Greetings, I'm headed to J-Burg in a couple weeks and have a 7 hour layover both ways. The Qatar Airways website say their lounge is closed. I was wondering if anyone had some recent intel regarding lounges with paid access at the airport.

TIA

There are several paid lounges in Joberg but I bet QA has made arrangements for the use of some other airline’s lounge. There are a number of airlines that share the same lounge. I just realized you maybe talking about a layover in Doha. QA has their own lounge there but there is a separate business lounge called Al Majoram lounge or something like that. Bet they will let you use that.

When we were there last July and August, almost all were closed.

But the Shongololo Lounge was open. We got in with Priority Pass through AmEx Platinum.

Although not the best in the world, we were able to take hot showers, relax and get decent food and drink.

The ATMs were all shut down, too.

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
There are several paid lounges in Joberg but I bet QA has made arrangements for the use of some other airline’s lounge. There are a number of airlines that share the same lounge. I just realized you maybe talking about a layover in Doha. QA has their own lounge there but there is a separate business lounge called Al Majoram lounge or something like that. Bet they will let you use that.

Doha isn't a problem J-Burg is where I arrive at 3am and need to kill 7 hours.

The problem then is that most lounges aren’t open 24 hours/day. I’ve had this exact problem several times transmitting to Botswana. Good luck but you might end up sitting around the departure area. Take a book or kindle…..

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
The problem then is that most lounges aren’t open 24 hours/day. I’ve had this exact problem several times transmitting to Botswana. Good luck but you might end up sitting around the departure area. Take a book or kindle…..

Yep, we were in Joburg last Nov and the lounges didn’t open until 7:00, we arrived on Qatar at about 3:00 am as well. Sat in an almost empty airport for 4 hours waiting for the lounge to open.

Sounds very familiar….

On my first trip to Namibia in 2012 I had a long layover in JoBerg and went upstairs to the Slow Lounge to grab a beer and smoke a Cuban Montecristo I had purchased in Frankfort. No admission charge and nicer atmosphere. The next year there was a $50 US admission charge and I passed. My next three trips I flew BA through London and with a long layover in LHR I took the Tubes into Piccadilly Circus and played tourist for a few hours and smoked my Cubans while strolling about. I refuse to put up with the BS in Joberg.

I was just there last week, and the Shalolo lounge is a Qatar partner, but not at 3 am...