Qatar Airways will reopen its Premium Lounge at Singapore’s Changi Airport Terminal 1 on Wednesday June 15, and it’s not just business class passengers on Qatar Airways who are pleased at the news.
The lounge – which Qatar Airways describes as “more of a boutique hotel or private club” – welcomes business class travellers across all Oneworld airlines departing from T1.
That roster currently includes British Airways, Finnair, Malaysia Airlines and Qantas – although the departure time for those flights need to match the lounge’s limited opening hours.
From June 15, Qatar Airways’ Singapore lounge will open from 6pm to 2.40am: a window that happily includes British Airways’ BA15/BA16, Finnair’s AY132 to Helsinki, plus most Qantas flights to Australia (except Perth, which departs 6.40pm) plus the QF1/QF2 flights between Sydney and London.
However, Qatar Airways’ Singapore Premium Lounge is reserved for ‘premium cabin’ passengers, which means business and first class (but not premium economy) of Qatar Airways and other Oneworld member airlines.
There’s no access if you are a top-tier frequent flyer (Oneworld Emerald or Oneworld Sapphire status) but travelling in economy or premium economy class.
Although this is at odds with most Oneworld airline lounges, where shiny status trumps travel class, it’s a long-established practice at all Qatar Airways’ Premium Lounges and in keeping with the airline’s desire to ensure an upmarket lounge experience.
The best practice for those frequent flyers is of course to make a beeline to the Qantas lounges: either the Qantas Business Lounge, or the Qantas First Lounge which reopens this coming weekend.
What to expect at Qatar Airways’ Singapore Premium Lounge
When Executive Traveller visited Qatar Airways’ Singapore Premium Lounge shortly after it opened in mid-February 2020, we rated it as Changi’s best business class lounge – and that could still be the…