Reader Comment: Qatar Airways Premium Lounge Access In Bangkok On Light (P) Ticket

A LoyaltyLobby reader sent us a comment about Qatar Airways Premium Lounge access in Bangkok when flying on QR Light (P) fare while being a Privilege Club Platinum member.

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You can access Qatar’s page for elite benefits here.

Reader’s Message:

I would like to report on a seemingly wrong QR ground staff policy at BKK.

For the second time in a row (last time was in Feb 2025) I was told that even though I am QR Platinum I would not have access to the BKK QR lounge while traveling on a Business Lite (P) fare. Instead I was issued a lounge pass for the new terminal’s First Class Miracle lounge, which is of course closer to the QR departure gates but rather underwhelming.

My travel companion on the same “P” fare who is BA Gold/Emerald was given the same answer and a voucher to the Miracle lounge as well.

Both last month and yesterday I was informed of this at check-in. When I pointed out to the agent that this policy contradicts QR’s own description of Privilege Club membership benefits (https://www.qatarairways.com/en/Privilege-Club/member_benefits.html) he could not explain it and simply stated again that the QR lounge in BKK will not allow access to any P fare passengers.

I have been traveling with QR out of BKK for years and this had never been an issue prior to 2025.

Last time, thinking it was an error of the check-in agent I still proceeded to the QR lounge, but they indeed refused to let me in. This time I just went to the Miracle lounge directly.

QR has always openly tried to limit entry into their lounge, which is arguably the nicest at BKK and quite popular with OW elites flying on other airlines. First they did this by restricting the opening times to match only their own QR flights. Then they started keeping the door shut at all times, so that even when the lounge is operating it would still appear closed from the outside. But it is particularly frustrating that had we been traveling on any other OW airline, in any fare class including economy, we would have had access to the QR lounge. But because we were traveling on QR we did not.

What sense does it make to print “Business Class Fare Not Entitled to Lounge Access” on the boarding pass while simultaneously handing a voucher to the Miracle lounge? (also a Priority Pass lounge).

Access to the First Class Al Safwa lounge at DOH on the other hand was granted to me and my travel companion without any issues.

Shame on QR’s BKK staff for treating its own Elites so wrongly.

Qatar’s Platinum Benefits Page (Relevant Part):

² The main member and guest must travel on flights marketed and operated by Qatar Airways. The guest’s flight must depart no more than three hours from that of the main member. Passengers will not be granted access to Premium Lounges unless they hold a Premium Ticket. Lounge entry is subject to capacity restrictions.

³ Member and guest should be flying on Business Class Ticket on Qatar Airways.

⁴ Guest’s should be flying within 3 hours of the main member’s flight time.

The Platinum benefits page is unclear and doesn’t address these LIGHT (P) fare tickets.

Qatar’s Lounge Access Rule Matrix (For Trade):

Qatar Airways has released a rather complicated lounge access rule guide for trade that they should also display on their customer-focused website.

It is weird that you can get into the First Class lounge in Doha on a Business Light ticket but won’t have access to any Premium Lounges at outstations (BKK, SIN, CDG & LHR), except Beirut (BEY) if you have Privilege Club Platinum status.

And yes, these Premium Lounges are open to all business or first-class passengers on Oneworld carrier flights, not just those on Qatar Airways.

I wrote a piece about the Qatar Airways Bangkok loung in August last year:

Lounge Check: Qatar Airways Premium Lounge Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport

Conclusion

I have been to Qatar’s lounge in Bangkok more than half a dozen times in the past seven weeks, ensuring that I qualify for BA’s Gold for Life before the program is trashed on April 1, 2025.

There are three Oneworld lounges in Bangkok, Japan Airlines and Cathay Pacific, which are open to all business class and elite members (Sapphire and above) even when flying in economy.

Qatar’s lounge is the only “premium” one at Bangkok’s airport that Oneworld passengers can use when it is open. You need to be flying in business or first class to access it (no luck if you are on LIGHT fare on Qatar Airways).

The reader is correct that unless you know that the lounge is open, you won’t try to access it, as there is no note at the door when it is open. The opening times, however, are timed heavily for Qatar Airways flights, so there are windows when you can access it and when you don’t

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