1.     For Individual Travel (FIT) Passengers - The concept of STPC eligibility controlled via Reservation Booking Designator (RBD) will be applicable; whereby;

• Complimentary STPC will be offered in ‘N’ class & above if the directional ticket value is above USD400 (including YQ). Passengers having directional tickets value less than USD400 will have the option to pay the relevant STPC charges (as per cabin of travel) and avail STPC accordingly.
• STPC will not be offered on Complimentary basis for Promo RBDs in the Economy Cabin (i.e. O,Q,T & W). Passengers can avail STPC via payment of STPC charges.

2.     Group Travel - Passengers booked as a group in a single PNR under RBD “G” are exempted from the RBD based STPC eligibility. The policy of complimentary STPC via suffix ‘9’ Deal Code /Track Code or STPC via payment of STPC charges (in the absence of suffix 9 Deal Code /Track Code) will apply for groups. All other aspects such as connection time (8 to 24 hours) and lack of immediate connection on the date of departure from origin will remain pre-requisites of STPC for Groups. Please refer to Annexure 1 below for more details.

Other Pre-requisites for availing STPC:
STPC can be availed by passengers if the following criteria is collectively met.

• The scheduled connection time at Doha should be minimum 8 hours but not exceeding 24 hours;
• There should be no immediate connection available between Qatar Airways to Qatar Airways flights on the date of departure from origin. Other Airlines (OAL)connectivity at gateways other than Doha is not to be considered while deriving the immediate connection at Doha. 

 Note:

• In case the RBD criteria is not met but the connection time is between 8 to 24 hours, then no complimentary STPC will be offered. However, the passenger will have the option to pay STPC charges and avail the hotel stay. An STPC E-ticket will have to be issued for the collection of STPC charges in accordance with the table below:
• Complimentary STPC will be offered for N class and above if directional ticket value is above USD400 (including YQ).
• Passengers having direcitonal tickets value less than USD400 will have the option to pay the relevant STPC charges (as per cabin of travel) and avail STPC accordingly.

STPC Charges (per person for each STPC use)

Note:  Collection of STPC charges has to be against an STPC e-ticket;

• STPC E-tickets should always be issued in U.S. Dollars (USD). However the collection of STPC charges can either be done in USD or in any local currency equivalent to the cabin specific STPC charges in USD (i.e. USD125 or USD150).
• The STPC charge also applies to children between ages 2 to 12 years.
• Infants are exempted from STPC charges and no STPC e-ticket is required.
• The STPC E-ticket has to be issued by Qatar Airways Ticketing offices only. The Passenger or Travel Agents can pay the STPC charges either by cash or Credit Card.
• Travel Agents are not allowed to issue STPC E-tickets. However, Travel Agents have the option of paying in the form of EMD* (depending on the implementation of EMD in their respective markets) or V-MPD (‘Virtual Multi-Purpose Document’ that can be issued on Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP) website) and Qatar Airways Ticketing Office will have to exchange the EMD / V-MPD to issue the STPC e-ticket.
  EMD should be issued using the service code for Deposits and Down Payments (i.e. PYMT). It is mandatory to insert the passenger’s ticket number on the ‘In-connection with’ field of the EMD;
• STPC E-ticket can be issued or revalidated at any Qatar Airways office network wide even if that is not the same point of sale (POS) as the air ticket.
• Under normal circumstances, STPC charges must always be collected from passengers prior to their arrival in Doha. In case a passenger arrives at Doha without making the STPC payment but is willing to avail the STPC facility, Qatar Airways may consider such STPC requests only in exceptional cases and the following two options will be provided to passenger to ensure the collection of STPC charges:
  • A) Payment outside Doha:  Passenger can contact his friend/guardian/relative to make the payment on behalf of the passenger at any of network offices outside Doha;
  • B) Payment in Doha:  The passenger can make a payment directly at the QR Sales Office located in the transit premises of Doha Airport. Passenger can also contact his friend/guardian/relative, if available in Doha to make the STPC payment on behalf of the passenger at any ticketing office in Doha.
• The standard STPC charges may be periodically revised considering the Hotel room rates in Doha. Qatar Airways Head Office will notify all concerned in case of such revisions in STPC charges.

Guidelines for STPC Cancellations

Since STPC bookings can take place as early as 361 days prior to the date of STPC use, it has been observed that passengers tend to change their travel plans voluntarily by contacting the Travel Agent/Qatar Airways Network Office. In addition, schedule changes also result in flight details being involuntarily changed. However, in both these cases, if no corresponding amendment or cancellation is made to the existing STPC booking then it results in the hotel room remaining to be booked in the passenger’s name till the end and the airline has to pay for the hotel room even if the passenger was a no-show. This brings in a revenue loss to the airline.

Therefore in order to avoid such instances, you must ensure that while making any amendments in the existing itinerary of the passenger (that had more than 8 hours transit in Qatar), the local office of Qatar Airways must be contacted to ascertain if any STPC Booking was being held by the passenger and accordingly changes/cancellations have to be triggered. In such cases, if the previously held STPC booking is not amended/cancelled then STPC charges (if any) shall not be refunded.

Guidelines for Shorter vs. Longer Connections

As our airline adds additional frequencies to our existing destinations, it improves our network connectivity and thereby the requirement of STPC is expected to reduce. However the availability of seats in the desired cabin plays an important role in securing immediate or shorter connections.

As the connectivity is derived in the Global Distribution System (GDS) for a given date of Departure from Origin, here is a table that needs to be followed for deriving the STPC entitlement in case of multiple connections.

STPC Eligibility in Case of Multiple Connections:

In accordance with the norms of Doha immigration authorities, please be reminded that STPC will not be allowed on the longer connection if there is an immediate connection available.

STPC Entitlement due to Schedule Change on Qatar Airways Operating Flights

Complimentary STPC will be permitted if the following conditions are met:

• If the connection time at Doha (between Qatar Airways To Qatar Airways flights) is within 08-24 hours;
• There is no immediate connection available of less than 8 hours between Qatar Airways To Qatar Airways flights at Doha;
• If Qatar Airways is operating an immediate connection of less than 8 hours but seats are not available in the desired cabin, only then Complimentary STPC will be permitted on the next available connection;
• All affected passengers have to be ticketed prior to the Schedule change.

Note:

• Complimentary or Paid STPC will not be permitted for ‘Rebate’ (AD) tickets affected by the Schedule Change. For such cases, Voluntary Stopover packages can be arranged as a value added service through the ‘Discover Qatar’ unit of Qatar Airways Holidays.
• In case of a schedule change, if the connection time in Doha becomes less than 8 hours or exceeds 24 hours then the passenger does not qualify for STPC as per the regulation from Doha Immigration. In such cases, STPC will not be allowed even if the passenger:
  • o    Is holding an STPC e-ticket; or
  • o    Has an RBD “N” and above in the air ticket.
• STPC e-tickets (if any) will be refunded for schedule changes on case specific basis. Qatar Airways local office needs to be contacted to seek approval from Qatar Airways Head Office.

Non-Eligible STPC Scenarios

The following table provides scenarios where STPC is not eligible.

Passengers with a connection time of more than 24 hours at Doha do not come under the scope/jurisdiction of STPC policy. You must ensure that such passengers hold a pre-arranged visa for Qatar or must be eligible to get visa on arrival at Doha (currently 35 nationalities are eligible for this facility).

STPC Eligibility Criteria for Qatar Airways Flights, Code-share Flights and Interline Flights:
 
The STPC eligibility criteria for Qatar Airways Flights, Code-share Flights and Interline Flights is given below:

Qatar Airways Flights - If both flights i.e. arrival in Doha and departure from Doha are marketed as well as operated by Qatar Airways then complimentary STPC or STPC via collection of charges can be permitted depending on factors such as lack of immediate connection at Doha and eligibility via RBD;

Code-share Flights - Complimentary STPC or STPC via collection of charges is permitted if one of the flights connecting at Doha is marketed and operated by Qatar Airways and the other flight is marketed by Qatar Airways but operated by another airline (PP - partner carrier).

 Interline Flights at Doha - Complimentary STPC or STPC via payment of charges is not permitted. An example is given below:

STPC package includes the following:

• Transit visa (issued by Doha Immigration upon passenger’s arrival);
• Hotel accommodation;
• Airport transfers;
• Meal Allowance (which will be printed on the STPC Voucher). The cirteria of providing the Meal Allowance is described below: 
• All Passngers (Premium and Economy Class) having a transit stay between 0800-1100 hours from the Scheduled Time of Arrival in Doha (STA) to the Scheduled Time of Departure (STD) will not be provided any meal allowance.
• Economy Class passengers having a transit stay between 11.01-1900 hours' (STA to STD) will be provided QAR100 as their Meal Allowance.
• Premium Class passengers having a transit stay between 11.01-1900 hours' (STA to STD) will be provided QAR175 as their Meal Allowance.
• Economy Class passengers having a transit stay between 19.01-2400 hours (STA to STD) will be provided QAR150 as their Meal Allowance.
• Premium Class passengers having a transit stay between 19.01-2400 hours (STA to STD) will be provided QAR250 as their Meal Allowance.
• The passenger must present the STPC Voucher at the hotel to claim any meal(s) to the effect of the given value.
• Any meal ordered/consumed in excess of the given value will require to be paid directly by the passenger.
• The ‘Meal Allowance’ is non-refundable (in case the meal is not being consumed by the passenger).