RTW TP Run in Jan 2026: Day 2 – Oslo (OSL) to Doha (DOH)

By Nige on January 19, 2026 at 9:39 pm
Type: Post
Story: Round the World Tier Point Run in Jan 2026 Category: Travel
Tags: DOH | Doha | Hilton | OSL | Oslo | Qatar Airways | QR

After arriving back at the airport, I headed up to Check-in Area 10, where Qatar Airways was based for the day.

I knew that check-in was unlikely to open before midday, but with a member of staff nearby, I figured it was worth asking.

The agent I approached was very friendly and visibly intrigued by my rather complex itinerary.

She explained that she would need to check my passport and confirm that I held an ESTA for entry into the United States — even though I wouldn’t actually be progressing that far for another couple of days while still under Qatar’s control.

Although she carried out the checks, she ultimately wasn’t able to check me in, as the same process would need to be repeated once formal check-in opened at midday.

She apologised for not being able to help further.

While it was mildly disappointing not to be able to head straight through to the lounge, I was impressed by the focus on service from the Qatar check-in staff.

I then did what could only be described as the inevitable thing — and blamed Qatar Airways entirely for what followed. With time to kill, I found myself back at Starbucks for the second time that morning.

The staff recognised me immediately and greeted me with a knowing smile. I had no complaints.

When I wandered back to the Qatar check-in desks once more, perfect timing prevailed: they had just started accepting passengers.

The agent I dealt with this time managed to check me all the way through to New York JFK — my final destination on Wednesday — having reviewed my ESTA and confirmed everything was in order.

From there, I headed through Fast Track Security (which wasn’t especially fast, if I’m honest) and into the international departures area. It didn’t take long to find the stairs up to the Oslo Lounge.

The lounge itself wasn’t particularly memorable, but it did provide the opportunity to admire the rather elegant boarding passes Qatar was issuing to its premium passengers.

For reasons I can’t fully explain, I really liked them. I assumed the silver design reflected my Business Class booking rather than First, but still — if only BA would show a similar level of respect to its premium customers.

Vick and I had already discussed my EES entry experience at Oslo the previous day, but it wasn’t until after that conversation that I encountered the exit process.

In practice, it was refreshingly simple: the Border Control officer asked me to pose for a photo, scanned my passport, and that was that.

Nothing too onerous at all.

My flight to Doha was scheduled to depart from Gate F34, and my rather fancy boarding pass suggested that boarding would begin at 13:35 — a full ninety minutes before the planned departure time.

By the time I reached the gate, however, the inbound aircraft was only just pulling in. It seemed highly unlikely that boarding would begin anytime soon, with the usual turnaround checks, cleaning and preparation still to be completed.

While waiting, I kept bumping into the original check-in agent, who continued to ask questions about my itinerary. It appeared my trip had become something of a talking point among the cabin crew. She eventually asked me outright whether this was a mileage run of sorts, at which point I had to come clean. It was genuinely nice to see such interest in what I was doing.

Boarding eventually commenced at around 14:20. Qatar appeared to follow a similar boarding process to BA: passengers requiring assistance, including wheelchair users, were invited to board first, followed by Business Class.

Unfortunately, boarding itself was somewhat chaotic, and I witnessed some distinctly selfish behaviour when it came to allowing wheelchair passengers the time and space they needed. It was rather dispiriting to watch.

Once on board, I settled into seat 01A. It was the older Qatar Business Class seat — no suite door — which made the space feel slightly exposed, reminiscent of BA’s old First Class cabin.

Still, it was a very comfortable place to spend the next few hours.

I was offered a pre-departure glass of champagne and invited to order dinner.

I was also pleased to discover that the aircraft was equipped with the new Starlink Wi-Fi system.

I chose to watch Gravity during dinner — an engaging space film starring George Clooney and Sandra Bullock.

Service began with warm bread and a hot olive oil dip, accompanied by a mozzarella-style cheese amuse-bouche. A promising start.

The mezze starter I ordered was excellent, with the pesto hummus standing out in particular.

The warm breads were spot on. My beef main course followed and was well cooked and very tasty.

For dessert, I opted for the cheesecake, which was genuinely stunning.

After eating, I snoozed for a couple of hours before settling in to watch The Prestige. A film I’ve seen many times before — and one that never disappoints. You really can’t beat the classics.

In terms of service, two cabin crew members were assigned to me. The first was exceptionally friendly, while the second — who had welcomed me as an Emerald — was a little more brusque.

Even so, the overall standard of service from the Qatar crew was excellent.

The flight itself was wonderfully smooth, as was the landing into Doha.

We arrived at Gate 301, with doors 1L and 2L opened on arrival. Sitting in seat 01A meant I was first off the aircraft — and immediately launched into a very long walk towards immigration.

Next up: Late evening in Doha on Day 2 of my Round The World trip of a lifetime.

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Round the World Tier Point Run in Jan 2026