• Introduction
• Mumbai International Airport Terminal 2 GVK Premium Lounge
• Qatar Airways Boeing 77W Mumbai to Doha QSuites
• Qatar Airways Business Class Lounge, Doha
• Qatar Airways Airbus A380 Doha to Paris CDG Business Class
• Air France Airbus A321 Paris CDG to Toulouse Blagnac
• Radisson Blu Toulouse Airport
• Qatar Airways Airbus A350-1000 Toulouse to Doha QSuites (Delivery Flight)
• Qatar Visa on Arrival
• Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge, Doha

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Once I came off my Mumbai-Doha flight, I had roughly about 3 hours to take in my first time at Doha’s new Hamad International Airport. It took me approximately twenty minutes to walk through the transit area and get through transit security to arrive in the central concourse, meeting the 7 million dollar teddy bear installation. The airport was perhaps preparing for their big bank of departures, and the rush was nothing like I’d expected.

Knowing I won’t be able to fully experience the Al Mourjan Business Class lounge, which is exclusive to Qatar Airways customers, I skipped it in favour of visiting another lounge. Since the First Class Lounge was not accessible, I headed to the Al Maha Lounge, which is sort of a contract lounge, accessible via Priority Pass and Diners Club. Next door is the Oryx Lounge.

The Al Maha Lounge is towards the right of the Teddy Bear, while Al Mourjan is towards the left. When I arrived at the lounge reception, my entry was processed quickly. As an afterthought, however, they told me the lounge was busy. So, they handed me a voucher to the Qatar Airways Business Class Lounge which is used by QR’s Priority Club Elites and other airlines’ Business Class Passengers which had me take the elevator downstairs and back up to the other wing.

Once I arrived in the second lounge, they took the voucher from me, and I was waved to the left, in the  direction of the Business Class Lounge.

This second lounge was also teeming with people, as I realized the minute I walked in. There were long rows of chairs organized by the walls.

I was able to find myself some space in the far end of the lounge next to the single television screen. This part of the lounge did not seem to get much attention from people.

I went about looking at the F&B available. In the centre of the lounge, there was a dining area, with the breakfast spread, and some beverages on offer. There was also a large installation, and some seats organized for people to sit and eat their breakfast.

There was a continental spread, not too much for breakfast in my view. On offer was lots of cheese, various kinds of English and Arabic bread, cut fruit and cereal.

On another side, there were pastries and some juices placed as well available.

The coffee machine did a mean cappuccino, which helped me get through the hour I was there, slightly disoriented and waiting to get on my next plane. I was full from my dining through the night, so I chose not to eat.

Apart from coffee, there were also soft drinks and Badoit sparkling water on offer.

Alcohol was not on display, but available for pour behind a counter. Since it was very crowded there, I did not get an opportunity to inspect what brands were available for consumption.

There was also a rest area behind the seating where people could go and get some sleep, in case they were going to be around for a long stop here.

It was a bustling lounge, and everything was self-service. I was not very impressed with this lounge, purely because of the volumes they were processing. I spent about 40-45 minutes in the lounge, checking my mail and sending a couple of important ones, and headed out at about 6:30 AM towards my gate, to catch my 7:30 AM flight to Paris.

Bottomline

From what I saw and heard, this lounge is almost always busy. So if you’d like to get some peace of mind, it would be a good idea to get the sleeping pods inside. This lounge works when you need a quick passage through the airport, but at a busy hour such as 6 AM, I doubt you’ll find any lounge which would be empty enough to get some peace of mind.

Have you visited the Business Class Lounge in Doha? How was your experience here?

The Pros

+ Accessible via Priority Pass and Diners Club or purchase access

The Cons

- Very Crowded
- Limited food offerings

Rating