Long connecting times/stopovers/layovers can be a mighty hassle or a blessing in disguise depending on how prepared you are for them. We’ve put together some pretty helpful information in the context of flying with Qatar Airways which is based out of Doha Hamad International Airport and always has a Doha stopover for international flights.

Have you ever spent 5 or more hours sitting around while waiting for your connecting flight? Coupled with how tired you feel and how much you need a shut-eye but can’t get a nap on the semi-uncomfortable airport seats, it’s pretty much hell. International flights on Qatar Airways can have up to 24 hours layover at Doha, so it’s a definite advantage to get some place to rest while you wait. The secret to this and more amazing bonuses depends on how well you plan before you even book your ticket.

It turns out that Qatar Airways (and even other airlines) offer Stopover Paid by Carrier (STPC) service which includes free transit hotel accommodation, as well as entry visa, airport transfers and meals for long layover passengers if the following conditions are met:

1. The layover is over 8 hours and there isn’t another available flight option with a less layover/connection time in Doha;
2. The booking does not originate from a Gulf country;
3. The booking was made more than 3 days before departure date;
4. The ticket class is not a promo fare.

Most times we ask for the cheapest possible fares and end up denying ourselves the possibility of accessing some amazing features such as the STPC service. For Qatar Airways non-promotional Economy tickets (marked ‘N’ or above) up to First Class tickets are eligible for free STPC service.

The STPC service is also available for promo tickets (marked T, O or W), although this is at a price of about $130 for a single trip or $260 (double the fee) for a return trip. In most cases, the cost of the STPC fee for a return promo ticket will equal the cost difference between the promo fare and the next cheapest economy ticket which is eligible for free STPC. Therefore, it might be more economical to choose the cheapest STPC-eligible Economy ticket rather than the promo ticket when booking.

If you book an STPC eligible ticket, you will need to contact the Qatar Airways office to request this service at least 3 days before your trip. Also note that Qatar Airways provides transit accommodation at their discretion, so in rare cases transit accommodation privileges may be denied even though the passenger meets all requirements.

The transit hotels used by Qatar Airways include Oryx Rotana which is 5-star and reserved for business class ticket holders, Retaj Al Reyan (4 star), Safir Hotel (4 star), Movenpick Hotel (4 star) and Grand Doha (3 star average). They are all decent and you may be assigned to either of the last four as transit accommodation at the hotels is assigned randomly.

If you’ve already booked a promo ticket (or you insist on getting one regardless of the above) and you do not wish to pay for STPC service, another option for a stress-free layover is to use the Oryx Lounge at the Doha Airport. It costs about $50 for every 6 hours spent and includes food and shower facilities. Flat beds for sleeping are not provided in the lounge. You could also stay at the Airport Hotel (4 star) which is located within the terminal and has hours-based packages. You will not require a visa for either of these options, although this means you will be unable to leave the airport for a bit of tourist action.

A final option if you’d book promo ticket (no SPTC) and wish to explore Doha is to look for good hotels and book directly. This means you will have to secure a visa from the Qatari Embassy before your trip as Nigeria does not qualify for Qatari Visa on Arrival, except through booking with Qatar Airways.

We hope the above information guides you next time you’re facing a long connecting time in Doha. Don’t forget to book with us at www.odarion.com to help you choose the best ticket option for the most stress-free connections when flying international.

Culled from [url]blog.odarion.com[/url]

nice piece.

Great. But is it automatic a customer with 'N' class ticket on Qatar will enjoy STPC? What might lead to denial of STPC?

So Odarion is here! I have used them to book ticket before and although I had to wait some minutes for the ticket price every other thing was great. I like you guys service but abeg make una try for me make I win that Dubai trip lol.

Abuleoshi:
Great. But is it automatic a customer with 'N' class ticket on Qatar will enjoy STPC? What might lead to denial of STPC?

Hi Abuleoshi yes customers with 'N' class ticket automatically qualify for STPC if the other requirements mentioned in the post are met. Things that may lead to denial of STPC may include if the passenger bought the ticket using air miles from a codeshare airline (airlines that they sometimes partner with to lift passengers), or if the passenger did not request for STPC service at least 72 hours before the departure date.

silouette:
So Odarion is here! I have used them to book ticket before and although I had to wait some minutes for the ticket price every other thing was great. I like you guys service but abeg make una try for me make I win that Dubai trip lol.

Haha thanks for the kind words Silouette, we will continue to do our best to provide good value to our customers. Regarding the Dubai trip, you will have to be the customer with the highest number of tickets booked on the website (odarion.com) by 1st August next year to win the 2 flight tickets. So goodluck

Odarion:


Hi Abuleoshi yes customers with 'N' class ticket automatically qualify for STPC if the other requirements mentioned in the post are met. Things that may lead to denial of STPC may include if the passenger bought the ticket using air miles from a codeshare airline (airlines that they sometimes partner with to lift passengers), or if the passenger did not request for STPC service at least 72 hours before the departure date.

Thanks for the Heads-up on Qatar Airways stopover flights. Will check check flight ticket on your site tommorow. I might just patronize you if your ticket to Dallas from Lagos is more pocket friendly.

Flew Qatar last month, with an 8-hour stopover. Was told there'd be accommodation at one of those hotels. Got there only to be told immigration denied me a visa even though I had an Immigrant Visa to my final destination.
QA staff now told me they had 'sleeping rooms' at the airport.
Those so-called sleeping rooms were just walled off spaces with airport-style sleeping seats.
I told them I wasn't sleeping there and made a big stink about it. Eventually, they got me to go to the Oryx lounge where I showered and barely managed to get a couple of hours sleep

9jaStar:
Flew Qatar last month, with an 8-hour stopover. Was told there'd be accommodation at one of those hotels. Got there only to be told immigration denied me a visa even though I had an Immigrant Visa to my final destination.
QA staff now told me they had 'sleeping rooms' at the airport.
Those so-called sleeping rooms were just walled off spaces with airport-style sleeping seats.
I told them I wasn't sleeping there and made a big stink about it. Eventually, they got me to go to the Oryx lounge where I showered and barely managed to get a couple of hours sleep

Hi 9jaStar, that may be because Nigeria does not qualify for Qatari Visa on Arrival except through Qatar Airways, and Qatar Airways will only provide you a guaranteed visa for free if you booked a non-promotional ticket and requested STPC service at least 72 hours before your departure date (including other STPC requirements mentioned in the post). There could have been other extenuating factors which we may not know as they reserve the right to withhold STPC service at their discretion. We are really sorry for the experience, some other airlines like Emirates, Turkish, Etihad and Ethiopian Airlines also offer STPC service based on their own unique requirements. Of course, if you had booked through [url]odarion.com[/url] we would have tried our best to sort all this out for you to have a much better layover experience

Abuleoshi:

Thanks for the Heads-up on Qatar Airways stopover flights. Will check check flight ticket on your site tommorow. I might just patronize you if your ticket to Dallas from Lagos is more pocket friendly.

Okay please do Abuleoshi and contact us on the live chat or call the customer care team at 07006327466 if you need a comparison of several fares or other help on the website

Odarion:


Hi 9jaStar, that may be because Nigeria does not qualify for Qatari Visa on Arrival except through Qatar Airways, and Qatar Airways will only provide you a guaranteed visa for free if you booked a non-promotional ticket and requested STPC service at least 72 hours before your departure date (including other STPC requirements mentioned in the post). There could have been other extenuating factors which we may not know as they reserve the right to withhold STPC service at their discretion. We are really sorry for the experience, some other airlines like Emirates, Turkish, Etihad and Ethiopian Airlines also offer STPC service based on their own unique requirements. Of course, if you had booked through [url]odarion.com[/url] we would have tried our best to sort all this out for you to have a much better layover experience

1. I booked direct through QA
2. My ticket was not promotional
3. I specifically requested the STPC service when I booked, a full two weeks before travel and received email confirmation/voucher
4. I appreciate your wanting to help and may consider your services in future. But I'm a frequent traveler with both Skymiles and Star Alliance cards, so I know my way around some. I just wanted to try out QA and they failed the test, unfortunately. Won't be flying them again anytime soon
5. What I did enjoy though, was the cabin service. The attendants were nice, polite, full of humor and very very friendly. If I ever fly QA again, it will be down to their cabin crew

9jaStar:


1. I booked direct through QA
2. My ticket was not promotional
3. I specifically requested the STPC service when I booked, a full two weeks before travel and received email confirmation/voucher
4. I appreciate your wanting to help and may consider your services in future. But I'm a frequent traveler with both Skymiles and Star Alliance cards, so I know my way around some. I just wanted to try out QA and they failed the test, unfortunately. Won't be flying them again anytime soon
5. What I did enjoy though, was the cabin service. The attendants were nice, polite, full of humor and very very friendly. If I ever fly QA again, it will be down to their cabin crew

Hi 9jaStar, your feedback and clarification are highly appreciated as they will guide other intending travelers. We are not directly affiliated with QA and used them in context. We're basically out to provide the best ticket booking experience (coupled with other great ticketing services) to our users no matter their preferred airline. Other airlines also offer STPC, but as in your experience, these airlines can regrettably withhold STPC at their own discretion even after initial confirmation. We hope you enjoy a better experience next time and hopefully try us out to enjoy our other services which you can check out at https://odarion.com/latestoffers.php