Introduction: Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Economy Class Showdown
Review: Zurich Airport Observation Deck
Review: Emirates A380 And 777-300ER Economy Class Zurich To Dubai To Delhi
The Delhi Airport Ground Experience
Review: Air India 747-400 First Class Delhi To Chennai
Review: Jet Airways 737-800 Economy Class Chennai To Mumbai
Review: Qatar Airways 777-300ER Economy Class Mumbai To Doha To Beirut
Transiting Beirut Airport On Separate Tickets
Review: Etihad Airways 787-9 And A320 Economy Class Beirut To Abu Dhabi To Muscat
Review: Premier Inn Abu Dhabi International Airport
Emirates Vs. Etihad Vs. Qatar – Who Has The Best Economy Class?
After arriving at Mumbai Airport just after midnight, I made my way up to departures without a single passport or ticket check (a strong contrast to my experience at Delhi Airport). Once inside, I walked over to Qatar check-in.
When I got to the front, the agent eyed my carry-ons (one roller bag and one laptop bag). “You can’t bring two bags onboard,” she said. “You must check one.” That would have been fine had I not used hidden city ticketing to book my flight. The final destination of my Mumbai to Doha itinerary was Salalah, and I certainly didn’t want my bag to end up there.
I presented my oneworld emerald status to no avail. I asked to talk to a manager who explained that there is nothing they could do. At this point I was freaking out, so I escalated it yet again and spoke to the top manager for Qatar at Mumbai Airport. I explained I was filming an extensive review of Qatar and would need my bags during my layover in Doha. After a few seconds of silence, he beckoned me to proceed. Phew! Moral of the story: only bring one carry-on when flying Qatar, especially from India.
Two things stick out about this to me:
- Almost all reputable airlines allow two carry-on items, one large bag, and one personal item.
- Emirates and Etihad have similar policies, but Qatar was the only airline to enforce it.
Anyhow, I made my way through security and passport control, which took about an hour and a half. It must have been the longest emigration line I’ve stood it. When the agent saw my eTourist visa had only been activated the day before, he asked me why I didn’t just get a transit visa. “They’re so convenient, you should try it next time.” Flying back and forth to Stockholm and waiting at least two weeks for a transit visa sure sounds “convenient.” 😉
When I got through, I grabbed a quick bite of food in the lounge and headed to my gate.
Boarding started promptly with elites and business class passengers.
Qatar Airways 557
Mumbai (BOM) – Doha (DOH)
Depart: 4:10AM
Arrive: 5:10AM
Duration: 3hr00mins
Aircraft: Boeing 777-300
Seat: 15A (Economy Class)
My 777-300 to Doha rocked the oneworld livery!
Once onboard, I settled into my seat.
The colors and cabin ambiance are incredibly sleek in my opinion, and I love the slim look of the seats.
The seatback had three pockets. One of the small ones contained some comfortable headphones and the other was dedicated for PEDs.
Blankets were available on request but were not provided by default in contrast to Emirates.
Qatar’s Oryx entertainment system is fantastic, and while the screen was more standard than Emirates, it’s still one of the best in the world.
Prior to takeoff, the flight attendants came by distributing menus and “refreshing towels”.
We pushed back on-time. After a short taxi to the active runway, we were airborne towards Doha.
Here’s where things got a little frustrating. Despite the 4:30 am departure, the flight attendants started serving beverages and food immediately.
The food was decent, but it wasn’t really an hour at which people normally eat breakfast. Everyone seemed a little confused why they didn’t serve it before landing instead.
I slept until we started our descent. The flight attendants started preparing for landing 45 minutes before touchdown, just like on Emirates. This was pretty consistent across the Middle Eastern carriers and seems like a surprisingly non-customer oriented policy for them.
We touched down right on schedule as the sun started to rise.
A quick taxi later, we were at our gate.
Transiting in Doha
Despite being booked on a separate ticket for my second flight, connecting was super smooth and I was through security in a matter of minutes.
Hamad Airport is one of the most beautiful airports in the world. Though the functionality isn’t quite as good as Munich or Copenhagen, it’s still in the top five airports in my experience.
My flight to Beirut departed from the far end of the terminal. As is quite common in Doha, we boarded via bus, which is insane for such a new airport, especially where temperatures are regularly 100F+.
Then again, boarding a 777 via bus is enough to make any avgeek happy!
Qatar Airways 416
Doha (DOH) – Beirut (BEY)
Depart: 7:40AM
Arrive: 12:10PM
Duration: 3hr30mins
Aircraft: Boeing 777-300
Seat: 14A (Economy Class)
I was greeted by another set of professional crew. Qatar trains their flight attendants to perfection, which is noticeable even for economy passengers.
The aircraft to Beirut did not have a business class cabin behind the second door. While I was just one row further up for this flight, I now had a stunning engine view.
The seats were red in my part of the cabin this time around. As you can see, seat colors shift between red and grey every few rows.
The legroom was just as great as on the last flight.
The headrest and overall seat cushioning are impressive on Qatar.
Soon enough we were off to Beirut. We had quite a short takeoff roll, turned right and flew over Qatar until we reached Irani airspace. Just as on my previous flight, paper menus were distributed.
The crew initially handed me a regular meal, so I had to remind them I had ordered vegetarian. Interestingly, Qatar does not deliver special meals before others.
It consisted of an English-ish breakfast, melon, bread, and orange juice. Again, the food was tasty, but nothing to write home about.
Time passed quickly with the plentiful entertainment onboard, though Wi-Fi is still blatantly lacking from their fleet of 777s.
Before I knew it, we’d begun our descent.
The approach into Beirut Airport was one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen!
After arriving at the gate, I bid farewell to the crew and headed straight to my connection with Etihad.
Bottom Line
Qatar Airways is really in a class of its own. With great seats, in-flight entertainment, an efficient hub and meticulous crew, it’s hard to go wrong. The food and lack of wi-fi were disappointing compared to their Middle Eastern rivals, though overall, I would gladly fly them again.
@Atef
@Elaine G
Thanks for the updates on QR 777-300ER economy seating. Was a bit confused coz I remembered vividly it was 3-3-3 while flying them DPS-SIN-DOH-JFK vv a couple years back. The seat was quite wide and comfy back then. I guess they updated their seats after I flew them. On the bright side, I am scheduled to fly QR economy next month DOH-LAX and is glad they use their 777-200LR on that route.
@Elijah
He was just thinking about himself. He is an Emerald who got the lounge access.
While other passengers, are mostly an ordinary traveler without status who woke up early, went to the airport, no lounge access and did not eat anything prior to the flight to save their money.
When they come on board, they wanted to eat. Not exegerating like Daniel stories on each and every flight where he mentioned...
@Elijah
He was just thinking about himself. He is an Emerald who got the lounge access.
While other passengers, are mostly an ordinary traveler without status who woke up early, went to the airport, no lounge access and did not eat anything prior to the flight to save their money.
When they come on board, they wanted to eat. Not exegerating like Daniel stories on each and every flight where he mentioned "people are confused that the meal service started too early". So lame!
Btw, I'm also a OWE member who traveled often and not a dinosaur.
I can confirm that all QR B777-300 series configuration are: 3-4-3
While their B777-200 series configuration are: 3-3-3
Thank you for the review! definitely looking forward to the rest.
However, regarding seat comfort, economy seats on QR 777 are not anywhere close to begin comfortable. These are super thin seats with hardly any padding. This becomes quite obvious if you are on a long haul flight (As I have traveled a fair bit on economy long haul). There are tons of complaints online about this. QR is fantastic in business but their...
Thank you for the review! definitely looking forward to the rest.
However, regarding seat comfort, economy seats on QR 777 are not anywhere close to begin comfortable. These are super thin seats with hardly any padding. This becomes quite obvious if you are on a long haul flight (As I have traveled a fair bit on economy long haul). There are tons of complaints online about this. QR is fantastic in business but their economy seats in 777 and 787 (haven't flown their A380's yet) are almost excruciating to be seated in for a long flight.
Thank you again for all the reviews though!
Atef
Hi Atef, are the seats configuration now 3-4-3 on QR's 777 ??
Not sure if all the 777s have been converted to 3-4-3 but definitely for long haul they only use the 10 abreast.
This started sometime in 2015:
https://onemileatatime.com/qatar-airways-777-economy-going-10-abreast/
ElaineG you sound like a burnt out flight attendant dianasour
My friend had just 2 days ago wait 3 hours to clear immigration in New Delhi. Sometimes its smooth, simetimes its a real horror.
Great review Daniel. Ignore the trolls and vitriolic comments. There are some jealous dick heads on here and I'm sure burnt out cabin crew who hate everyone. Keep doing what you love.
Hey Daniel, thank you for your great review. Even if I don’t often fly economy, it’s great to see economy reviews because if an airline can get economy right then it must be ok in other classes.
I’ve recently been introduced to your videos on YT which I really like too. You always seem to look like you enjoy flying as much as I do. I never tire of it.
Thanks again.
I've flown Qatar a few times in business which obviously spoils you, however I recently flew ATL-DOH-KUL in economy and I was highly impressed as well. Crew polish, food, entertainment, seat comfort all being high quality.
If you monitor the seat maps periodically, fly in the middle of the week, and/or happen to be on routes that randomly aren't filled to the brim with people then it is actually quite realistic to get a row...
I've flown Qatar a few times in business which obviously spoils you, however I recently flew ATL-DOH-KUL in economy and I was highly impressed as well. Crew polish, food, entertainment, seat comfort all being high quality.
If you monitor the seat maps periodically, fly in the middle of the week, and/or happen to be on routes that randomly aren't filled to the brim with people then it is actually quite realistic to get a row to yourself and have poor man's business class.
@ Mike +1
And since there now seem to be at least 2 Pauls, at least one of whom is clearly a poisonous harpy, I'm considering changing my user name...
@K4
So nasty.
Obviously you weren't impressed with Daniel's previous review, yet made a point to read this one AND write a comment.
Masochistic much?
Just give the guy a break. Nobody is making you read his reviews. I'm sure you can find more things to do that will cause you less grief. For whatever little it's worth, some people find these reviews useful and maybe even a bit refreshing in their style.
"You openly admit to violating the tariff with hidden city ticketing? And then almost threw a tantrum? Your posts keep reaching a new low."
Using shady methods then whining/throwing a DYKWIA tantrum is the epitome of classy.
@Max
Sorry, but Paul's was a valid criticism. K4 also brought up some good points, even if the delivery wasn't the best. Stop thinking with the head the sun doesn't usually see.
@Ron,
All QR B777-300 are configured with 3-4-3 in EY cabin.
Very tight and narrow seats!
So how was the seat width? Qatar has 10 abreast on their 777s, so it would be cramped. Is it comfortable?
Oh Daniel!
Again?!
For your information, for any flight in the world which has only one meal service on board, within short to medium haul flight, the crew will serve the meal right after take off regardless the timing.
It may be too early for you. But not for others.
If you are working as a cabin crew, you wouldn’t believe how many passengers will tell you that they are hungry despite...
Oh Daniel!
Again?!
For your information, for any flight in the world which has only one meal service on board, within short to medium haul flight, the crew will serve the meal right after take off regardless the timing.
It may be too early for you. But not for others.
If you are working as a cabin crew, you wouldn’t believe how many passengers will tell you that they are hungry despite the departure is at 04:10am.
Not all people have the same thought or needs like you when they travel.
You sounds like you are a selfish little boy!
@paul and @K4
You guys are seriously nasty. Get a life. The guy has written an informative review. Get over yourselves. What gives you the right to be so vindictive? Look in the mirror K4. See the real idiot there, or a troll or both.
Did I see it right that QR B777 now sports 3-4-3 configuration in Y ??
That was in reply to "Mike's" question "What is the bed like for sleeping? I couldn’t see any pictures."
FWIW I regularly fly BKK-DOH-LHR in Economy on Qatar, and have never had any problem taking on a daypack plus laptop-bag, as carry-on luggage. Perhaps it's just a local problem, of the check-in staff interpreting the instructions from the airline ?
"The food was decent, but it wasn’t really an hour at which people normally eat breakfast. Everyone seemed a little confused why they didn’t serve it before landing instead."
It's a 3 hour flight on a large aeroplane. At what point do you expect them to serve a couple of hundred people? I'm pretty sure the rest of the cabin weren't bothered by it. I'd certainly be after a few items from the bar at that point
Your minuscule review of 2x flights and 1x transit experience is about the same length Lucky writes of just 1x flight!
Way way too short. I came here to read a review of the flight.
Thanks, very refreshing to have a review of these seats. What is the bed like for sleeping? I couldn't see any pictures.
There are obviously no beds since he is travelling in Economy.
Hi Daniel. Thanks for you review. Do you remember if Qatar Airways have changed there safety video, because Neymar figured prominently in it (as well as other Barcelona players). Now he's playing for PSG in France and left on a sour note.
Sounds like someone just pulled a Matthew Klint.
great review! still shocked ur a vegetarian haha like how.
Also that Beirut skyline with the beaches and pools look so inviting!
Why are you such an idiot? Please tell me? First you give us a review with no menus on EK then you complain about standard procedure in Delhi, which is much more realistic than Europe or America, then you compare AI first to Jet Economy. Ice it off for me, now you’re complaining that you had to check a bag in ECONOMY!? Get a life man; I could write a better review!
You openly admit to violating the tariff with hidden city ticketing? And then almost threw a tantrum? Your posts keep reaching a new low.
Daniel I like your reviews. However what's the point of an economy review with pictures of the "great" legroom when you don't reference the actual pitch size? Yes I can look it up elsewhere but I shouldn't really have to. Also starting off a review with a DYKWIA vignette is not going to win you any fans! I hope both points are seen as constructive - they are intended as such.
@Daniel, thank you for checking that info, didn’t expect you to do it, I’m grateful and thank you! Flew on their business class in April when we went back to Singapore that time however I want to save up for the Qsuites when they start releasing them hopefully next year. So I decide to bite the bullet and go for economy with my little one this time. Hope she behaves and don’t disturb other fliers.
Strange. I always have my carry/roll bag plus a day pack/soft sided shoulder bag on my QR flights. Never an issue if the weight is within 7kg.
Btw, what’s with the rolled jeans? I remember it was a thing in the second half of the 1980s, is it fashionable again?
I forgot to thank Daniel for the economy review! I appreciate it for all the info provided, cheers.
@Yvonne I'd check the specific rules on their website, but going from ORD you're less likely to have a problem than going from Mumbai. Thanks and enjoy your trip!
Hmm I’m going to be traveling with my 2.5 years old next month from ORD to doh/sin, now I’m concerned with my carry on. I will have 1 roller bag, 1 diaper bag, my crossbody bag, and she’s be carrying her own little bag. I guess they will let me through? Hopefully they won’t add more stress to my trip as it’s a 25hr plus trip for us.
Interesting review.
Lucky always says he finds Qatar's FAs "cold" but I, like you, have always found them to be exemplary.
@Paul Thanks! And yes, they're always flawless in my experience.
Qatar didn't realize you had a duplicate booking to both salalah and beirutafter landing in Doha?
@Noa N Nope. I could get my separate boarding pass by checking-in online using HIA wifi, so I didn't interact with anyone.
You should've stayed and reviewed Lebanon for a few days!!!!! Maybe next time??
@JET I definitely need to visit! It looked amazing!
I travelled from Bom-PHL on QR 2 weeks back and had no issue bringing my laptop bag with my regular Carry on. I am sorry you must be bringing 2 big carryons and not a laptop or purse to qualify for 2 check in items.
"In addition to your hand baggage allowance, you can also carry personal items such as one lady’s handbag or one small briefcase"
"Laptops and laptop bags should fit within your hand baggage allowance."
I've never seen this enforced. What is the difference between a soft laptop bag and a briefcase?
@Mikey I'm just as confused as you are. I think it's a mildly subjective policy.
Daniel is yet again convinced that the rules don't apply to him...