How to follow lounge etiquette and house rules

Two layers of rules

The first layer is the lounge operator's own conditions of use. Priority Pass tells members that the statements on its lounge page are subject to lounge availability and conditions of use, and that entry works by presenting a digital membership card or a physical membership card [1]. The same page says the benefit works with any airline and in any class, and that guests are welcome, so a member can invite family, friends or colleagues into the lounge [1]. How many guests and at what charge is not published on that page.

The second layer is the programme whose card you carry. Qatar Airways' lounge page lists entitlement by cabin and by tier instead of publishing one code for all of its lounges [3]. Under the Privilege Club terms, membership cards are not transferable and only the member named on the card may use it or quote the membership number [7]. Qatar Airways and its partners may ask to see the card, may ask you to quote the membership number when booking, checking in, travelling or otherwise using a benefit, and may ask for valid photo identification first [7]. A member may hold only one account [7].

Eligibility and identification

Qatar Airways states that premium class customers, Privilege Club Platinum, Gold and Silver members travelling on Qatar Airways, and oneworld Emerald and Sapphire members travelling on any oneworld flight can use its premium lounge facilities at airports around the world [3]. At Hamad International Airport the page separates Al Safwa First Lounge, described as designed for First Class passengers, from Al Mourjan Business Lounge, including The Garden in the airport's northern expansion, described as being for premium passengers [3]. Silver, Gold and Platinum tier members can use the Privilege Club member lounges, which the page divides into Platinum and Gold lounges and a Silver Lounge [3]. It also lists first and business class arrival lounges, Al Maha lounges and the Mariner Lounge, which it describes as dedicated to seafarers [3]. Lounge access at Hamad International can be purchased [3], and outside Doha the page names premium lounges in Bangkok, Beirut, Singapore and London Heathrow [3].

The practical consequence for a first visit is that the card and the booking have to match. If a card or membership number is lost, stolen, misused or accidentally revealed, the member must tell Qatar Airways as soon as they become aware of it, and until then may be liable for unauthorised use [7].

Conduct and consequences

The Qatar Airways Privilege Club terms give examples of misconduct that can lead to suspension or termination with immediate effect: failing to comply with the terms or with the Conditions of Carriage, misusing any currency, award or benefit, and using threatening, abusive or insulting language, or behaving in a threatening, abusive or insulting manner, when dealing with staff or representatives of Qatar Airways or its Partners [7]. On suspension or termination, Qatar Airways says it will withdraw accrued and accruing Avios, Qcredits, Qpoints and membership tier benefits [7]. Those terms are shown as updated October 2026 and govern one programme; they are not a house code for every lounge at every airport [7].

Priority Pass lists complimentary drinks, refreshments and pre-flight bites, charging points and free Wi-Fi in most lounges, and conference rooms in some lounges, and says selected lounges also offer spa treatments, gaming experiences, sleeping areas and a pool [1]. Qatar Airways describes its Hamad International lounges as offering surroundings it compares to a five-star hotel [3].

When the lounge is full

Availability, not only eligibility, decides the visit. Priority Pass makes its statements subject to lounge availability and conditions of use, and advises arriving promptly to enjoy the lounge whether you are flying domestically or internationally [1]. What a visitor controls is the paperwork: having the card ready, and accepting that a photo identification check may come first [7].

Exceptions and limits

• No published dress code or time limit. The Priority Pass page and the Qatar Airways lounge page checked set neither a dress code nor a maximum stay; Priority Pass instead ties the benefit to availability and to the conditions of use each lounge applies [1] [3].
• Rules can change. Qatar Airways may change the Privilege Club terms at any time, and prior notice may not always be possible; a significant change carries at least thirty days' notice by email or on the programme site, while a change that is not significant or that benefits the member may take effect without prior notice [7].
• Photography, smoking and alcohol.
• Guests. Priority Pass says guests are welcome, but the page checked does not publish how many a member may bring or what a guest costs [1]; Qatar Airways' lounge page covers cabin and member eligibility and does not publish a guest rule [3].
• One programme, not a global standard. The card and conduct rules described above come from the Privilege Club terms and apply to that programme only [7].

Related pages

Plan the first visit with first lounge visit step by step and the lounge access checklist. On bringing other people: lounge guest policy and children in airport lounges. On lounge types: third-party lounge. More definitions sit in the glossary.

Sources

Sources accessed on 18 October 2026.

1. Priority Pass: airport lounges and experiences worldwide, checked 18 October 2026
2. Qatar Airways: discover our world-class lounges, checked 18 October 2026
3. Qatar Airways Privilege Club terms and conditions, checked 18 October 2026