Qatar Airways have gone ahead and unbundled their business class product, with the reduced cost tickets losing some perks. Namely there is no longer lounge access for these tickets, nor is there seat selection.
One thing that people have commented on is the price difference between the lowest fare and the next one. Sometimes it is a lot and sometimes it is a relatively small amount.
Lounge Access Cost
At Doha, Qatar Airways operate the Al Mourjan Business Class lounge, which is reserved for ticketed business class passengers. Having a oneworld Sapphire or Emerald card will not get you access.
With lounge access being dropped from the Classic fare type, frequent flyers have been commenting on how much more it will cost to upgrade to the Comfort fare, which includes lounge access.
350 QAR comes out at US$95, €81, £73 and AU$132, which I feel is a reasonable price for the lounge. It is routinely considered one of the best business class lounges in the world, with a proper sit down restaurant among other things.
Overall Thoughts
The length of your transit through Doha is going to be what makes you decide if the cost is worth it or not. Clearly you might forego the option if you have a one to two hour connection, whereas if you have a three, four, or more hour connection, it would be money well spent.
I think the pricing is at the top of the mark, and I’d probably hesitate to pay more for it. Even so, having the option to pay into this lounge, as well as the others in Doha, means that people can book their discounted business class ticket and make their own decision on whether it’s worth getting lounge access.
What do you think of the cost of the Al Mourjan Business Class lounge access? Is it something you’d pay or avoid? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.
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Featured image via Live and Let’s Fly.
Is alcohol served, or prohibited due to the country demands?
Alcohol is served like other airline lounges around the world. There is no prohibition in the lounges in Doha, so you will be able to drink as you like.
Wonderful thank you. Sadly, a few countries I’ve been too in the Middle East do not offer alcohol due to religion. While it’s not a “must have” in my opinion, it’s good to know it’s offered as an amenity.
Yes, that is quite true. Glad to be able to help!
Do you need to pre-bbok or just turn up at Doha and pay ?
I believe you can pay in at the lounge in Doha. It would make sense to pre-book just to save time and the hassle though. You should see the option to purchase lounge access in Manage Booking on the Qatar Airways web site.
Good value for a long connection with a coach ticket.
I agree with you there!
How about lounge access with rewards tickets using AA miles?
Reward tickets go into a different fare bucket, so you would have lounge access. It is only R and I class that tend to be in the Classic fare family when booking Qatar Airways business class using the usual methods.