Review: Qatar Airways Business Class Boeing 787-9 (MXP-DOH)

I do often shave on a flight if I am on an overnight flight arriving in the morning and it is more than 15-18 hours since my last shave, which is fairly common when flying to and from Australia.

Great review, as always. What's mask policy like on board? And do they wear it? I'm sincerely hoping we are stepping away from this quite soon.

In terms of shaving, I always ensure I have shaved before any flight/set of flights I take, there is just not enough room in an airplane bathroom additionally, if you hit some turbulence you could cut yourself.

Very nice review, as usual. I have never even considered shaving on a flight.

Is that a manual window shade in the bathroom? I thought 787 windows were all fancy electric tint.

Thank you for another great detailed review. Looks like a great product, but I wish Qatar could have somehow managed to get a true double bed. If I am not wrong, they are the only one who offer a true double bed in J (except for few bulk head seats in SQ). This was one of the biggest reasons for me to fly QR. But this is still better than the reverse herringbone they have on some of their 787s.
Thank you for trying their vegan option. Really appreciate your review on it.

Wish more airlines had more non-alcoholic beverages like this! Even in economy Qatar has mango juice. Nice to have options other than soda and drip coffee

Interesting comment about the nuts… on my two flights with QR two weeks ago, they were serving warm nuts with drinks pre-departure.

If you’re in a centre seat next to a stranger, and that partition fails, sleeping is going to be very awkward.

I don’t like how close one’s head is to each other on the centre seats, just like Virgin even with a privacy screen it’s awkwardly close for comfort.

"This was served with a packaged cold towel. Yum!"

You know those towels aren't meant for eating, Lucky...

Nonsense, with that privacy screen your heads won't be touching at all, and being pointed away from each other won't make it that awkward.

Hahaha sounds like you are the perfect fit for the next CEO of Korean airways 😛

In qsuites with doors closed, you can keep it off and they won't say anything.

Looks great, I wish to travel Sydney in Business Class,

Ha, I once shaved on a Qatar flight, I think to Sydney to kill some time. Those disposable razors were less sharp than the butter knives. Do not recommend

I realize this blog’s intent is to review travel experiences, but I am conflicted when I see the praise about ME3 carriers where there are many, many documented instances of inhumane treatment of their staff, particularly towards those who get sponsored citizenship to work for pennies.

Yes, I have experienced the EK A380 shower and the QR DOH lounges, and they are fun, but after more exposure over the past few years about how employees are treated at these companies, I won’t fly these carriers (using points or cash). Just like I go out of my way to patronize Mom-n-Pop shops over big box stores, or donate to organizations that minimize administrative costs and not pay their leadership 7-digit+ salaries.

I’m sure many people will react and say, “good, more seats for me,” but I’m hopeful the LGBT writer of this blog is aware of how horrible these countries and airlines treat their own kind.

Nice to know about the Q suites mask (not strictly enforced) possibility. We have a SEA-DOH 14 hour coming in two weeks.

With HEPA filters, air nozzles and huge social distances in J it is hard to justify a mask requirement. Hope that officially the requirement will end soon. It's not like being in the massive lineups at immigration and customs where you are in close proximity no matter what you do with people you don't know and who may not be masked.

Amusing they give one (1) mask for the 14 hour flight. Guess they don't expect you to change it every 3 hours as required 😉

I agree with Mark. I flew with QR many times - service, food and seats are usually very good - but I don't use QR any longer. If everything works fine - it is great but if something goes wrong - it is a disaster - they are very unfriendly and very unhelpful, impossible to get any kind of compensation. Also many times in the past I flew very old 777-200 with horrible seats - instead of promised Q suites ( 3 out of
4 flights ) - zero compensation, no apology either ( not nice despite of the well known policy they might change aircraft for "operational reasons"). Sorry - QR might be the best airline/business class - but it is not for me. Prefer SQ and others.

Your virtue signalling is nauseating. The correct (i.e. dignified and non-showy) course of action is simply for you not fly these airlines, instead of making a song-and-dance about these "...horrible countries...and airlines". It is Ben's right to write as he wishes. It is our right to fly whatever airline we wish according to our desire, need and conscience, not your opinions.

And if we were to take this loopy logic to its inevitable conclusion, the consequences would be quite....awkward. Do I stop flying BA because Britain was the world's largest colonial power? Do I stop flying KLM because the Dutch brutalized Indonesia for hundreds of years? Do I stop flying Iberia because Cortez conquered the Incas? Do I stop flying QANTAS because Australian aborigines were marginalized? Do I stop flying Air New Zealand because of the Maori Wars? Do I stop flying Lufthansa because of 'that guy' with the funny moustache? Do I stop flying TAP because of Salazar? Do I stop flying Air China because of Mao and the Cultural Revolution? Do I stop flying Cathy because Carrie Lam is a communist lickspittle? Do I stop flying EgyptAir because the democracy revolution is lost and dictatorship is back? Do I stop flying American Airlines because of the Iraq Wars (I and II)?

Oh, my God! If we were to stop flying airlines based on the malicious behaviours (real or imagined) of their governments, there would literally be ZERO airlines flying. Welcome to the real world. It's messy and complicated and full of mostly decent people with other things on their mind instead of virtue signalling.

I have shaved exactly twice on a flight, and both times were because I was going straight to a meeting.

First time was on QR after a DOH-IAD leg back in 2008, and the other was a LH DXB-FRA in 2010.

I shave in hotel rooms and not the plane. I don't like leaving a messy lavatory and clean up after myself. Plus I carry better shaving gel

@Creditcrunch and @Aaron

I just flew this config and I can confirm that the privacy divider is not high enough if you're tall (or seated next to someone tall). I'm roughly 6,5" and my eyeline was slightly above the divider when raised. If you're seated next to a stranger in the middle seats, it has a very real possibility to get awkward.

That said, I liked the finishes and comfort, but I honestly prefer a standard reverse herringbone seat.

My neck remembers the pain from this

Years ago, I went to a fancy-schmancy molecular gastronomy place in Tokyo for a tasting dinner with colleagues. Waiting at each seat were a glass of champagne and a crystal dish on which sat a small white cylinder. Looked just like a marshmallow. I figured this was some sort of zany amuse bouche and popped it into my mouth, only to be repulsed by its hard, coarse, flavorless texture.

A few seconds later, a waiter came by and I saw him pouring hot water on the other diners' small white cylinders. They immediately blossomed into small scented towels. Oops. I spat mine into my napkin discreetly although the waiter looked horrified when he realized what I'd done. Thankfully it's Japan so absolutely no attention was called to it!

Bollinger 2006 in Business Class is seriously impressive. I’m glad QR has finally brought their Champagne game back to par after a few stints offering the incredibly acidic Pommery…

Many of your examples do not follow Mark's logic - they have largely been recognized by the countries of origin as horrific and/or problematic, and some of these countries have even made reparations for their past injustices and crimes. No one is talking about flying Lufthansa while the Nazis were in charge of Germany here. Furthermore, several of these airlines are privately owned, whilst Emirates and Qatar are state owned by states known for their abuses. So...false equivalences all around here. Also, why is it that every time someone calls out a social justice issue on this site, someone has to get their panties in a bunch about it being "virtue signaling?" How bloody cynical and, frankly, uncaring do you have to be to see someone taking issue with modern day discrimination and exploitation as nothing more than "virtue signaling?" If "virtual signaling" is more upsetting to you than the actual issue being addressed, then perhaps you are part of the problem. So sure, fly who you want to fly, but don't get upset when you are judged for it, and don't try and gaslight folks with false equivalences.

Great and accurate review … my only contrary opinion is that I find the QR entertainment system not to be as extensive at EK’s ICE system… and most infuriatingly NOT well organized. Bit of a dog’s breakfast is how I’d sum it up. Otherwise I find QR TOPS!!’

Ok so only US and Russian Airlines for now... Both are inhumanely invading other countries. Both should be avoided.

Again, another false equivalence...the US airlines are not state run.

LGBT is a reference to movements of activists who fight for more justice and equality and that is deeply laudable. However, one can be gay and not feeling a voice for a LGBT movement at any instant of ones life. And thanks god! So please let the writer fly any airlines he wishes without making him feel bad about the fantastic job he has been doing for years. This is certainly the best blog of its kind and and I find it inappropriate to make its talented author feel bad about his excellent work.

your airways blogs can inspire urge to travel and ignite a sense of adventure.