Doha Airport

[Edster]

I also booked through Lori @TRAVEL EXPRESS and that is also what she said. Then I received the email from Amanda at Limcroma about 4457, passport, letter of invitation. So I sent that also. Just trying to cover all bases. Should ask Lori about it, but have not yet. Figured it couldn't hurt. Leaving April 16.

April 9 for me.

 

[M McDindi]

Quick background. I had two trips to Bots booked last year (2020) on QR. Booked tickets myself, direct on QR's website. Per several calls and emails with QR Customer Service, I was provided with a specific QR Customer Service email address. I was instructed to email:
1 - copy of passport(s)
2 - copy of e-Ticket(s)
3 - copy of firearm licence (4457)
4 - copy of "Invitation/Motivation" ltr from PH/Outfitter.

Did that for both 2020 trips (June and Aug). Received "non-automated" replies back from QR Customer Service that all was "in the system" but the actual permit would not be issued until 72-hours before the actual transit. Both trips got CNX'd by Rona.

This year, I have 3 trips on the books. This one in two weeks was short notice. Booked my tickets again, direct off QR's website, sent the same documents to the same QR email address from last year. This time, received an auto-response back that email address was no longer monitored.

After a week+ of multiple phone calls and emails, including the QR Consulate in Wash DC. I got the PFCDOHA email address you got from your agent. Emailed all the docs to them and the other three addresses above. All three didn't bounce back and just a few minutes ago I got an acknowledgement from PFCDOHA that to send them a filled out and signed "Declaration of Surrender of Firearms" form (attached below) to them too. Done. So.....

It looks like the code may be cracked.....guess I'll find out in two weeks. Anybody know of a good bail bondsman or barrister in Doha....just in case.......do they even do bail or just feed you to the fishes? LOL.

The QR call center I was talking to LAST YEAR was based out of their office in NY. That was closed down mid last year. The NY call center people told me AT THAT TIME "technically" pre sending the docs to Doha was not required. When you checked in with the QR agent, they copied the same docs and forwarded them to Doha and the transit permit was done while you were in flight. They did say though that sometimes things got screwed up, national holiday, someone out sick or just not holding up their in Doha and the flier would have "issues" with the firearm transit.

New call center is definitely NOT based in the US.

 

[MAdcox]

If I was flying coach on this route I would definitely get a room at the airside hotel. It looks really nice and sleep and a shower would be well worth the cost.
If I was flying business I would have to decide between the lounge and the hotel.

I had understood that if you were flying coach you could pay for the business lounge pass. Is that not the case?
My buddy and I fly through there in September and our plan was to nap and shower in the lounge before our connection to Windhoek. We have about 8 hours to kill going and coming.

 

[Justhunt]

Thanks M McGinnis, I was advised to fill out Declaration of Surrender of Firearms, but sign it in front of ticket agent. So...
Sounds like we are close. Good luck in your travels. Just have get past the RCP test in rural Montana and we GONE

 

[M McDindi]

That's what I understood as well. I just signed and dated it, scanned and emailed it back. I did one for each direction. I didn't have to fill that out last year. Did one for each direction just in case and also have unsigned ones filled out that I can sign again at check-in.

To the OP's original question - I've never used QR's lounges but what I was told directly from QR's Customer Service, as long as you have a QR ticket, you can buy-in access to any of them. Just have to have a QR ticket. I'm flying just one level above baggage so I'll have to do the buy in.

 

[DGGardner]

@M McDindi I just completed the same forms and the same process (five separate calls to customer service) for a trip leaving Thursday, 4 hours in DOH and then on to JNB. I will let you know how it goes. I believe all the lounges except one in DOH are closed and all guest are using the same one, maybe the onyx or some similar name. Access passes were available when we purchased our tickets and it is also in the bucket of lounges accessible with Priority Pass.

 

[Paul G]

We are flying through Doha April 2nd. Have like 8 hours and looking at options for some horizontal sleep that isn’t at Hilton prices for a few hours. Saw that Doha has “sleep n fly” which was intriguing since don’t have to leave airport.

Anyone ever used sleep n fly? Other option I may be missing?
Dale

Yes there is a hotel in the airport, lounge is amazing and there are some pods to sleep. If you have a biz class ticket the hotel is free if your layover is like 8 hrs or longer.

 

[Edster]

Quick background. I had two trips to Bots booked last year (2020) on QR. Booked tickets myself, direct on QR's website. Per several calls and emails with QR Customer Service, I was provided with a specific QR Customer Service email address. I was instructed to email:
1 - copy of passport(s)
2 - copy of e-Ticket(s)
3 - copy of firearm licence (4457)
4 - copy of "Invitation/Motivation" ltr from PH/Outfitter.

Did that for both 2020 trips (June and Aug). Received "non-automated" replies back from QR Customer Service that all was "in the system" but the actual permit would not be issued until 72-hours before the actual transit. Both trips got CNX'd by Rona.

This year, I have 3 trips on the books. This one in two weeks was short notice. Booked my tickets again, direct off QR's website, sent the same documents to the same QR email address from last year. This time, received an auto-response back that email address was no longer monitored.

After a week+ of multiple phone calls and emails, including the QR Consulate in Wash DC. I got the PFCDOHA email address you got from your agent. Emailed all the docs to them and the other three addresses above. All three didn't bounce back and just a few minutes ago I got an acknowledgement from PFCDOHA that to send them a filled out and signed "Declaration of Surrender of Firearms" form (attached below) to them too. Done. So.....

It looks like the code may be cracked.....guess I'll find out in two weeks. Anybody know of a good bail bondsman or barrister in Doha....just in case.......do they even do bail or just feed you to the fishes? LOL.

The QR call center I was talking to LAST YEAR was based out of their office in NY. That was closed down mid last year. The NY call center people told me AT THAT TIME "technically" pre sending the docs to Doha was not required. When you checked in with the QR agent, they copied the same docs and forwarded them to Doha and the transit permit was done while you were in flight. They did say though that sometimes things got screwed up, national holiday, someone out sick or just not holding up their in Doha and the flier would have "issues" with the firearm transit.

New call center is definitely NOT based in the US.

is there anything on the second page of this form. I just looked at it. Two pages with form on pageone and empty page 2

 

[M McDindi]

No.

 

[Areaonereal]

Hopefully a full report on the travel thru Doha by some of you would be helpful for those of us traveling later. What hoops and issues during this Covid time, did you encounter on your travel. Thanks in advance to anyone with feedback...you guys traveling early are the pioneers leading the way

 

[Edster]

Hopefully a full report on the travel thru Doha by some of you would be helpful for those of us traveling later. What hoops and issues during this Covid time, did you encounter on your travel. Thanks in advance to anyone with feedback...you guys traveling early are the pioneers leading the way

I'm feeling more like a guinea pig!!

 

[M McDindi]

Only thing extra I can offer up is, per the Qatar Air website, you can not even apply for a entry visa to leave the terminal - as of this morning.

I've also had a lot of schedule changes and a flight change. Shortens my layover in Dallas down to 2:20 min and my Jberg layover from 8hrs to 2:20 hrs. Not worried at all about Dallas and as long as the flt lands on time in Jberg I know I can make the connection.....just not sure my stuff will.

 

[Areaonereal]

If you travel by Qatar Air to Joberg and interlining with Airlink to you final regional airport are your firearms and baggage checked thru to you final destination or are you securing your baggage and clearing your firearm thru SAPS in Joberg and rechecking everything with Airlink. I flew Qatar in November 2019 Joberg final destination and my baggage and firearm were delivered to the SAPS office. Wauited at the baggage carousel for over 20 minutes...no baggage and no one knew where it was, finally went to SAPS and surprise....rife and baggage...just a heads up to anyone this may still be the case. Nothing seems to be etched in stone...It’s Africa.

 

[Areaonereal]

Edster....feel like the point man in a rifle squad?

 

[M McDindi]

For this trip, my "stuff" is supposedly checked all the way to Gaborone. Final leg Jberg to Gabs is on Air Botswana. Have flown Air Bots four times and zero problems with them.

Guy who came in to Bots the day we flew out in Aug 2019 came in via SA Airlink - his "stuff" didn't arrive for 3-days. I've had SA Airlink or SA Express loose our stuff 4 out of 6 trips. It all showed up...eventually and why I'll never use either ever again. Guess that's just SA Airlink since SA Express is tits up.

 

[Edster]

Edster....feel like the point man in a rifle squad?

Oh yea this is gonna be a helluva trip........First trip to Africa, one of the first to travel Qatar Post/Mid COVID, and I'm leaning towards renting a car. Kinda geting excited to be able to terrorize drivers on a whole new continent !!!!

 

[M McDindi]

Edster - continent is full of Chinese so, your driving should fit right in!!!



Just joshing ya a little!!

 

[Edster]

Edster - continent is full of Chinese so, your driving should fit right in!!!



Just joshing ya a little!!

Well damn that's no fun then it will be just like driving in Boston.

 

[Edster]

I also booked through Lori @TRAVEL EXPRESS and that is also what she said. Then I received the email from Amanda at Limcroma about 4457, passport, letter of invitation. So I sent that also. Just trying to cover all bases. Should ask Lori about it, but have not yet. Figured it couldn't hurt. Leaving April 16.

Just sent all my info to Qatar. Ticking things off the list at this point. Received rifle permits yesterday!!!

 

[Edster]

So far so good. Sitting in Doha right now. Check in as BOS was painless. Make sure you bring all the documentation with you. Surrender form, copy of pass port, letter of invite, 4457. Made the guy at the counter real happy. The info that we were traveling with guns was already in our file because Lori took care of things on her end. We did get hung up at the gate in BOS, they wanted to make sure the guns cleared and were ok to load on the plane before they would let us board.

Ok let’s talk luggage. The stories are true, these folks say 11kg they mean it. So the 23 for gun case and checked aren’t too bad to hit. No your carry on. You are allowed 1 piece of what they call hand luggage (carry on) and a personal item. This can be a small back pack, hand bag, jacket whatever. If you are bringing a laptop it has to go in carry on. For your carry on and personal item it is 7kg and 4kg, buuuuuut they did it as combined. So as long as the 2 are not over 11kg you are good to go. When we were at the gate they caught someone that did not present a carry on at check in. Nailed em for another $65.00. At check in they will also put a baggage tag on your items. If it’s not there you are not boarding with it unless you lay down some cash!!!