Stopping over in Doha? Here's everything you need to know about lounges and access rules

Doha Airport, Has lost the scepter of the world's best airport, but this does not mean that it has become ugly. In fact with the recent extension and the opening of the Orchard it has become even more beautiful.

One of the most repeated questions in the comments, in our facebook group and in the messages I receive on the various platforms is "If I go by..... Which lounge do you recommend?" I decided to make a guide similar to the one made for JFK, Fiumicino e Malpensa and which I will soon do for Dubai and Bangkok as well, trying to cover the main airports frequented by traveling Italians.

Stopover in Doha, which lounges are accessible and under which rules

The first thing to understand is that everything here is owned by the Emir and the whole airport is run by the same hand even though it might seem that Qatar is not involved in some things it is not so.

In several articles I explained the access rules of the different lounges, characteristics and modes. Everything already written applies here, more or less, with subtle differences.

The first distinction to be made is that, unlike all other OneWorld carriers the first class lounge is reserved for the lucky few First Class passengers and Platinum status holders in the Privilege Club loyalty program, who travel in business. Something similar to the rules of British Airways for its Concorde Room.

This means that If you travel in economy, you will not have access to any of Qatar's premium lounges, but only to those dedicated to status holders. An opposite policy to that of Lufthansa, which rewards its Senators with better lounges than business class passengers without status.

That being said, the lounges at this airport. according to Loungebuddy are as many as 17, Of these 10 are Qatar-branded while the remaining are independent. Three lounges are operational for arriving passengers, that is, they are Arrival Lounges and are designed to welcome passengers after the flight. There are then two lounges Exclusively fee-based for those who do not have status or other special cards.

Qatar's "premium" lounges

• Al Safwa first. The first class lounge for Qatar passengers
• Al Mourjan (North/South). Only the two lounges for Qatar business class passengers.

As mentioned. premium passengers flying Qatar, or oneWorld carriers, have the option of using the reference lounge, even if they do not possess the status. For business travelers, the two lounges are at the extremes of the terminal. The original Al Mourjan is near the (concrete) puppet, while the new Al Mourjan North is near the Orchard on the opposite side of the terminal.

If you have a first ticket the advice is not to waste oxygen and steps unnecessarily Al Safwa lounge is among the best in the world. No distinction is made for routes or how much time is left until the flight, if you travel in business or first with oneWorld airlines you get in without any problem.

Lounges for those with status

• Platinum and Gold Lounges (North and South) are the lounges for passengers with Sapphire or Emerald oneWorld statuses

Of the two lounges, the one in the northern area is definitely the most beautiful and comfortable, partly because it is the newest, as are all the lounges in the northern area. Here you enter regardless of the ticket you hold and can stay as long as you want.

The main difference is that those located near Gate A1 are divided into two. On the ground floor is the lounge for those with Sapphire status, or Gold with Qatar. While on the upper floor is the Platinum lounge, which corresponds to Emerald status in the alliance.

So if you are "only" sapphire my advice is to go to the lounge near the Garden Because here the service is unique for all passengers

Priority Pass Lounges

There are two Al Maha lounges, although on the Priority Pass app it shows only one, the nice thing is that I got into both on the same day (one of the benefits of having the card because of the American Express Platinum Is to have unlimited and free access for two people.

The first one overlooks the "Teddy Bear" plaza, or the airport's iconic teddy bear. The second, on the other hand, is located on the new side near the skytrain terminal that connects the two areas of the airport. They are not very large and are often crowded, so be prepared to queue or get on a waiting list.

The maximum visit duration is 4 hours, so if you have a long layover be prepared to have to leave/return or not be able to enter before the X hour strikes.

Due lounge sleep and fly

If you prefer to relax, take a nap and a shower, you can also take advantage of the two lounges accessible with Priority Pass designed exclusively for those who want to rest in a quiet area. There are several options, including massage chairs and bunks, for you to choose from. The average stay varies from 2 to 4 hours depending on your choice.

In conclusion

As usual detailed reviews will be published in the coming weeks, with this article I wanted to summarize the different possibilities since Doha is one of the busiest crossroads for Italian passengers to the east.