[HighlandTraveller]

I am flying EDI-DOH-CMB in J. I have not previously flown into DOH. I have a very short connection (50 min). Anyone got any practical tips to give me best chance of making it? Is it worth speaking to staff on landing or best just trying to run after the transfers signs?

The DOH-CMB seems to be in a A340. Anyone flown it, and how bad or otherwise is the seat (apparently not lie-flat)?

Many thanks as always

[FDOS_UK]

I was in transit from MAN-DOH-DXB last week and arrived on the A gates, with a departure from the B gates.

There was no security screening and it was no more than a 10 minute walk between the gates.

When you are approaching DOH, they will show the transfer gates on the IFE screen and that would be a good time to ask the crew for advice.

If the A340 has the same seat I flew on in 2012, it is angled lie flat and it’s not very nice – sorry.

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HighlandTraveller

[SGJNI1961]

I am not a fan of DOH. Arrived from LHR, simple transfer, no re screening, easy stroll to the distant lounge. However, on my return from JNB, scheduled for a 60 min transfer (after a schedule change reduced it from 2hrs), landed on time but taxi/air bridge took 15 mins, then had to walk for ages to go back through security, a complete joke. Two lanes for about 600/800 pax! Total scrum and chaos for 15 mins. Believing we would miss our flight from a far away C gate, we ran a bloody long way only to find that once boarded, the flight was delayed due to the fact that other transfer passengers were still not on board!!!! Having almost given myself a coronary, I thought I would use the time to drink some champage(well, it was almost 7am in Doha), and check that my bag had been loaded. “Yes sir” was the answer, only to arrive in AMS to find that it hadn’t, yet my friend who had not checked, got her’s second off the belt??????? I was not a happy bunny but the bag did arrive in Belfast 2 days later.
I hope your transfer is at a quiet time or that you are not required to go back through security or you are handy with your elbows! Good luck. My next transit at DOH is 5 hours, I will cope better when I get to the First lounge.

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HighlandTraveller

[Ahmad]

Unless your flight is late you shouldn’t have to make a run for it. I haven’t flown into DOH from EDI, but if you come in from an airport considered safe, they let you go directly into the departure area instead of making you go up a floor to go through transfer security screening and then down again. Saves a lot of walking and at least 20-25 minutes at the best of times. With a 50 minutes connection you might even have time to nip into the Al Mourjan Lounge if your onward gate is not at the far end of a pier. They have electronic screens in every pier which allow you to scan your boarding card and then show you the route to your departure gate. Just use one once you have disembarked and you’ll know whether you have enough time to go to the lounge. If you do, ask a lounge dragon on your way out to phone and check whether your departing flight has actually started boarding, this will save you from leaving the lounge early and unnecessarily waiting at the gate.

Added after reading SGJNI1961’s post:

If you ever come across a crowd at the transfer screening point, don’t let the uniforms force you into the economy que which will be going in towards the right or the left depending on which side you are coming from. Go further on towards the middle where you will find the priority lanes hidden away! Most of the time you have to ask someone to open the cordon by showing your premium boarding card holder given at check in. This is also where they take the wheelchair passengers in from if you otherwise miss them.

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[SGJNI1961]

I am very greatful to Ahmad for the information provided as to how to survive transit security at DOH and I will definitely adopt his advice but on the morning I was struggling the sheer number of pax ment that any notion of a queue just went out the window, it was a scrum. I think the airport is badly designed and this is just one example.

[Gin&Tonic]

I hate to say it but Doh was always easier with the dedicated Business Terminal and the buses. Often I have got off one bus straight onto another. Doh now has no differential for transfer passengers than any other large hub airport.

[AMcWhirter]

HighlandTraveller and FDOS – QR’s A340-600s used to have older angled lie-seats in business class. But last year, as Business Traveller reported, QR decided to adopt a high-density layout in economy and then install flat bed seating in business class.

Qatar Airways plans high-density A340-600

The refurbished A340-600s have 348 seats in economy and 24 in business class.

Previous layout was 248 in economy and 42 in business class.

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HighlandTraveller

[JohnHarper]

Just please beware that after many transits of DOH I’ve never figured out the rational about who gets screened and who doesn’t. Parking on a remote stand seems to guarantee it and you can end up on a remote stand for no apparent reason when there are plenty of gates available.

Equally where you are coming from does not seem to determine it either, I’ve been re-screened coming from LHR and SIN among other places but not from BKK, again sometimes from HKG and sometimes not.

If anyone can figure it out please enlighten me!

[FDOS_UK]

[quote quote=731308]HighlandTraveller and FDOS – QR’s A340-600s used to have older angled lie-seats in business class. But last year, as Business Traveller reported, QR decided to adopt a high-density layout in economy and then install flat bed seating in business class.

Have they completed the reconfiguration?

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HighlandTraveller

[FDOS_UK]

[quote quote=731317]Just please beware that after many transits of DOH I’ve never figured out the rational about who gets screened and who doesn’t. Parking on a remote stand seems to guarantee it and you can end up on a remote stand for no apparent reason when there are plenty of gates available.

Equally where you are coming from does not seem to determine it either, I’ve been re-screened coming from LHR and SIN among other places but not from BKK, again sometimes from HKG and sometimes not.

If anyone can figure it out please enlighten me!

[/quote]

Lots of entropy 🙂

[HighlandTraveller]

Thanks all; I will report the experience in due course.

I have a colleague travelling in Y. Is there a one world lounge I can get us both into if there are delays etc and we have time to kill? I think I cannot get him into the main QR lounge with BA status?

[SGJNI1961]

You are correct, to the best of my knowledge. QR lounges are just for QR status passengers.From what I have read here there is another lounge you can access but I have no experience of it. Somewhere on a previous thread there is a description of it. Let us know how it goes please.

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HighlandTraveller

[AMcWhirter]

FDOS and HighlandTraveller – I would have thought that most if not all of QR’s A340-600s would have been retrofitted by now.

In any case the Doha-Colombo route was assigned to the high-density A340-600 last year.

The original A340-600s were configured three-class whereas the retrofitted aircraft are two-class.

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HighlandTraveller

[Ahmad]

HighlandTraveller,

A OneWorld Emerald or Sapphire card will get you and a guest access to the Qatar Airways First and Business Class Lounges respectively (as I haven’t used them, can’t comment on how good they are). The AlSafwa and AlMourjan Lounges allow access to First and Business Class OneWorld Airlines’ (not just QR’s) passengers, however, no guests are allowed. Flying on Qatar I have used the AlMourjan Lounge even when my onward flight was in Economy because I was transiting and had arrived in Business on a flight longer than 5 hours (even though I had two separate tickets) by showing the dragon my inward and outward boarding passes. Haven’t had occasion to use this rule for AlSafwa but I understand one can do that irrespective of whether the onward flight is in Business or Economy. I don’t know whether they will allow one to use these Lounges when not actually travelling First or Business on other OneWorld Carriers after having flown in on a flight longer than 5 hours. Would be grateful if someone who’s done that let’s us know.

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HighlandTraveller

[stevescoots]

I have done the 50 mins transfer several times and not had an issue. have been sat on tarmac a few times delayed waiting for transfer passengers so I assume QR hold aircraft for a while waiting. one end of the airport to another is about 15 mins walk.

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HighlandTraveller

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