Outside of its home hub in Doha, Qatar Airways mainly uses the lounges of its oneworld Alliance partners, and other contracted spaces. But at five key airports, the airline goes all out with its own-brand Premium Lounge. Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport is one such location, playing host to a Qatar Airways Premium Lounge.
Normally, Qatar Airways reserves its nicest lounges exclusively for those flying Business and First Class. But in Paris, Qatar’s Premium Lounge has a wider access list. The right elite frequent flyer card with Qatar Airways Privilege Club, Velocity Frequent Flyer or Qantas Frequent Flyer could get you in the door. Ditto, if you have eligible status with any other oneworld carrier.
Here’s a peek at what awaits when leaving the French capital as a premium passenger of Qatar Airways.
American Express Velocity Platinum
Location and layout
While most oneworld carriers use Terminal 2 in Paris, Qatar Airways stands alone in Terminal 1. That’s exactly where you’ll find Qatar’s Paris Premium Lounge. The lounge resides after outbound passport control, but before security. Check your boarding pass for the ‘No1’ marking, and if eligible, use these fast-track lines to speed through those formalities.
The design of the lounge lives up to its name, with many of the same hallmarks of Qatar’s other Premium Lounges around the world. Guests emerge into the “palm court”, where cream-coloured chairs circle a subtle water feature. This flows through to a number of cosy spaces, each with a tilt towards privacy.
A pair of high-backed cane chairs occupy one nook. Other seating pairs are wrapped by geometrically patterned dividers. Slowly, the spaces get larger and more open – then the main hospitality area emerges.
Down the ‘bustling’ end of the space, padded booths are complemented by personal armchairs in some sections, and dining tables in others. There’s also a separate room that’s suitable for families and groups. It’s a refreshing shift from the simpler approach of filling the space with largely identical seating, as many airlines do.
Food and beverage in the Qatar Airways Premium Lounge, Paris
Pro tip: As tempting as it may be to have one last bite in Paris itself, bring your appetite to the Qatar Airways Premium Lounge. Here, you’ll find a well-stocked buffet to get things started, beginning with Middle Eastern favourites – dips, pita and breads. But this is also France, home to Champagne. Today’s list offers Laurent-Perrier Brut and Moët & Chandon Rosé Impérial. The LP wins this race.
I’ve arrived a few hours ahead of my flight to make the most of the lounge experience, so I also make time for an Espresso Martini – with a Grey Goose base. Bliss! Once my appetite catches up to my surroundings, I venture through to the dining room to explore the à la carte selections.
On first impressions, the menu is significantly shorter than what I’ve previously experienced in Qatar Airways’ Premium Lounge in Singapore. There’s soup, one of each major protein, a sushi set, and simple desserts of ice cream and gelato. There’s still enough to graze upon, sand the sushi set is a great place to start.
When you’re dining in France, in the lounge of a Middle Eastern carrier, ordering an Asian dish is a bit of a gamble. But it pleasingly pays off. For the main, I nudge closer towards today’s actual destination with the lamb kefta, and it’s another choice pick. But for the flight itself, I’ve preordered Chilean sea bass with lobster, so I skip dessert to keep room for later.
Having said that, I still sample a small bite of each hot buffet item. Today, they’re all up to scratch. Other pre-plated bites and a selection of cheeses are also available from the counters collocated at the bar. There’s also time for a (very drinkable) glass of Bordeaux: Domaines Bouyer Clos de la Cure, AOP Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2022, to be precise.
In many respects, the overall offering in Qatar’s Paris Premium Lounge is closer to that of a typical First Class lounge. But delivered in a space that’s open to Business Class passengers and eligible frequent flyers, too. It’s a nice treat for a last taste before jetting off.
Amenities
Qatar’s Premium Lounge has a few other tricks up its sleeve in Paris. That starts with not one, but two separate outdoor terraces. But, given the state of these areas, Qatar would be better off not having them at all. A stroll outside reveals a web of mesh and barbed wire. There are cheap plastic chairs and plain white tables. The terminal building itself has seen better days. I have to say it… these areas look and feel like a prison. It’s the antithesis of the ‘Premium Lounge’ aesthetic inside.
Pleasingly, the shower facilities are more upmarket. There’s also a quiet business zone with printing facilities for any serious work. Wandering down a quiet corridor also uncovers two prayer rooms.
As for Wi-Fi, speeds sit at around 22Mbps down and 28Mbps up on this visit. But the one amenity the lounge could really use? A working air conditioner. A visit in the middle of the day in European summer, with no air conditioning, isn’t particularly pleasant.
Sure, there are fans scattered around the space – and they help a little bit. But the heat makes the palm court unusable for more than a handful of minutes. I also choose my seat in the dining area based on its proximity to a fan. From what I hear, this has been an issue for a while. Hopefully this overdue fix is actioned soon.
Accessing the Qatar Airways Premium Lounge in Paris
As of 21 July 2025, Qatar Airways’ Premium Lounge is temporarily closed in Paris. It’s unclear whether this is to fix the air conditioning once and for all, or for other engineering works. But when the lounge opens its doors once again, you’ll find an overview below of who can stroll on in.
Eligibility applies when departing on flights operated by Qatar Airways. Terminal 1, where this lounge is located, is not accessible to passengers flying from other terminals.
- Business Class and First Class passengers of Qatar Airways. Excludes Business Lite fares.
- Qatar Airways Privilege Club Silver, Gold (+1 guest) and Platinum (+2 guests).
- Virgin Australia Velocity Frequent Flyer Gold, Platinum and Beyond (all +1 guest).
- Qantas Frequent Flyer Gold, Platinum, Platinum One and Chairman’s Lounge (all +1 guest).
- Other oneworld Sapphire and Emerald frequent flyers (all +1 guest).
If booked on a Virgin Australia (VA) codeshare flight, access via frequent flyer status is only available to members of Privilege Club and Velocity (not other oneworld status). Scanning into the lounge is straightforward, as the Qatar Airways boarding pass notes eligibility for lounge access.
Also note that Qatar Airways’ Paris Premium Lounge follows a different set of rules than most of the airline’s other outstation lounges. In most other cities, Qatar Airways restricts its Premium Lounge to passengers flying Business Class or First Class. This condition applies in Singapore, where frequent flyers in Economy cannot enter. But in Paris, the airline’s lounge access policies are – rather pleasingly – more generous. We wouldn’t blame you for being sceptical: you can check the footnote on this page to confirm.
The verdict
As we’ve mentioned above, the Qatar Airways Premium Lounge in Paris feels more like a First Class lounge. That’s apt, given that the space is indeed used for the airline’s First Class flyers, Platinum members and oneworld Emerald cardholders. All travellers here have the same experience, so we’re off to a good start.
But this lounge isn’t just for the crème de la crème of high flyers. It also welcomes Business Class travellers, Gold-grade members of partner airlines, and cardholders with mere Silver status (and above) from Privilege Club. In this respect, it’s likely one of the best lounges these travellers will encounter on their journeys. At least, short of flying First Class from other airports.
In any case, the Qatar Airways Premium Lounge largely lives up to its name. Without a doubt, the outdoor space needs some work to match the high-end interiors. And, let’s not forget the all-important air conditioning. Fix those two pain points, and a score north of four stars would be likely. But for now, that’s where we land.
Featured image courtesy of Qatar Airways. Other photography by Chris Chamberlin, who travelled to Paris as a guest of Virgin Australia and Qatar Airways.
Also reviewed: Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge, Doha
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