Qatar Airways Lounge in Singapore T1

[exLXCXFF]

If anyone is interested, just indulging myself at the Qatar Premium Lounge in Singapore.

I have never been here and got in via OneWorld Rules (long-haul into SIN on U award with AY and long-haul out of SIN on X award with QF as Qantas Gold). I think this is next level, comparable to Pier in HKG with seated dining and a lot of attention to detail. Nowhere near comparable to the QF & BA J lounge in Singapore. Three other travelIers with me - I am very happy!

Current menu: https://www.qatarairways.com/content/dam/hia/pdf/qr-singapore-lounge-en.pdf

 

[SYD]

On my “To Do“ list. Quite a bit of coverage here:

Qatar Airways Lounge in Singapore T1

Like all of us, I’m missing travel dearly so I thought I’d upload a picture I forgot to post from 11 March just before the lockdown. What an amazing lounge, great service, such a contrast to the QF F Lounge which has significantly declined in service already. Oh and also of note, during my...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[exLXCXFF]

On my “To Do“ list. Quite a bit of coverage here:

Qatar Airways Lounge in Singapore T1

Like all of us, I’m missing travel dearly so I thought I’d upload a picture I forgot to post from 11 March just before the lockdown. What an amazing lounge, great service, such a contrast to the QF F Lounge which has significantly declined in service already. Oh and also of note, during my...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

ah - thanks! I certainly did not check in the Qatar forum!

 

[sudoer]

Has anyone used the shower facilities here? Any thoughts on how they compare with the QF First lounge?

Trying to decide which lounge to go for tomorrow.. proximity to the gate may end up the determining factor. Seems like the Qatar menu (particularly main courses) has been cut down in favour of the FIFA snack menu.

 

[Daver6]

Has anyone used the shower facilities here? Any thoughts on how they compare with the QF First lounge?

Trying to decide which lounge to go for tomorrow.. proximity to the gate may end up the determining factor. Seems like the Qatar menu (particularly main courses) has been cut down in favour of the FIFA snack menu.

I think you should go to the QR lounge and find out. Purely for research purposes for the rest of us

The QF F ones are fine. Nothing special (I presume you're familiar with them, if not I can post some pics).

 

[sudoer]

I think you should go to the QR lounge and find out. Purely for research purposes for the rest of us

The QF F ones are fine. Nothing special (I presume you're familiar with them, if not I can post some pics).

I may just need to do that. Have used the SIN F ones before, other than the skylight I didn't think they were too different to the QF J showers. Both could do with more ventilation!

 

[Daver6]

I may just need to do that. Have used the SIN F ones before, other than the skylight I didn't think they were too different to the QF J showers. Both could do with more ventilation!

I think lack of ventilation is a common issue with lounge showers.

I recall the J ones being pretty decent (not been since BC - before Covid). The F ones weren't overly spacious. I agree, roughly the same other than the novelty skylight.

 

[CaptainCurtis]

Has anyone used the shower facilities here? Any thoughts on how they compare with the QF First lounge?

Trying to decide which lounge to go for tomorrow.. proximity to the gate may end up the determining factor. Seems like the Qatar menu (particularly main courses) has been cut down in favour of the FIFA snack menu.

I haven't been to the QF F lounge, so can't provide a comparison, but see below for a quick snap I took of the QR shower facility. Wasn't spectacular beyond the 'I'm showering at the airport" nvoely factor (first time for me). The highlight of the lounge was definitely the service and food.

 

[sudoer]

I haven't been to the QF F lounge, so can't provide a comparison, but see below for a quick snap I took of the QR shower facility. Wasn't spectacular beyond the 'I'm showering at the airport" nvoely factor (first time for me). The highlight of the lounge was definitely the service and food. View attachment 308768

Thanks for the pic. Those shower rooms look roughly the same size as SIN F, maybe even a tad bigger:



Judging from your photo the ventilation isn't any better!

 

[SeatBackForward]

Was there earlier this month waiting for connection from SYD through to HEL. Hardly anyone in there for the entire 4hrs I spent in there. Kept my larger carry-on bag in their storage area while I went for a walk around SIN before returning into the lounge.

 

[Daver6]

Thanks for the pic. Those shower rooms look roughly the same size as SIN F, maybe even a tad bigger:

View attachment 308769

Judging from your photo the ventilation isn't any better!

Looks like QR has more space to store your belongings though. It's sorely missing in the QF F showers. I only discovered at the end that there is a bench like thing that you can pull down over the toilet to put your bag on.

 

[serfty]

Looks like QR has more space to store your belongings though. It's sorely missing in the QF F showers. I only discovered at the end that there is a bench like thing that you can pull down over the toilet to put your bag on.

Oh, yes, the old dunny supported baggage rest.

Still nowhere to sit to put your socks and shoes back on ...

 

[Daver6]

Oh, yes, the old dunny supported baggage rest.

Still nowhere to sit to put your socks and shoes back on ...

View attachment 308783

Bingo! Lack of somewhere to sit plus not really sure how I feel opening my back on that tiny bench and things getting a little too close to the loo.

 

[AIRwin]

Bingo! Lack of somewhere to sit plus not really sure how I feel opening my back on that tiny bench and things getting a little too close to the loo.

But looks like the lid will cover the bowl?

 

[serfty]

But looks like the lid will cover the bowl?

Sharp edges ...

 

[Daver6]

But looks like the lid will cover the bowl?

It does....but honestly, is this what you expect in F?

 

[exLXCXFF]

see below for a quick snap I took of the QR shower facility. Wasn't spectacular beyond the 'I'm showering at the airport" nvoely factor (first time for me). The highlight of the lounge was definitely the service and food.

Interesting, I was in the last shower room to the left and this one actually had no toilet, just the shower which I think was working fine. Agree that there was no ventilation, I am wearing glasses and could not see anything after coming out of the shower.

 

[sudoer]

I ended up visiting the QR lounge earlier this week shortly after it opened at 6pm. I'd just spent 45 minutes in the QF F lounge to give them a fair comparison, and the QR lounge was conveniently right next to my gate so I hung around for about 1.5 hours until departure.

I ordered the chicken satay, and banh mi from the FIFA menu.



Any J lounge offering an a la carte menu will be better than most, but the menu (attached) felt quite limited and confused with just three mains of which two were Thai curries. I was a little disappointed there were no Arabic menu options.

The banh mi caught my attention because of how odd an item it seemed on the FIFA snacks menu - Vietnam aren't in the World Cup, it was served with a dipping sauce (which I've never come across with a banh mi), and it was of course served with chicken instead of the usual pork.

IMO the QF F lounge wins easily on both menu options and food quality, but this would be the second best OW option in SIN T1, beating QF J and BA J lounges. If flying QF J, the EK lounge next door had similar quality a la carte offerings when I visited in April - it would be very easy to walk between the two to test them both out.

The buffet presentation was immaculate with quite a few options. The baklava was terrific.



I would rate the QR showers higher than QF F showers. I was in a slightly different config shower room to the one @CaptainCurtis posted upthread, and found ventilation to be good enough. The rainfall shower had great pressure and the shower itself was huge.



Unfortunately there was just a single muted TV showing the World Cup in the furthest corner of the lounge, just outside the entrance to the bathrooms and showers. It was one of the busiest walkways in the lounge and with just two seats having a decent view but still needing to crane their neck to watch. Guests and staff continually walked past the TV. It felt like a real wasted opportunity for QR and one that I thought was a shame given the FIFA Snacks menu.

The seating area just past reception had a TV with more seats and was completely empty - this would've been a far better place to put the game on.

 

[nightelves]

Anyone know if OneWorld allows for access on arrival?

 

[dairyfloss]

Anyone know if OneWorld allows for access on arrival?

They do not, sorry - arrivals access is only where an individual airline offers it (QR doesn't, to my knowlege), but there are few (like BA & MH) and generally require J travel into home ports.

Cheers,
Matt.