Review: Qatar Airways Business Class 777 Bali To Doha

Review: Qatar Airways Business Class 777 Bali To Doha

More From This Trip
48


This was my first time flying Qatar Airways’ high density 777-300ER, which features just 24 business class seats. In the past I’ve flown their lower density 777-300ER between Cairo and Doha, which features exactly the same business class product (except there’s another business cabin behind the galley).

I apologize for the lack of seat pictures in this post, but the cabin filled up so quickly that I didn’t have a chance to get better ones. If you see my Cairo to Doha review, though, you’ll get a much better sense of the cabin.

Qatar Airways 963
Bali (DPS) – Doha (Doha)
Wednesday, November 18
Depart: 5:30PM
Arrive: 10:05PM
Duration: 9hr35min
Aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER
Seat: 1E (Business Class)

Upon boarding I settled into seat 1E, which was the left center aisle seat in the first row.

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 1
Qatar Airways 777 business class cabin

The business class cabin is in a 2-2-2 configuration, with a total of 24 seats. With such a configuration I prefer having a center aisle seat, so that that nobody has to “climb” over me when they need to get up. Qatar’s business class seats are fully flat and have great legroom, though aren’t really competitive with some of the more modern products out there, like reverse herringbone seats. That’s unfortunate, since the 777 is what Qatar Airways primarily flies to the US.

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 2
Qatar Airways 777 business class, seat 1E

I quite liked having the bulkhead seat, as it came with tons of legroom and also had a TV above it, which showed the airshow for most of the flight.

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 3
Qatar Airways 777 business class legroom, seat 1E

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 4
Qatar Airways business class bulkhead TV

The seat controls were to the left of the seat, and were easy to use.

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 5
Qatar Airways business class seat controls 777

On the right side is a well designed “sliding” tray. You can keep it on the center armrest or otherwise slide it to the side so it’s closer to you. Best of all, there’s a bottle holder beneath it, where I found a bottle of Evian water.

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 6
Qatar Airways business class drink holder

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 7
Qatar Airways business class water bottle holder

Waiting at my seat upon boarding were a pillow and blanket. The pillow was pretty plush and the blanket quite large, so for business class it was perfectly nice, though perhaps still not as nice as the Westin Heavenly Bedding on Delta, for example.

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 10
Qatar Airways business class pillow & blanket

Also waiting in the seatback upon boarding were the menu and wine list for the flight.

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 11
Qatar Airways business class menu & wine list

Below them in the seatback pocket were some headphones. They were supposedly noise cancelling, though I didn’t think they did a very good job. Beyond that, they really hurt my ears when keeping them on for more than 30 minutes or so.

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 12
Qatar Airways business class headphones

Within a few minutes of settling in the flight attendant working my aisle, Danica, introduced herself and offered me my choice of a hot or cold towel, along with a beverage. I selected a cold towel and a glass of rose.

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 28
Qatar Airways business class pre-departure rose

My rose was topped off throughout the boarding process, which was much appreciated.

Shortly thereafter I was brought an amenity kit, which contained Giorgio Armani products. Not too bad for business class!

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 8
Qatar Airways business class amenity kit

I was also offered pajamas, which is fairly impressive for a (quasi) daytime flight in business class. Unfortunately the pajamas were pretty low quality, and I made the mistake of ordering medium pajamas. As it turns out, Qatar groups small and medium pajamas together, so when I put the top on it looked more like a tank top than anything.

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 9
Qatar Airways business class pajamas

After drinks, towels, and amenities were distributed, the crew came around to take meal orders. They explained that they had a dine on demand concept, and we could eat what we wanted when we wanted. I ordered another glass of rose for after takeoff, along with a full dinner.

Every business class seat was taken soon enough, including the seat across from me. My seat opponent was Qatari, and spent the entire boarding process watching TV on his iPhone at the loudest possible volume… without headphones on. I don’t get what makes people think that’s okay.

Shortly before our scheduled departure time the captain came on the PA, who I suspect was probably Spanish. He welcomed us aboard on behalf of himself and the other two pilots (another captain and a first officer) and informed us of our flight time of 9hr15min, and that we’d be cruising at 36,000 feet.

The cabin manager made her welcome aboard announcement at that point. Qatar Airways’ onboard announcements are so over-the-top. We should make a drinking game of how often they use the word “award winning” and “5-star” to describe every aspect of the airline, from the operations to the airport to the loyalty program to their onboard products. I do wonder how much Qatar Airways paid to be able to call their loyalty program “award winning?” Or was the award the best loyalty program of an airline based in Qatar? That’s the only way I could justify such an award….

We began our pushback at around 5:35PM, at which point the safety video began to play. Perhaps I’m biased, but I L-O-V-E Qatar Airways’ safety video, and am sort of sad they have a new soccer themed one now.

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 27
Qatar Airways safety video

As I wrote about in a previous post, as we taxied to the runway, the cabin service manager was sitting in her jumpseat and started yelling at one of the other business class crew — “sit now now now now, hurry hurry hurry, we are all waiting on you.” You could hear the flight attendant frantically closing all the cabinets and securing everything for takeoff, and she was clearly going as quickly as she could.

The cabin service manager rolled her eyes at the flight attendant in the jumpseat across from her, and then yelled even louder “sit now, you need to sit now.” Eventually the other flight attendant got in her jumpseat, with plastic gloves still on. I thought it was extremely unprofessional how she yelled at her colleague, let alone in front of passengers.

At 5:50PM we reached runway 9, where we were airborne after a fairly quick takeoff roll.

About 15 minutes after takeoff the seatbelt sign was turned off, at which point the inflight service began.

The a la carte menu read as follows:

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 13

And the drink/wine list read as follows:

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 14

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 15

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 16

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 17

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 18

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 19

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 20

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 21

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 22

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 23

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 24

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 25

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 26

As the crew prepared for service I browsed the entertainment selection. It was okay, though can’t compete with what’s offered by airlines like Emirates. For what it’s worth, since I was in the bulkhead the TV screen also extended out of the center console.

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 29
Qatar Airways business class inflight entertainment

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 31
Qatar Airways business class inflight entertainment

I decided to watch a few episode of Fawlty Towers. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen all the episodes featured on airplane IFE by now, though it’s one of those shows which never gets old, in my opinion.

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 47
Qatar Airways business class inflight entertainment

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 30
Qatar Airways business class airshow

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 32
Qatar Airways business class inflight entertainment

Within a few minutes of leveling off I was served another glass of rose, along with some mixed nuts. I was impressed that they poured the rose at my seat. That’s not something you often see in business class, at least for service which doesn’t involve a cart being rolled through the aisle.

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 33
Qatar Airways business class mixed nuts and rose

Shortly thereafter my table was set, including a breadbasket and a glass of still water.

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 34
Qatar Airways business class dinner table setting

To start I ordered the Singapore style vegetable soup. It was delicious and the perfect temperature. I was also impressed that when they served it there was a lid, which the flight attendant removed after placing it down on my tray. Qatar Airways’ soft product is exceptional.

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 35
Qatar Airways business class dinner — Singapore style vegetable soup

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 36
Qatar Airways business class dinner — Singapore style vegetable soup

After that I had the mezze. While not as intricate as the mezze I’ve had in first class on Emirates, it was tasty.

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 37
Qatar Airways business class dinner — classic Arabic mezze

Then for the main course I had the beef rendang. Again, it was excellent. The sauce was fantastic and it had the perfect amount of spice.

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 38
Qatar Airways business class dinner — beef rendang with steamed rice

Lastly, for dessert I had the chocolate truffle dessert along with a glass of ayran (basically a yogurt drink). The dessert was every bit as good as it looked.

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 39
Qatar Airways business class dessert — chocolate truffle dessert

To finish off the meal I had a cappuccino.

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 41
Qatar Airways business class cappuccino

Lastly I was offered another towel along with a carton of chocolates.

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 42
Qatar Airways business class warm towels and chocolate

The meal was top notch, one of the best I’ve had in business class. Qatar’s food and presentation are spectacular, and this flight was no exception. The crew was well intentioned and efficient, though sort of lacked that “sparkle” you get on some other airlines. I find that to be the norm on Qatar Airways, though.

After watching a couple more shows it was time for a nap, as we had about seven hours until landing in Doha. I reclined my seat, and while the seat itself was comfortable enough, it totally lacked privacy. Not only are you fully “exposed” to the aisle, but you’re basically face-to-face with the person next to you. I reclined while the guy next to me kept his seat in the upright position, so I sort of felt like he was sitting over me. A proper privacy shield would go a long way with this (otherwise outdated) product, in my opinion.

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 43
Qatar Airways business class seat divider

On the plus side I managed to sleep for quite a while, and woke up about 90 minutes out of Doha. I headed to the restroom to freshen up. The lavatory was rather unremarkable, and didn’t have many amenities aside from branded soap.

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 44
Qatar Airways 777 business class lavatory

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 45
Qatar Airways 777 business class lavatory

For the pre-landing snack I had the Thai style beef salad and “selection of indulgent individual desserts.” I had a cappuccino to accompany the meal. Again, it was spectacular.

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 46
Qatar Airways business class pre-landing snack — Thai style beef salad

At around 9:40PM we began our descent into Doha, and shortly thereafter a video played highlighting the features of Hamad International Airport. According to the video everything was award winning. Everything. Even the duty free store.

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 48
Airshow enroute to Doha

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 49
Airshow enroute to Doha

We continued our descent, and had a controlled collision with the ground at 10:10PM. It was one of the rougher landings I’ve had in a while, to say the least.

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 50
Airshow enroute to Doha

As we taxied in there was some more Qatar puffery over the PA — “welcome to the 5-star gateway of Qatar, the Gulf, and the world.”

The unprofessionalism of the cabin manager continued after landing. After touchdown the flight attendant in the far jumpseat (who was being yelled at earlier) made the post-landing announcement. English wasn’t her first language (just as it wasn’t the first language of any other crew members), so at a few points she stumbled a bit on words and had some minor pronunciation errors. I thought the PA was perfectly good.

Meanwhile the cabin service manager and the flight attendant sitting across from her looked at each other every time the poor lady made a mistake, and laughed audibly. Not cool.

Our taxi to the gate took about five minutes, and at 10:15PM we found ourselves at our arrival stand.

From there it was a pretty long walk to immigration.

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 51
Arrival in Doha

Qatar Airways has a dedicated first & business class arrivals facility, which is one of the most impressive I’ve seen. I guess it’s a hybrid arrivals lounge and immigration checkpoint. Upon entering I had to present my boarding pass, which was scanned.

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 52
Qatar Airways first & business class arrivals lounge

Then I found myself in the lounge, where there wasn’t a single guest. It featured similar furniture to the Al Mourjan Lounge, with rows of leather chairs as well as some dining tables.

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 53
Qatar Airways first & business class arrivals lounge

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 54
Qatar Airways first & business class arrivals lounge

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 55
Qatar Airways first & business class arrivals lounge

There was also a small buffet with soft drinks, coffee, and light snacks.

Qatar-Airways-Business-Class - 56
Qatar Airways first & business class arrivals lounge

Then there was a dedicated immigration checkpoint. I find immigration queues in Qatar to generally be quite short, given that most people are connecting and not actually terminating their travels there.

Qatar Airways 777 business class bottom line

This flight matched my previous experiences on Qatar Airways. The food and “small touches” were impressive, among the best of any business class product.

The seat was a bit outdated, though keep in mind that Qatar’s A380s, A350s, and 787s feature reverse herringbone business class seats, which are among my favorite hard product.

As far as the service goes, it also matched my previous experiences on Qatar Airways. The crews are attentive and put on a smile, though lack the warmth and sincerity you get on some other airlines. My only complaint about the service was how the cabin manager acted towards one of the other flight attendants.

If you’ve flown Qatar Airways business class, what was your experience like?

Conversations (48)
The comments on this page have not been provided, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser, and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered.
Type your response here.

If you'd like to participate in the discussion, please adhere to our commenting guidelines. Anyone can comment, and your email address will not be published. Register to save your unique username and earn special OMAAT reputation perks!

  1. Barrie Whitehead Guest

    What qualifications does this guy Schlappig have to offer any kind of review.I dont know his background but I would bet he is a n American. You should credence to any reviews written by a hotel trained (switzerland) journalist certainly not to this clown

    1. Brain Inmyhead Guest

      His qualification is that he experienced it, and he is sharing his experience and opinions. You don't need to be hotel-trained at all, much less Swiss hotel trained, to review your experienced. Why would a journalist be hotel trained (I suppose you mean trained in the hospitality sector - Swiss, no less) anyway?

  2. Randy Guest

    What I always find especially odd about Qatar's business class is that there are no towels in the lavatories. Some airlines provide little cloth towels in business, while most have paper towels. Qatar is the only airline I've flown in business that has none. They do have extra boxes of facial tissues.

  3. Petre Guest

    It would be really great maybe if you could review coach class travel and rate them. thankyou.

  4. Simon Guest

    Just flew 77W from Bangkok to Doha and then 787 to Oslo (and also in reverse). I'm 6'3" and agree with the other tall posters here that the 787 just felt too cramped compared to the 77W especially the foot rest - I have size 13 feet and there was a pole at the end I kept jamming my foot against. 77W has a very spacious cabin. I've flown in more cramped F (BA 747).

  5. Abdul Guest

    @David Your comment shows how arrogant you are !! Readers must think that you have met with all people from countries you mentioned !!
    You are very arrogant and your comment shows how "well educated" yourself !! stupid !!
    people are not all the same ! and you are one of the stupid ones !! sorry to say that.

  6. katja Guest

    Please tell me you contacted the airline and complained about the behavior of the cabin manager. That kind of attitude towards your coworkers is unbelievably unprofessional and plain mean. They should be fired. Poor flight attendant. :(((

  7. Laura Guest

    I love your blogs!!! Keep them coming. I will be flying Qatar 777 from ORD in November. Looking forward to it! Thanks.

  8. Richard Kent Guest

    Listen Lucky, take no notice of the people on hear moaning about your use of "in my opinion" have these people not got anything better to write about! Idiots!!
    IN MY OPINION.

  9. Steuart Gray New Member

    Flew the 777 fro JFK to Doha and the 787 from Doha to Cape Town business class in Nov. I am 6'-2" and found the newer 787 to be very cramped for my feet. There was not enough room to have them side by side, only one on top of the other, not very comfortable. On the other hand the older 777 suited my length much better with ample room for both feet.
    The new business class lounge at Doha is wonderful, especially the quite rooms and shower area

  10. Kames Guest

    Do they serve Ayran on all flights? Love it.

  11. Randy Guest

    The window passenger has to step / climb over the aisle passenger when reclined to get in/out? There's no space for a thin person to squeeze by?

    What about bulkhead (row 1) window/aisle pairs? Does the window person have direct aisle access?

  12. Eric Guest

    I haven't flow QR yet, but have an upcoming trip in C on the 77W and 787 and I'm looking forward to comparing the differences. However, I've flown a number of lie-flat 2-2-2 configurations and a number of the newer herringbone configurations (both standard and reverse) on various airlines.

    Honestly, they're all good, but I have to agree with a few posters, in general I prefer the 2-2-2. I'm 6'4 and find the 2-2-2...

    I haven't flow QR yet, but have an upcoming trip in C on the 77W and 787 and I'm looking forward to comparing the differences. However, I've flown a number of lie-flat 2-2-2 configurations and a number of the newer herringbone configurations (both standard and reverse) on various airlines.

    Honestly, they're all good, but I have to agree with a few posters, in general I prefer the 2-2-2. I'm 6'4 and find the 2-2-2 config to be far more spacious. Herringbone configurations often feel claustrophobic to me. The "privacy" issue I think is over rated. You're on a plane, how much privacy do you really expect or need. FAs will be around frequently and anyone standing or walking down the aisle can see you anyway...who cares. This is the same in F on most airlines (I would hardly complain about privacy on Lufthansa F).

    Having a seatmate is actually a plus for me 90% of the time since I typically travel with my wife, but even when not, it's not like economy where you cannot physically step over your seatmate, there's typically enough room that you're just stepping over their legs. If they're sitting (at least half the flight typically) you don't even have to do that since there's plenty of room for you to get by without disturbing them. I really don't see the big deal some people make about the herringbone configuration.

    Unfortunately I've already lost this battle, herringbone is taking over and I don't see it going away any time soon.

  13. Brian Guest

    Jacquart and Drappier Rose... that's a big drop from Bollinger and Taittinger Rose. When did that happen?

  14. FNT Delta Diamond Guest

    How do they do a latte? Do they actually have an espresso machine or is it instant?

    What would the published fare for this be?

  15. AMP Guest

    I can't believe the level of insanity of this blog.

  16. Andrew B OMAAT

    Having done a bunch of QR flights in the past few months, all in either First or Business, I've formed some strong opinions of the products. I agree about the cabin crew: I wish there was a little more warmth and sincerity behind the service, but it has generally been good. The 777 Oryx entertainment system seems to have more variety than the one on the 787, and I find the Oryx controls better on...

    Having done a bunch of QR flights in the past few months, all in either First or Business, I've formed some strong opinions of the products. I agree about the cabin crew: I wish there was a little more warmth and sincerity behind the service, but it has generally been good. The 777 Oryx entertainment system seems to have more variety than the one on the 787, and I find the Oryx controls better on the 777 as compared to the 787's touch screen that's meant to resemble an iPhone. The 787 cabin feels very open and airy, and on a full flight I'd take that over a 777. But the 777 is great if you don't have anyone sitting next to you -- on DOH-PHL, I was in 1K and had no seatmate, and it felt wonderfully private and secluded. Agreed about the headphones -- bring your own.

    Also, it's worth mentioning that connecting through DOH is generally easy and pleasant for premium cabin passengers, though I have seen long lines for economy travelers almost every time. My main complaint about DOH is the remote stands.

    DOH-PHL will soon be operated by the new A350, and I think you can still get great deals connecting from CAI and CMN in business class on that product. CMN-DOH is on the 787, so CMN-DOH-PHL is a great chance to earn a ton of miles and try 2 new airplanes. In fact, I think I'll do that at some point this year.

  17. John Guest

    I have flown 8 Qatar flights in the past 3 months, all in business class. I agree with several others. While their 787 is nice to look at and the entertainment is better, I will take their 777 long haul any day over the 787. While I don't like the idea of having a seat mate, I love how much more spacious the 777 seats feel. I am 6'3" and feel a little trapped in...

    I have flown 8 Qatar flights in the past 3 months, all in business class. I agree with several others. While their 787 is nice to look at and the entertainment is better, I will take their 777 long haul any day over the 787. While I don't like the idea of having a seat mate, I love how much more spacious the 777 seats feel. I am 6'3" and feel a little trapped in the 787 seats. Not sure why but I also prefer to face forward instead of an angle. I love, love, love the food on Qatar and look forward to my meals on board. Love the dine on demand concept where I can mix and match my meals. Their plating and presentation is great, even the little touches like bringing the soup with a lid and then removing it.

  18. David Guest

    Great report. It won't be too long until we hear Al Baker's announcement to retrofit the 777s with the 'Super Business Class." I bet the soft product would be fantastic but lets see if Al Baker will do what he said ;)

    P.S. one of the pics for the wine menu is repeated ;)

  19. atom Guest

    While the reverse-herringbone seats interested me before trying them, after one A350 flight I'm happy looking for the older products, even if there's less privacy.

    I'm not huge (6ft, 180lbs, shoe size 11 US), but even still I was having difficulty shifting around as I normally do when sleeping given the restrictiveness of the footwell for the reverse-herringbone seat; it just seemed too small for me personally, partially due to the odd shape of it...

    While the reverse-herringbone seats interested me before trying them, after one A350 flight I'm happy looking for the older products, even if there's less privacy.

    I'm not huge (6ft, 180lbs, shoe size 11 US), but even still I was having difficulty shifting around as I normally do when sleeping given the restrictiveness of the footwell for the reverse-herringbone seat; it just seemed too small for me personally, partially due to the odd shape of it as it tightly narrows as your feet go further in.

    Now, this may just be the case for seats by the window, and seats in the middle are much better, but I'll try the other options where I have a choice until I know for sure.

    On the other hand, the lack of privacy on the 777 doesn't really bother me, and I much prefer it for the openness and freedom you have to shift about.

    I did try the new refitted seats on the A340-600 too: those seats are not too bad, even with a footwell, but they're also in a 2-2-2 configuration, so not sure it'll address others' concerns...

  20. Aaron Diamond

    Yeah, not really. I would still take the privacy and 1-2-1 option reverse herringbone gives you over this tired old product. And it isn't even the best older lie flat version, Turkish's seats are much more spacious and comfortable for sleeping.

    I've never had problems with CX's seats as far as feet positioning. I sleep much better in those seats than I do here. Also sleep better on Qatar's own RH seats and appreciate the...

    Yeah, not really. I would still take the privacy and 1-2-1 option reverse herringbone gives you over this tired old product. And it isn't even the best older lie flat version, Turkish's seats are much more spacious and comfortable for sleeping.

    I've never had problems with CX's seats as far as feet positioning. I sleep much better in those seats than I do here. Also sleep better on Qatar's own RH seats and appreciate the privacy those seats offer, plus all seats have aisle access. I also sleep ok on EK's staggered seats. Not all staggered seats are the same, some are better than others, of course.

    I guess we'll just agree to disagree.

  21. Norman Member

    @Aaron

    As I said I would take their 77W product anytime over the new product. There's something to be said about having almost 4 window to a seat. All the newer products(rh, staggered etc) are trying to maximize space available on an aircraft, and foot space is usually limited. Now if you are 62 or more it would really make a difference. I've flown A range of staggered product and it's either not long enough...

    @Aaron

    As I said I would take their 77W product anytime over the new product. There's something to be said about having almost 4 window to a seat. All the newer products(rh, staggered etc) are trying to maximize space available on an aircraft, and foot space is usually limited. Now if you are 62 or more it would really make a difference. I've flown A range of staggered product and it's either not long enough or it's impossible to side sleep, CX's rh also limits how you can place your feet, whereas in QR's case you have the entire space to yourself. I won't deny that First is almost certainly better than Business, but from a personal perspective I would focus the majority of my travel in C, since my personally philosophy is more on the 'just enought' side. Having a C product that's spacious and actually attentive would go a long way. Just my two cents.

  22. Aaron Diamond

    @Norman

    To be honest, the only really great thing about Qatar in biz class is the food...unless you're in one of the new herringbone seats. That does make it more competitive with regards to other business classes. Which means you need to hope the route served is on the A380, A350, or 787. But I still say most people, if they had the choice, would fly in first.

  23. Norman Member

    @Aaron
    Having flown in recent years quite a bit of both F and C, I personally feel that F is a bit excessive for me. I confess that I still book F cabin that I haven't tried from time to time just to give myself something to look forward to. The point, though, is that if you want a step down from F, QR C(probably along with SQ C and a few others) soft...

    @Aaron
    Having flown in recent years quite a bit of both F and C, I personally feel that F is a bit excessive for me. I confess that I still book F cabin that I haven't tried from time to time just to give myself something to look forward to. The point, though, is that if you want a step down from F, QR C(probably along with SQ C and a few others) soft product is actually good to a point that you don't feel like you just become one of the cattles. Heck, some airlines don't even bother to put your food in a proper plate, let alone providing a la carte service.

  24. Nai Member

    “I find immigration queues in Qatar to generally be quite short”

    Agree with @Ben W
    Having travelled to DOH in all 3 classes of service, lines for economy passengers can take up to an hour with just 30 people in front of you. Often there are more people than that - highly variable. Like many gulf countries, there is little desire to keep the line moving fast.

  25. Ben W Member

    "I find immigration queues in Qatar to generally be quite short"

    As a Qatar resident, trust me, the queues are rarely ever short for economy travelers! You cant use e-gate when travelling with the kids so you have to join the long queues. They are the worst during late evenings. The family queue isn't as bad as they have more desks than the regular queues, but quite often, we pay for the Al Maha...

    "I find immigration queues in Qatar to generally be quite short"

    As a Qatar resident, trust me, the queues are rarely ever short for economy travelers! You cant use e-gate when travelling with the kids so you have to join the long queues. They are the worst during late evenings. The family queue isn't as bad as they have more desks than the regular queues, but quite often, we pay for the Al Maha services where you go to the Al Maha lounge, where they have an immigration desk and collect your bags for you.

  26. Aaron Diamond

    "Perhaps I’m biased, but I L-O-V-E Qatar Airways’ safety video, and am sort of sad they have a new soccer themed one now."

    Maybe if they hire Blondie McTwinkalot for the soccer one, you'd like it more?

    "While not as intricate as the mezze I’ve had in first class on Emirates, it was tasty."

    Of course it wouldn't be as intricate. One is a business class meal, the other is a first class meal. But...

    "Perhaps I’m biased, but I L-O-V-E Qatar Airways’ safety video, and am sort of sad they have a new soccer themed one now."

    Maybe if they hire Blondie McTwinkalot for the soccer one, you'd like it more?

    "While not as intricate as the mezze I’ve had in first class on Emirates, it was tasty."

    Of course it wouldn't be as intricate. One is a business class meal, the other is a first class meal. But hey, at least it tasted good.

    @Norman
    "I fly QR quite often and to be honest they are the airline that makes you feel there’s no need for first class."

    Um...no. Even with their reverse herringbone seat, most people, given the choice and funds/miles, would probably choose the first class cabins of Etihad, Cathay, Singapore, and ANA, among others.

    @mbh
    But this is a trip report based on Lucky's opinions, not facts. So he doesn't need to use IMO during reviews.

  27. z Guest

    Nice report!

    But I'm from singapore and I have never heard of a "singapore-style vegetable soup". Looks like your normal chinese style soup to me!

  28. mbh Guest

    @Keith- please, please do not discourage the use of "imo", especially by a man. You may think it's obvious that it's "just his opinion " since it's Lucky's blog, but I find that way too many people today (especially men-sorry) state their opinions as fact. The problem is that they don't just state it as fact, they think it IS fact. In this age of ridiculous hubris (witness the Donald), I welcome any and all signs of humility, no matter how small.

  29. anat0l Guest

    @Keith: To state "in my opinion" is probably somewhat a habit. Doing it too often in English writing is probably also ridiculous, but explicitly the statement is supposed to emphasise opinion over fact (or fact stating).

    It's probably used to set against statements of opinion which a decent contingent might have an opposing view.

  30. DiscoPapa Member

    Recently flew MIA-DOH on the 777 and loved the seat...granted, I was with my wife in the center section so no "stranger danger" for me. I thought the seat was the most comfortable out of all we experienced, including QR 787 and EY A380 business.

    And I'm with you on the pajamas... in everyday clothes, I wear a Medium so I took the S/M option. Wow, couldn't even fit them on. Swapped to the Large/XL and I was swimming in them!

  31. Tom C Guest

    ...when you write articles like this, do you ever get the airliners contact you for more information so they can take action against any of the staff?

  32. Tom C Guest

    Keith, how funny - I came to the comments section to say exactly the same thing. I've noticed it a lot in recent articles, and this just goes to show how often you use it: https://www.google.co.uk/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=onemileatatime+%22in+my+opinion%22&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&gfe_rd=cr&ei=53uIVuP5I5Lj8weXmp2oAg#q=site:onemileatatime.com+%22in+my+opinion%22

    My feedback would be not to bother, as you're on your personal blog, so everything is already accepted as your opinion.

    Keith, how funny - I came to the comments section to say exactly the same thing. I've noticed it a lot in recent articles, and this just goes to show how often you use it: https://www.google.co.uk/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=onemileatatime+%22in+my+opinion%22&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&gfe_rd=cr&ei=53uIVuP5I5Lj8weXmp2oAg#q=site:onemileatatime.com+%22in+my+opinion%22

    My feedback would be not to bother, as you're on your personal blog, so everything is already accepted as your opinion.

  33. Santastico Diamond

    Love how they show the full picture of the bottles on their wine list.

  34. Norman Member

    I fly QR quite often and to be honest they are the airline that makes you feel there's no need for first class. Soft product is consistently exceptional, with a level of attention to each passenger one of the highest you can find in C. I would take this product over any other modern product. On an airplane, space is the most important(and valuable) and you don't get this much space on any other type...

    I fly QR quite often and to be honest they are the airline that makes you feel there's no need for first class. Soft product is consistently exceptional, with a level of attention to each passenger one of the highest you can find in C. I would take this product over any other modern product. On an airplane, space is the most important(and valuable) and you don't get this much space on any other type of product. It may not make much of a difference for you, but there are taller people out there.

  35. Bill888 New Member

    How is the process for obtaining the visa on arrival and how much do you need to pay for the visa fee? Thanks.

  36. Keith Guest

    Thanks for the report Lucky - while the food and wine seems nice, the hard product seems to be behind airlines as crummy as United.

    Quick question: I've always noticed that you write, "In my opinion," when it's obvious that it's your opinion. Is this something you were taught, or is it a defense mechanism against potential commentary on the site? In writing, it's a given that it's your opinion, and it doesn't need to...

    Thanks for the report Lucky - while the food and wine seems nice, the hard product seems to be behind airlines as crummy as United.

    Quick question: I've always noticed that you write, "In my opinion," when it's obvious that it's your opinion. Is this something you were taught, or is it a defense mechanism against potential commentary on the site? In writing, it's a given that it's your opinion, and it doesn't need to be explicitly stated at all. It's just something I've noticed that finds it way at least once into every article, so I was curious if it was on purpose or just habit.

  37. Philip Guest

    There is also a Nice Arrival Lounge just at the right end of the Arrivals Lounge next to Al Maha Lounge. Don't Know if it's just for First Class as it was written there when I entered. It's like mini Al Mourjan Lounge with dining area. Just Spend 40min there , but was the only Guest there

  38. Janos Guest

    This is something similar I also experienced on Qatar. Overall good product (OK, business class on 777 is outdated, but try their old A330/340 product), good food, and annoying PAs (long, dumb and not state-the-art).
    Regarding the crew: they are growing with such a big pace that they cannot really control the staff quality properly. It is still strange for me that the CSD (cabin service director as they call it) was that rude.

    This is something similar I also experienced on Qatar. Overall good product (OK, business class on 777 is outdated, but try their old A330/340 product), good food, and annoying PAs (long, dumb and not state-the-art).
    Regarding the crew: they are growing with such a big pace that they cannot really control the staff quality properly. It is still strange for me that the CSD (cabin service director as they call it) was that rude.
    I had both excellent and bad experience with QR's FAs on business class and on economy. With their customer service staff only terrible ones...

  39. Elteetrav Gold

    I was very fortunate to fly some fabulous products last year, including first class Cathay. I completely enjoyed the 4 flights I had in Qatar business class. I thought the food was best I've had on any airline. And I had an Osso Bucco on one flight that I thought was one of the best things I've had anywhere. Also, I found the service to be very warm and friendly. (I've not flown Emirates so...

    I was very fortunate to fly some fabulous products last year, including first class Cathay. I completely enjoyed the 4 flights I had in Qatar business class. I thought the food was best I've had on any airline. And I had an Osso Bucco on one flight that I thought was one of the best things I've had anywhere. Also, I found the service to be very warm and friendly. (I've not flown Emirates so can't compare -- maybe this year).

    On a flight from DOH-MIA in their 777 I was initially seated next to a gentleman who was heavily cologned. Fortunately he moved right after takeoff to be near friends. Then I had two seats, which I was able to turn into a Lufthansa style arrangement -- one in permanent bed mode, and one for sitting, dining. Perhaps this is a reason I think so highly of the flights. :-)

    Your review captured the experience perfectly. Thanks.

  40. Tommy Trash Gold

    @Kyle
    Anytime you're in a 2-2-2 with the privacy shield down (or no privacy shield in this case), things can feel uncomfortably intimate when only one of you is fully reclined. It's no exaggeration. I throw the shield up on boarding and leave it up the whole flight.

  41. Bill Guest

    Basil: "Whatever you do, don't mention the war"!

  42. Alex Member

    Flew with QR this week PER-DOH-GRU and they were still playing the standard safety video.

    Also in terms of the seat, I do prefer it compared to other types if travelling with someone as it has a far greater sense of space and to me is less claustrophobic. One thing that really annoys me about herringbone, throne or vantage XL is that you hit your knees when you have your knees up when resting on the footrest

  43. Rich New Member

    The pyjamas also come in medium-large that are on the small side. The large pyjamas however are huge and I'm 185 cms and a 34 inch waist - they pretty much fall down which isn't a great look walking back to your seat!

    Wish I'd known about the business class arrivals before. Looks nicer than doing the transfer area in a layover, though I guess the visa fee is t ideal in that scenario!

  44. John Guest

    On the right side is a well designed “sliding” tray

    What is the difference between a sliding tray and a "sliding" tray?

  45. David Guest

    @Justin
    I partially agree with you: qatari, kuwaiti and saudi people are among the worse educated people on earth. After all, they are the slaves of americans in the Gulf. Their masters are definitely the most uneducated "people" you could ever meet. Or very average, if you are visiting the inhabitants of a zoo. No will to offend animals, by the way.

  46. Kyle Guest

    How can someone sitting beside you be 'face to face'? At least make your exaggerations slightly believable

  47. Justin Guest

    "My seat opponent was Qatari, and spent the entire boarding process watching TV on his iPhone at the loudest possible volume… without headphones on"

    I've never experienced this on any airline except premium cabins on the ME3, and it's always quite obviously GCC residents as culprits. When your entire life revolves around the belief your excrement doesn't smell bad, it comes pretty naturally.

Featured Comments Most helpful comments ( as chosen by the OMAAT community ).

The comments on this page have not been provided, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser, and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered.

Brain Inmyhead Guest

His qualification is that he experienced it, and he is sharing his experience and opinions. You don't need to be hotel-trained at all, much less Swiss hotel trained, to review your experienced. Why would a journalist be hotel trained (I suppose you mean trained in the hospitality sector - Swiss, no less) anyway?

0
Barrie Whitehead Guest

What qualifications does this guy Schlappig have to offer any kind of review.I dont know his background but I would bet he is a n American. You should credence to any reviews written by a hotel trained (switzerland) journalist certainly not to this clown

0
Randy Guest

What I always find especially odd about Qatar's business class is that there are no towels in the lavatories. Some airlines provide little cloth towels in business, while most have paper towels. Qatar is the only airline I've flown in business that has none. They do have extra boxes of facial tissues.

0
More From This Trip
Meet Ben Schlappig, OMAAT Founder
5,163,247 Miles Traveled

32,614,600 Words Written

35,045 Posts Published