in J, which automatically puts DOH-DXB-DOH as F, meaning you can access Al Safwa on the outbound to DXB. At DXB, now that the D concourse is open, you use the DIH First-class lounge, which is pretty nice really.

[SenatorGold]

Thank you FDOS and esselle.

I now feel well prepared for my next transit through DOH. Boarding passes for regional business class flights indicate the class of travel as business not first (I think), so if I have any problems accessing the Al Safwa I shall quote the pair of you as cognescenti 🙂

[esselle]

The boarding passedps will show the travel class as F, so should not be any issues.

[Ah,Mr.Bond]

Recently flew from BKK to DOH in J with QR and was given a “dummy” TG boarding card at check in to enter the TG lounge, and they not even One World!… This lounge was appalling beyond belief, only marginally better than wandering around the equally dire BKK airport, which again is a huge disapointment.

[SimonS1]

I would say the OP has it spot on when he/she says “Leaving Dubai recently, and appalled by the tiny size of the brand new BA lounge, I took my travelling companion to the new Qatar lounge, branded Oneworld above the door. Despite being a Gold BA member, i was refused access to the lounge on the grounds that “BA has its own lounge here”.”

To me that is exactly the right stance. Flying BA, status with BA, BA has a lounge so I just don’t get why this is a Qatar Airways problem. The onus should be on BA to provide a better lounge, alternatively if QR offers the best proposition then if you give them the business you will get access.

[FDOS_UK]

On the other hand the OP was taking a Oneworld flight and went to lounge with a Oneworld sign on it, where he expected to be admitted in line with Oneworld policy.

So I can see why the confusion arose.

If it isn’t a Oneworld lounge, probably not a great idea to have a sign saying Oneworld on it 🙂

[rferguson]

I read a review about the new BA DXB lounge but can’t remember where. I will try and find it. Basically said the size of the lounge is no bigger than the old lounge (although I guess BA makes do with what space it is allocated by the airport authority). The concorde bar was apparently very disappointing. Dark and souless. I recall the writer of the review saying he only popped into the Concorde bar to refill his glass preferring to drink it in the main lounge.

Edited to add – found the review.

http://www.headforpoints.com/2016/04/07/british-airways-lounge-concorde-bar-dubai/

[BTMEEditor]

Asked for an update on the alliance from the QR CEO in Dubai yesterday: “We have issues with one of our Oneworld partners and this needs resolution. We have to see if all our expectations, not only some, are being fulfilled, and their expectations of us”.
Have asked for clarification on lounges.

[TimFitzgeraldTC]

I believe One World at Los Angeles has effectively clubbed together to create a lounge suitable for all partners (I may well be wrong on this and am happy to stand to be corrected – sure someone on here can verify if that is the case or not). This would be as Martyn has suggested.

It is a vexed question. Should the OP not be more annoyed with BA for not having a lounge that is up to “standard”, rather than QR understandably not wanting to subsidize other carriers for poor products.

Maybe the logical outcome is where a carrier has a lounge – that is the lounge that you use. Where a carrier doesn’t have a lounge – you use the lounge that you are directed to. If you don’t like the lounge then simple – move your business to someone else if the lounge is a critical part of your travel experience?

[Author]

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