Airport Lounge Access
Important Notification – New Mastercard Airport Lounge Access Program
Effective from April 1st, 2025, Mastercard will require cardholders of Mastercard Platinum, World, and World Elite to spend a minimum of USD 1 (or local equivalent) in cross-border transactions with their card to unlock complimentary airport lounge access /airport dining offers with a yearly cap based on your card tier.
Each qualifying transaction will unlock 3 calendar months of complimentary airport lounge access / airport dining offers from the date of the last transaction.
Doha Bank Mastercard Platinum and World cardholders will receive 1 complimentary airport lounge access / airport dining offers before meeting the spend requirement, while World Elite cardholders will receive 2 complimentary airport lounge access / airport dining offers. “Upon making an international transaction, eligible cardholders will receive additional complimentary lounge access, subject to a cap as outlined in the FAQs slide Each cardholder should show their individual QR code to avoid guest charges.
If after using your complimentary access, you still do not make an international transaction, you will not be able to access the airport lounge unless you make a payment of USD 32 on your Doha Bank Mastercard card.
Introducing a cross-border spend requirement
- Use your Mastercard for an international transaction of minimum USD 1*, between January 1st and March 31st, 2025, to unlock 3 months of complimentary airport lounge and dining access.
- If no international transaction is made during this period, your complementary airport access will be limited** as of April 1st, 2025. Once you make an international transaction, your access will be reinstated within 72 hours.
- Starting April 1st, 2025 re-register on the Mastercard Travel Pass app by entering your Mastercard card number to validate your Airport lounge and dining access.
- Every International transaction you make extend your complimentary airport lounge and dining access for another 3 calendar months from the date of the last payment.
*Or local currency equivalent
**1 complementary access for Platinum and World Elite Mastercard
Note: Cardholders of the Mastercard Platinum and World cards will receive one (1) complimentary lounge access before they meet the spend requirement. Cardholders of Mastercard World Elite cards will receive two (2) complementary lounge accesses before they meet the spend requirement. This change is made to ensure cardholders can access the benefits when they receive the card, with subsequent lounge accesses, up to the yearly cap as per their card tier, being unlocked once the spend requirement is met.
Introducing a ceiling in the number of complimentary lounge accesses
Lounge accesses and/or dining offers for Doha Bank Platinum, World Mastercard and other Premium Cards will be capped as follows:
| Card | Lounge Entitlement / Dining Offer | Guest Price Outside the Entitlement |
|---|---|---|
| Mastercard World Elite Credit / Debit Card | No caps | Free for the 1st guest accompanying the cardholder, and $32 for additional guests |
| Mastercard World Credit / Debit Card | 12 airport lounge visits or dining offer per calendar year* | $32 per guest accompanying the cardholder |
| Mastercard Platinum | 6 airport lounge visits or dining offer per calendar year* | $32 per guest accompanying the cardholder |
Cardholders can choose either airport lounge access or airport dining offers, but both benefits contribute to the total number of the above caps.
Note: Primary and Supplementary cardholders need to download Mastercard Airport Pass MEA app and register their individual Mastercard cards, in order to avoid additional guest charges.
*A calendar year is defined as the period starting from January 1st to December 31st in any given year. However, for 2025, the calendar year will be from April 1st to December 31st.
Features and Benefits
- Access to Al Maha Lounge at Hamad International Airport, Doha on your Doha Bank Lulu Mastercard Platinum, Mastercard World and / or World Elite Debit Cards.
- Touchless entry at the lounge by simply using the in-app QR code.
- No need to present your physical Doha Bank Mastercard credit or debit card when entering the lounge.
- Auto generated digital membership ID available in the app.
- No Mobile data required to access a lounge, simply show your ‘Digital Membership ID’.
- Supplementary cardholders can download the app and register their individual Mastercard cards.
- Add multiple Doha Bank Mastercard cards in the app.
- Information on all the applicable lounges along with lounge opening hours, amenities, location and photos.
- Geo location capability which displays the lounges nearby to you.
- Complete history of previous lounge visits.
- Ability to purchase accompanying guest passes within the app.
- e-receipts for applicable charges and a lot more.
How to Register?
Registration is simple with just 4 easy steps: –
- Download the ‘Mastercard Airport Pass MEA’ mobile app from the Apple Store or Google Play Store.
- Enter your Doha Bank Lulu Mastercard Platinum, Mastercard World and / or World Elite Debit Cards plus a few personal details.
- Create a Password.
- The account is set up and ready to go.
Look for the below App logo in the app stores:
Mastercard Airport Pass MEA
Alternatively, you can also use the web solution https://mastercardmea.dragonpass.com to register your eligible Doha Bank Mastercard credit or debit card and print your membership document containing the QR code and DragonPass membership ID and show the physical paper at eligible lounges to get access.
However, we recommend to download and register on the Mastercard Airport Pass MEA mobile app as it offers a real time seamless experience from viewing eligible lounges, generating QR code, viewing history and accessing lounges without the hassle to print papers or even presenting your physical card.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
You will be required to make at least one USD 1 international transaction (local currency equivalent) at point of sale or online (e-commerce) to be eligible for your lounge benefit.
The new requirement comes into effect on April 1st, 2025. However, you must make an international transaction between January 1st, 2025, and March 31st, 2025, to ensure that you keep your lounge access after April 1st.
All Mastercard Platinum, World and World Elite Mastercard cards issued in your market are subject to this requirement.
If your lounge has been paused, you may regain access by making an international transaction of a minimum of USD 1 (local currency equivalent) on your card at point of sale or online (e-commerce). Your access will be re-instated after up to 72 hours.
Your complimentary access before you make an international transaction will be given to you at the beginning of each calendar year and will expire at the end of the same calendar year, until you make an international transaction.
An international transaction refers to any purchase or payment made physically at a point of sale outside of the country where your card is issued from or a payment or purchase made online from an international website or merchant.
No, only international point of sale or international online (e-commerce) transactions count towards your eligibility.
If you made a transaction between January 1st, 2025, and March 31st, 2025, you will meet the new requirement. Any transaction made before the 1st of January 2025 is not counted. In all cases, you will need to re-enroll on the 1st of April 2025 on the Mastercard Travel Pass app. Re-enrollment will only be available on 1st of April 2025.
Yes, your supplementary card will also need to spend a minimum of USD 1 on the card in international transaction at point of sale or online/e-commerce to unlock airport lounge access.
No, all lounge accesses should be used within the calendar year. Lounge access may not be carried to the following year if unused by December31st.
You can bring guests who are traveling on the same flight only if you have complimentary guest visits in your entitlement. Otherwise, a fee of USD 32 per guest will be charged to your Mastercard card.
You may log into your Mastercard Travel Pass app and see the number of accesses you have available. If your accesses have been paused because you have not spent the minimum requirement, you will see this on the app and be reminded to spend to reinstate your access.
You will be required to make at least one USD 1 international transaction (local currency equivalent) at point of sale or ecommerce to start enjoying your lounge benefit.
Introducing the Visa Airport Companion App
Dear Valued Customers,
As part of our ongoing commitment to digital evolution and enhancing your travel experience, Doha Bank is excited to announce a new partnership between Visa and DragonPass. Together, they have developed the Visa Airport Companion app, providing eligible Visa cardholders with access to airport lounges worldwide.
What is the Change?
Starting October 1, 2024, the Visa Airport Companion (VAC) program, provided by DragonPass, will replace the current airport lounge access programs for Visa cardholders in the Central Europe, Middle East, and Africa (CEMEA) region. This change means that eligible cardholders will need to download the VAC app to continue enjoying complimentary airport lounge access.
When is the Change Happening?
The transition to the Visa Airport Companion (VAC) program will take effect at 00:00 AM Gulf Standard Time (GMT +4) on October 1, 2024. Until then, cardholders can continue to use their existing lounge access programs.
What Needs to be Done to Obtain Access and Enjoy the Offering?
To continue enjoying airport lounge access, eligible cardholders must:
Download the Visa Airport Companion (VAC) app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
Please scan the code below and get started , Kindly follow the below easy to understand steps to complete the onboarding / signup process.
(Incase you have a previous version of the App, please uninstall and reinstall the latest version).
Lounge Access Details
| Card Type | Lounge Access | Eligibility Criteria | Additional Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa Infinite | Unlimited visits for cardholder and 2 guests | 1 international transaction of minimum USD 1 per calendar year | Complimentary visits before meeting eligibility; spend may take up to 15 days to register |
| Visa Signature | 12 visits per year for cardholder only | 1 international transaction of minimum USD 1 per calendar year | Complimentary visit before meeting eligibility; spend may take up to 10 days to register |
- Number of Visits: The number of complimentary visits varies by card type. Please refer to your card’s terms and conditions for specific details.
- Guest Access: Cardholders can bring guests to the lounge. If complimentary guest visits are not available, a charge of $32 USD per guest per visit will apply.
- Charges: If a cardholder has used all their complimentary visits, a charge of $32 USD per visit will be applied to their registered Visa card.
Walkthrough
Step 1: Download app
The VAC app will be available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store for all CEMEA countries.
Step 2: Registration
- The cardholder will be presented with the options to Sign Up or Log In.
- The app will provide an overview of the registration process. Cardholders can choose to skip this information, if preferred. The cardholder enters their Visa card details, including the card number, expiry date, CVV number, and country of issuance. 3D Secure and $0 Auth are performed and card status is checked.** In case of failures, cardholders will be notified with the appropriate error message to contact their respective Issuer.
- If the card is not eligible, the cardholder will be notified with the appropriate error message.
- As part of profile setup, the cardholder enters their details, including name (which must match passport) and contact information. Note: If the name entered in the VAC app does not match the name on the passport, the cardholder will not be granted access to the lounge.
- A six-digit code is sent to the cardholder’s email address or phone number for verification. Upon successful verification, the cardholder creates a password.
- The cardholder can then set up biometric access and offline access, if desired.
Note: First-time setup of offline access requires internet connection. Once enabled, offline access allows cardholders to see their membership data without mobile data or Wi-Fi access. If offline mode is not enabled and no internet connection is available, the cardholder will not be able to access the lounge.
Step 3: Login
- The cardholder can log in with their email address and password or via biometrics (if enabled).
- If there are issues with login, the cardholder can select the help icon or reset their password. The cardholder will be locked out of their account for 30 minutes after the fifth unsuccessful login attempt.
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is required when the cardholder logs in for he first time on a new device, is resetting their password, or is adding a new membership. The cardholder can opt for MFA at every login, if desired.
Step 4: Home
- Once logged in, a personalized welcome page is displayed where the cardholder can see their available entitlements, any terms or rules, and links to view airport lounges.
- Cardholders can see notifications in the app, indicated by a red dot on the home screen.
Step 5: Offline Access
- If the cardholder has enabled offline access, the app will display a notification on the home screen. The cardholder can still access their membership QR code even if they do not have mobile data / Wi-Fi access.
Step 6: Lounge Access
- To browse and access lounges, the cardholder clicks Explore Lounges. After selecting the airport and desired lounge, the digital membership card (QR code) will be displayed for the cardholder to scan at the lounge.
- The cardholder can also access their membership card in the Membership section of the app.
Step 7: Membership
- The cardholder can view membership details, such as available entitlements digital membership card, FAQs, and more by selecting Membership at the bottom of the screen.
- The cardholder can change or add additional eligible Visa cards to their DragonPass membership. They can switch seamlessly between memberships without needing to log in again.
- If the cardholder’s Visa card has expired, their entitlements will be locked until they update their card details.
Step 8: In-app Alerts & Notifications
There are four types of alerts, indicated by color:
- Red – critical and needs immediate attention
- Yellow – important but non-urgent
- Green – communicates good news, success, or confirmation
- Gold – non-urgent information
Step 9: Fair Use
- Fair use policy restricts the use of more than one entitlement in a given period. GCC and NALP cardholders are restricted from using more than one entitlement within a three-hour period.
Step 10: Account & Security
- From the Account page, the cardholder can update language preferences, see past visits, access terms and conditions and FAQs, contact support, update their phone number, and more.
Note: If the cardholder wishes to change any other personal information details, they must contact Customer Support.
Who is Eligible?
Eligible cardholders include those holding specific Visa card products issued by Doha Bank in the CEMEA region.
What Cards are Eligible?
The following Visa card products are eligible for the Visa Airport Companion (VAC) program:
- Platinum
- Signature
- Infinite
- Infinite Privilege
Terms and Conditions
- Digital Access Only: The VAC program is fully digital. Cardholders must use the app to access lounges; physical cards will not be accepted.
- Fair Use Policy: Cardholders are restricted from using more than one entitlement within a three-hour period.
- Registration: Cardholders must register in the VAC app before arriving at the lounge to avoid delays.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
A: Download the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, select Sign Up, and follow the instructions to enter your Visa card details and personal information.
A: No, existing lounge memberships will no longer be valid after October 1, 2024. You must register in the VAC app to access lounges.
A: Yes, you can bring guests. If you do not have complimentary guest visits, a charge of $32 USD per guest per visit will apply.
A: The VAC program is fully digital, and access to lounges requires the use of the app. Cardholders without a smartphone will not be able to use the service.
A: Use the Explore section of the VAC app to browse available lounges by selecting the desired airport or country.
A: Contact Customer Support via the Contact link in the Help section of the app for assistance.
A: No, you must register on the Visa Airport Companion App to access lounges.
A: Yes, you will need to enter your Visa card details to register on the app.
A: No, registration must be completed via the app before accessing the lounge.
A: Yes, guests are welcome. Additional fees may apply if you do not have complimentary guest visits.
A: The Visa Airport Companion App is fully digital. Without a smartphone, you cannot use this service.
A: Yes, you can add multiple eligible Visa cards to your account.
A: Each secondary cardholder must register their own account using their personal details.
A: Yes, you can enable offline access through your device’s biometrics.
A: Lounge access is subject to availability. Check the app for alternative lounges if needed.
Oryx Lounge
| Card Type | Lounge Access | Eligibility Criteria | Guest Price Outside the Entitlement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa Infinite / Mastercard World Elite Credit Card | Cardholder + 1 guest at Hamad International Airport | Presentation of Visa Infinite Credit Cards / Mastercard World Elite Credit Cards | Free for the 1st guest accompanying the cardholder, and $32 for additional guests |
Note:
Doha Bank’s retail, commercial and corporate products are granted at our sole discretion and are subject to the Bank’s terms, conditions and acceptance.