Updated on April 13 with pricing information
A year after welcoming its first passengers, Hamad International Airport will begin charging for the use of its long-term parking lot.
In a statement sent to media today, HIA said a payment structure would be rolled out “by the end of April,” but did not specify the exact date or how much parking would cost.
However, on its website on Monday, the prices were listed as follows:
- Each hour or any part thereof will be QR2 each;
- The cost is QR45 for every completed 24 hours; and
- A lost ticket will cost QR35 in addition to the actual tariff for the duration of parking.
Currently, passengers can use the airport’s long-term parking for free. But payment kiosks popped up there months ago, sparking questions about when the paid-for service would take effect.
According to HIA, any vehicles parked in the lot before the paid-for service begins will not be subject to any fees. But airport management said cars parked there for more than 60 days could face legal action.
Expansion planned
In the statement, airport officials also said that it would be adding new services to the car park, but did not specify what.
The long-term parking area currently contains space for 2,540 vehicles, and a shuttle service there runs every 15 to 20 minutes.
Some residents have complained of inadequate space on the bus for luggage and passengers, especially at peak travel times.
https://twitter.com/ExtremeGinger/status/587206130171912192
The parking area also lacks restrooms, vending machines and other amenities.
Are you a frequent user of the long-term parking lot? Thoughts?
If they improve the shuttle service I have no issue with paying
I hope they improve shuttle service. Last month, the shuttle for employees told me to wait for the shuttle for customers. I waited for more than 15 minutes and there were employees that went on board the shuttle and the driver dropped off the employees in their parking lot first before the customers.
The employee parking is separate and so are the shuttles.
I had the same experience. Shuttles for employees came and dropped off a load of staff, and departed with 1 or two staff people – I approached one of these buses as i wasn’t sure due to the lack of signage/direction and clearly identified buses (A4 paper and black marker on a dirty windscreen isn’t particularly newbie friendly) and was directed to wait for a customer bus which turned up 15 mins later. When it did turn up, myself and another customer boarded. Several minutes later a load of employees then boarded the bus (in a manor that suggested that this was their normal habit). Naturally this then makes you wonder if you’ve boarded the right bus, with the lack of direction. The bus then proceeded to drop off the employees at each of the individuals cars in the employee carpark, before then offering the same service to us in the customer carpark. We both declined as at that point 30 mins in the bus was enough, and i suspect like me he wasn’t too sure where he had parked (as were the employees, which futher delayed us being dropped at a terminal in the customer carpark) – i was relying on the driver to take the same route as last time so that i could recall the terminal i had been picked up from.
Having said all that… i wouldn’t complain if it was free, but if they are charging for it, then i think they need to offer more to paying customers (good signage in areas of collection and information of the service offered, where to wait and how frequently; good signage to customer buses; adequate space for baggage; and if customers on board than should be dedicated customer bus, or at least drop of customers first).
Oh and one last thing… if they had a walkway i wouldn’t even bother with the bus as it is a short distance and then buses could be used for those who really need it (like elderly, those with lots of luggage, etc.)
You are correct, there is a separate Employee parking. However, we used the service on Saturday, and apart from my family and I, the whole bus was full of employees using the shuttle bus. They all got off at section J- the 1st stop the bus makes when it enters the carpark. I do not know why they don’t use the Employee car park, but with charges a coming, you are going to see the road verges filling up with employee cars very soon…
bummer. the free parking was my favorite part of the new airport, i mean, besides it not being the old airport.
Come on, the old airport could hardly be named an airport, it was more like a bus station
Well the old airport was near, you could basically walk to the airport pulling your bag (I’ve seen some people actually doing that).
The new airport still doesn’t have enough lounges (and those available doesn’t accept your credit card privileges).
The other lounges could all fit inside the business class lounge…not sure why they don’t allow the credit card holders there.
Qatar is rich country ppl have too many money better make it free why so greedy kafala
This why, ladies and gentlemen, you don’t do crack.
lol
Because Land Cruiser.
Why does someone expect bathrooms and vending machines in a parking area? Does any airport offer that? You need food to get you from the airport to your car?? BUT, hopefully this will stop the constant asking on fb “is parking at Hamad still free?”
I just wish there was a way to walk from the parking to the airport. That is why my suitcase has wheels!
I would like to share a tip with everyone who will be using the car park in the future. Make sure you write down the parking zone and number as you may not remember it when you return two weeks later, in the dead of night, tired and exhausted.
A better idea is to take a picture of your location with your smart phone 😉
My Nokia 3310 isn’t that smart I’m afraid. It lacks an aperture that faithfully records an image for future retrieval in any form. I do keep a pencil and paper in my jacket pocket at all times though – very handy indeed!
Old school. Like it
People with a Nokia 3310 in 2015 must be banned from entering Qatar. This is a country moving forward and does not need people stuck in the late 1990s. People who work here must embrace the vision of a modern country especially on the technological level, and obviously help it achieve it. Qatar does not need people to pull it back to their archaic vision and practices.
Yacine, I snuck in while the Internet was down. Okay, average charge life of a smartphone battery = 9 hours (light use). My total travel time returning to Qatar = 10.5 hours. You can call me a ludite but until battery tech improves considerably, paper still beats tech! BTW my dumbphone Nokia 3310 battery lasts all week on one charge and, and, and, in any case, NASA spent millions of dollars developing a pen that could write in space, upside down, in zero gravity. The Russians used pencils.
@disqus_7UUk6IAZSG:disqus in case if you have real gold plated iPhone, and I am sure 100% your maximum is Samsung! just make sure there is a lot of people don’t have the ability to get smart phone like you, in case you really have one and in case if you know how to use your smart device correctly and not only chatting and NAV and camera !! plus using smart devices is not related to be (in) modern country or not. in my opinion, I think you have to care about how to deal with ppl is much important than to look what they have/use !
grow up kid!
Actually, there’s a funny story behind that. The reason why the Americans spent so much money on developing a space pen is that pencils were dangerous in space. Broken lead or graphite shavings had a tendency to be sucked into ventilation systems, where they could cause short circuits or even fires. Maybe next time do a little research before you start acting so snooty.
in case if you have real gold plated iPhone, and I am sure 100% your maximum is Samsung! just make sure there is a lot of people don’t have the ability to get smart phone like you, in case you really have one and in case if you know how to use your smart device correctly and not only chatting and NAV and camera !! plus using smart devices is not related to be (in) modern country or not. in my opinion, I think you have to care about how to deal with ppl rather than looking at what they have/use !
grow up kid!
Relax there is something called sarcasm 🙂
3310?? Wooowwwwwwwwwwwwwww…..
What a great phone! no smart phone can beat the durability of a 3310!
@ Yacine – you need to grow up!
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Once again a press release leaving more questions than answers. What is the implementation date? What is the charge structure? Any discounts for frequent users?
It was just a matter of time. Frankly, I was shocked when we first used it, and there was no charge!
I must agree that whoever picked out the passenger vans has apparently never flown before. Not fun climbing in over luggage, and then basically cramming your own luggage into the seat and sitting on it. Shuttle vans are way too small!
This is perfectly reasonable and expected, however You can get a taxi to the airport from most places in Doha for under 100 riyals, if it’s reasonably priced for a few nights parking then it would be worth it. I would only consider using it agin and paying if they had proper busses with room for luggage like any normal airport parking – the current set up is a bit of a joke, however since it was free we couldn’t complain too much!
I still do not understand why people want to leave their cars in the airport car park. I mean, what’s the problem with taxis, Uber or friends drop-off?
Not an issue for rich people like you, Yacine! 😉
As for myself, I travel most weekends to visit family outside of Qatar. Where I live, past Landmark, a taxi with tip can cost close to 100QR each way. I’d rather put the 200QR weekly savings to other pursuits.
So you can afford to travel every weekend but cannot afford to take a taxi?
yeh why should he save 200 riyal! he should just spend it all
How does one get a taxi to the airport? I tried on 2 occasions to book a taxi in the morning for an evening pick up and Karwa and Al Million said they dint have taxis for that pick up time. What am I doing wrong? I then used the long term parking.
Ive used the parking few times and since it was free I couldnt complain, now that I have to pay for a service I feel like I should put these points across for management to cover:
>the buses, just have the normal buses that dont have seats (like the ones to get to and from a plane, im sure the old airport has plenty of spare ones
>the way the buses go around, they just go on one route, but they take different routes every time, even the way the parking is set up is weird.
> have a monitor for when the next bus is coming, once i waited 20 minutes for the bus.
1) 100% agree – charge me to park in a spot with no way to get my bags to the airport and a bus service that may or may not drop me by my car and might just stop at the employee parking lots and tell me to walk – I refuse to pay them squat for that “5-Star” service. HIA can take that claim along with Qatar Airways and add it to their pack of untruths. My favorite are the trains that don’t exist, the lounges that are not there and to my point #2
2) Those buses that would work for the parking lots are stilling being used at the new airport. I have in the last 3 weeks deplaned a 787, 777, and A321 all on a bus……same as getting on some of these flights. $14.5B on an airport that has a long term parking lot that has no transportation link to the airport, no tunnel, and a Nissan Civilian bus filled with seats that is really for employees doesn’t count guys, Al Baker – are you listening?
3) I stood for 45 minutes waiting for a bus. I tried to walk, after Land Cruiser 3 tries to run you over, one gives up and takes a cab that was passing by. I finally got there, and guess what, late for my flight, now I pay the change fees. This is “5-Star” Service at Qatar’s new gateway to the world.
Blah
I just wondering why people complaining about the small bus. Why don’t just park your car in paid parking area and do the check in. If you bring family let them wait in waiting area. Then park your car in long term parking area. Don’t forget to come early.
2 QR per hour, 45 QR per day, official amounts
Shirley it should be 44 QR per day?
Don’t know any Shirley
Paying 45 Riyals a day is just excessive…… It would be far better to take a cab in 50-100 Riyals rather than end up paying 1350 Riyals for 30 days….
Well, having a toddler in tow when gong on a vacation to Europe or Asia it is very convenient to be able to use the car seat and not having to fear for your children’s life when taking a taxi. But our previous experience at the long term parking was horrible. As the bus arrived at the Doha airport, people were becoming very pushy when loading their luggage onto or off the bus, and there is hardly any space for a stroller. Then, it was unclear where we would stop, as the bus seemed to circle around the parking lot and stopping randomly. But then again, it was all for free. If we would have to start paying for the long term parking, then we will consider taking a taxi or asking someone to drop us off.
It is horrible, I was waiting for the shuttle bus with another passenger and the bus passed by us, saw us and didn’t stop!!I had to walk to the gate and ask the person who works there to call them. When the shuttle bus came back again I asked him why you didn’t stop for us although you saw us, he said my supervisor told me not to stop. Not worth even 5 Riyals. The staff in the airport are always very rude and every time when I come from the states with my child, I beg the staff to take me in the small cars and they refuse. This is not an international airport the standards are very low.
I think that ‘free’ parking would emerge lots of other problems and abuses of the system. I agree to pay a fee but, honestly, 45Qr/day it’s exorbitant. Considering an average of 90 to 100Qr for a two way taxi fee from West Bay to the airport, the 45Qr/day fee only be worth for 2 days use of the car park. After that it becomes an expensive parking for those who go on leave for 3 or more days.
I liked the new buses, much better and more space for the bags.
I will not use this carpark anymore. I will have to arrange taxis to go to the airport. It’s a pity because it served me well, but to pay 12.5Us$/day it’s not for everyone.