After 3 very intense days, full of meetings, lunches and dinners with my client, it is time to go home.
Pour rappel, voici l’itinéraire suivi :
| # | Type | Review |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Diary | Let’s go, let’s go for the adventure… Banga…lore |
| 2 | Lounge | British Airways Galleries First, London Heathrow Terminal 5 (not reported) |
| 3 | Flight | Qatar Airways Business – Qsuite, London Heathrow – Doha Hamad, Boeing 777 |
| 4 | Hotel | JW Marriott Doha City Center |
| 5 | Lounge | Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge, Doha Hamad International |
| 6 | Flight | Qatar Airways Business Class, Doha Hamad International – Bangalore, Boeing 787 |
| 7 | Hotel | The Ritz-Carlton Bangalore |
| 8 | Lounge | Zero Eight Zero Lounge, Bangalore |
| 9 | Flight | Qatar Airways Business – Qsuite, Bangalore – Doha Hamad International, Boeing 777 |
| 10 | Lounge | Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Class, Doha Hamad International |
| 11 | Flight | Qatar Airways Business – Qsuite, Doha Hamad International – London Heathrow, Boeing 777 |
Check-in and ground experience
I leave the Ritz-Carlton about 3 hours before the departure time of my Qatar Airways flight to Doha. I had ordered the highest category of Uber, UberSUV. It is an old and dilapidated car that arrives at the hotel more than 10 minutes late and without any excuse.
It will take us almost 50 minutes to arrive in front of the terminal in the pouring rain and taking all the risks. I consider myself lucky to have arrived in one piece.
The Indian authorities proceed to a first control at the entrance of the terminal, coherence between passport and ticket (papercompulsory). It is very strange to feel them deciphering a paper as simple as an e-ticket.
I go directly to the Qatar Airways counters andinto the priority line for Business and Oneworld Sapphire and Emerald passengers. After 2 minutes of checking (a person looks at my paper, doesn’t seem to think that it’s her job to open the queue, goes to look for someone else who looks at my paper and then opens the access to the priority queue… A good example of Indian bureaucracy as it’s done anymore, and which contrasts with my ultra-positive experience of the last 3 days.
My final destination is asked, I answer London and there… It is the drama: 20 minutes of palaver and the intervention of a supervisor around the settled statusand the fact that no, the community residents do not need a residence card… Lunar.
After all this and without apology, I was given my boarding passes to Doha and London, as well as an invitation to the lounge.
No mention of the Fast Track for immigration and security is made to me, and I join the normal queue. It’s only after 15 minutes of waiting that I see that a Fast Track was available on the left, next to the queue for the crews.
After another 15 minutes of waiting, the passport control is carried out, followed by alaborious security check despite an initial zero wait.
Location
The lounge is located past the security checkpoint,near Starbucks Coffee. I first see the lounge for frequent flyers (the BLR International Lounge, also a member of PriorityPass) but the flight attendant tells me that the lounge for business passengers is just behind it, so I had not seen the entrance.
Note that at the time of my visit, the Qatar Airways website still indicated the lounge as closed in Bangalore (as did the Oneworld website).
When I arrived, it was almost full and especially full of very noisy passengers. Fortunately, they will leave the lounge after a few minutes to board Lufthansa.
Lounge design
The design of the lounge is very nice, with a decoration up to date.
Many areas are available: rest, relaxation or meals, and a bar around which it is possible to sit.
A VIP area is also available.
Catering
The food offer seems similar at all hours, as hot food was available between 2 and 4 am.
Some look appetizing, others disgusting.
I’ll settle for a coffee.
Bottom line
A airport lounge in the upper mid-range.
