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NEWS: Qatar Airways opens new Doha Al Mourjan Business Lounge – The Garden with gym and spa

Michele — Mon, 24 Apr 2023 15:01:59 +0000

The new Qatar Airways business class lounge has finally opened in the North area of Doha’s Hamad airport and is called The Garden due to the fact that it overlooks the Orchard, a huge garden area in the airport.

The Garden is huge and stretches over an area of 7,390 square metres, with room for up to 707 passengers. It features 24 quiet spaces, each available free of charge for the first six hours, and also features seven spa treatment rooms.

Accessible for passengers travelling in the business class cabin, the new lounge offers a range of facilities with numerous dining options, relaxation rooms, a fitness studio, pedicure & manicure stations, spa facilities, dedicated private spaces, recreational areas and a nursery. The lounge incorporates natural light in its distinct design, which the south lounge does not really have.

Al Mourjan Business Class Lounge – The Garden

Here is a summary of everything you can expect to find, and it looks pretty impressive. I may have to book a classic fare next time just to experience it all!

Facilities:

Single and double quiet rooms
Showers and washrooms
NurseryChildren’s play room
Game room
Smoking room

Gym:

Treadmills
Elliptical
Exercise bikes
Locker rooms

Spa:

Manicure/pedicure stations
Neck and shoulder massage chairs
Relaxation chairs
Treatment rooms
Changing rooms

East Wing – Dining Options

The East Wing features the main dining areas, where passengers can select food from hot and cold buffets, as well as sushi & salad, coffee & patisserie, and cocktail & bistro bar offerings, together with à la carte dining.

Buffet Area:

Extensive variety of international and local cuisine, including soups, appetisers and entrees
Fresh bakery selection
Cake and desserts selection
Sushi station
Made to order salads, breakfast bowls and poke bowls

Coffee and Patisserie Bar:

Fresh fruits, juices and smoothies
Selection of pastries
Made to order sandwiches
Barista prepared hot and cold beverages
Gelato and ice cream station

Cocktail and Bistro Bar:

Savoury bites and appetisersWine, spirits, beer, cocktails and mocktails

West Wing – Dining Options

This area of the lounge features the showers, quiet areas, prayer rooms and meeting rooms in addition to light bites at a coffee & patisserie bar and refreshment station.

Coffee and Patisserie Bar:

Fresh fruits, juices and smoothies
Selection of pastries
Made to order sandwiches
Barista prepared hot and cold beverages

Refreshment Station:

Tea and coffee selection
Light snacks
Arabic sweets
Popular beverages

The post NEWS: Qatar Airways opens new Doha Al Mourjan Business Lounge – The Garden with gym and spa appeared first on Turning left for less.

Qatar Airways QSuites B777-200LR business class review Doha to Oslo

Michele — Sat, 11 Feb 2023 05:19:07 +0000

After my musical chairs outbound flight that changed from a B787-9 with the new premium suite to several other seats before settling on the oldest B777 seats (2-2-2), I was hoping for a better experience on the way home. You can read my outbound flight review here and find out more about the fare I flew on.

Check-in and connection

I was travelling from Dubai and connected through Doha. Unlike the previous connection, I arrived at a gate close to the central area near the Teddy Bear sculpture, so did not have to walk miles. My departing gate at A8 was only a few minutes walk away too, which was handy for spending more time in the lounge.

Lounge

Qatar Platinum lounge Doha Dining area

I was on a lite business class ticket, so did not have access to the main Al Mourjan lounge. You can read a review of the lounge here. Instead, I was allowed to visit the new Platinum or Gold lounges due to my status with BA. Platinum is for BA gold card holders, and Gold is for silver cardholders. Although I have read a few complaints about the lounges, personally, I liked them, and I definitely would not pay extra to use Al Mourjan unless I had a long layover.

Qatar Doha Platinum Lounge Bar

The lounges were quite busy when I got there at peak time in the early morning, but they soon emptied out. The crowding should improve as Qatar is opening larger new Platinum and Gold lounges in the new North part of the terminal.

Qatar Gold lounge Doha South seats

You can read my full review of the Platinum and Gold lounges here. As a quick summary, there was a good selection of wines and champagne available along with both a buffet and food to order. There was a separate dining area and then a bar and lounge section. I thought the food selection was not very different in the Platinum lounge than you would get in Al Mourjan, and even in the Gold lounge, the food was almost the same.

Boarding

I set off fairly early for the gate as I find Qatar often board early. What greeted me was a bit of a shambles to be honest. The gate area was tiny and there was a big queue of people to get into the waiting area. Although there was a premium queue, it was hard actually to get to it, and it took quite a long time before I made my way into the actual gate area.

Eventually, they called business class passengers to board, and there was a separate door and jet bridge to board.

Once onboard, the crew soon came over to introduce themselves and offer a welcome drink. Despite being 8am, I’m sure it was 12pm somewhere so I decided to go for the rather lovely Laurent Perrier 2006 Alexander Rosé vintage champagne.

At the seat was an amenity kit in a box, the menus and a day pillow, all branded with the World Cup.

Inside the amenity kit was a selection of Diptyque products:

Being a day flight, there were no amenities like socks or earplugs. I did ask for pyjamas which they were happy to provide, but they do not give them out on day flights unless you ask usually.

Take off views

I was also given one of the scented towels, which I absolutely adore the scent of. They are really refreshing and moist enough to actually clean your hands effectively. I think Qatar should start selling them onboard, as I’d love a few to keep with me when travelling for a quick freshen-up.

The QSuite

I have been in the Qsuite a number of times, and it is still the best overall business-class service for me when you combine the hard product with the food and service.

Here is the seat map:

Qatar B777-200LR Qsuite map by Aerolopa

I like that there are two mini cabins which feel more personal. I chose seat 3K which is a rear-facing seat. I never notice any difference being rear-facing, and I am quite prone to motion sickness.

I chose 3K as it was one of the seats with the seat closer to the window and then the ottoman closer to the aisle as I like to see out of the window and also find it quieter being away from the aisle.

There is plenty of storage in the Qsuite, which is mainly in the ottoman, that has a lid that lifts off.

In the ottoman, a bottle of water had also been placed.

Ottoman storage area

After take-off, you have the whole side table area to store things as well as underneath it which is perfect for a laptop or tablet.

When sleeping your feet go in a footwell under the next seat, but there is also some storage available here.

There was a blanket provided, which is silkier on one side and more fluffy on the other. There was a cushion on the seat as well. You can always ask the crew to make up your bed if you want a nap, even on a day flight, and they will provide a mattress topper as the seats are a little firm for me to sleep.

I find the QSuites very comfortable for lounging and sleeping, although as I said they are quite hard when lying down, particularly if it is a newer aircraft.

The seat position can be controlled in multiple ways which I like as the footrest is a little too far for me to reach without shifting the seat forward a bit. As well as sleeping, lounging and eating presets you can adjust things like lumber support and move the chair forwards and backwards.

I also like that you can use the Do Not Disturb sign for when you are sleeping with the door closed. I do not find it claustrophobic with the door closed at all, but I think it feels more spacious when you have the ottoman between you and the aisle.

Food and drink

To start, I was offered a drink and some warm nuts. I decided to continue with the Laurent Perrier Alexander vintage Rosé. This is far superior to pretty much any other airline business class champagne and would be more at home in first class.

Here is the menu:

I thought this was a very substantial offering for a 7 hour flight with a full a la carte, platters for snacks, some light options and some nibbles all available. I could also choose to eat when I wanted, so I waited a little while after taking off before I ate.

Here is the wine and drinks list:

I started with the amuse bouche which was rare cold beef with asparagus.

Next, I had to have the mezze for one last time even though I’d just spent five days eating it in Dubai!

As well as the starter, I was also given a basket of bread and a choice of flavoured olive oils for dipping – one of my favourite parts of the Qatar service. If you like a bit of zing, I recommend the spicy lemon or the chilli-tomato. The portion size is definitely generous, and all the elements were authentic and tasty. I had the white Burgundy Chardonnay to accompany it which was very good, being slightly buttery but with a hint of freshness.

I had gone for the lamb kofte and lamb chop. Again it was a generous portion, and the lamb was still tender and not dry or chewy. I also enjoyed the harissa flavour. The only fail of the meal was the tomato focaccia. It seemed very out of place and was pretty dry too. A bit of a pointless addition in my opinion. Otherwise, it was very enjoyable. I enjoyed my glass of Chateau Batailley Pauillac which was an excellent Bordeaux and better than the equivalent one in BA first for my palette.

I ordered the gourmet ice cream selection (although the world cup football dessert looked very impressive), thinking it would be a relatively light dessert. I was not expecting a chocolate ice cream sundae, not quite the small portion I was expecting! I accompanied that with a cognac – there’s definitely no #brandygate on Qatar, that’s for sure!

Some people complain that the crew are robotic but I have never really found that. I did a series of 4 flights on Qatar, and generally, the crews were friendly and professional with some being more chatty than others. On all the flights, the cabin manager came to introduce themselves to business class passengers, which I think is a nice touch.

Wifi and Entertainment

The B777s have the Super wifi service, which is great. Fast and cheap, there is little to complain about, and I wish other airlines were similarly equipped. I also got an hour of wi-fi free for simply being a Privilege member, so it is always worth joining before you fly to get the free hour.

It is easy to log in as you just supply your email or phone number registered to your account to connect. Even the full-flight Wi-Fi is only $10 which I think is a very reasonable price, with many others charging more than double that for 150mb.

Noise-cancelling headphones were supplied which did a good job, but I do find them a little tight to wear for a long period. However, the pads on the ear prices themselves are relatively soft compared with some others.

The entertainment screen on board had a good definition, and there was a decent selection of recent films and TV programs as well as some classics. I’d started watching a fairly trashy sitcom on the previous flight called American Housewife so I continued with that – perfect when you have been up since 2am!

The handset has a colour screen and can be used to display something separate to the main screen. It was fairly easy to use with only minimal lagging.

The NFC feature for the Qsuite allows you to transfer your Oryx One playlist from your phone to your seat with just a tap. There is also an HDMI socket to connect your laptop if you want to watch your own content.

I had no issues charging several devices at once, thanks to the multi country socket and USB port.

Conclusion

Other than the boarding process, I have very little to complain about for this flight. The wines were exceptional for business class, definitely more what I would expect in First class. The food was all tasty, although the bread addition to the main course was a little odd.

I still love the QSuites which was the original business class suite and is still one of the best. Overall I’d still say that Qatar hasn’t lost their touch and are still in the lead for the best business class service when you get the QSuites.

You can check prices and book Qatar Airways flights here.

The post Qatar Airways QSuites B777-200LR business class review Doha to Oslo appeared first on Turning left for less.

A Guide to Qatar Airways business class seats – which are the best?

Michele — Thu, 26 Jan 2023 05:30:13 +0000

So how can you tell which seat you have and which is the best? I will cover these in the order that I think are the best from high to low.

1. Q Suite on A350-10, B777-200LR and B777-300ER

B777 seat plan by Aerolopa

QSuites are Qatar’s best business class seat, and they are gradually converting their B777s to these seats. You can also find them on all A350-10 and A350-9 aircraft as well. However, they are not on any of their B787, A330 or A380 aircraft. You can tell that you have a QSuite from the seat map, as it will show some backward-facing seats.

The Qsuites are a good size for business class and very private with a door. I don’t find the QSuites at all claustrophobic, even with the door closed, but even with it open, it is pretty private.

You get slightly different amenities with Q Suites with a small day pillow which you can take home.

However, they are quite hard compared to the older seats. Even with the mattress topper, they are still on the hard side, whereas I find BA’s Club Suites much more comfortable for sleeping in terms of softness.

The QSuites also alternately face backward which some people don’t like. I don’t notice any difference sitting backwards, but some claim that they do. In fact, I generally recommend the backwards-facing window seats. This is because they are closer to the window and further from the aisle, so quieter.

A forward-facing QSuite

In the middle seats, you have a choice of being in a double QSuite where they can make it into a double bed or the seats with the ottomans in the middle. They can put up a privacy screen between them if you are travelling solo. There are also “Quads” available with four seats, but you need to book these by phone prior to departure.

Next to the seat is an ottoman with a padded top which effectively extends the width of the seat. In the ottoman, there is a reasonable amount of storage space too.

QSuite with ottoman

There are lots of seat controls, but I don’t like that there is no separate footrest that you can control. I can just about reach the footstool with it slightly reclined (I’m 5ft 6). I do like the fact there’s a Do not disturb though!

QSuite controls

Another feature I like with the QSuite is the fact you can plug in an HDMI lead so you could watch something from your laptop on the screen if you have your lead with you. They also come equipped with USB charging as well as a multi-country socket. The entertainment system has great definition and you can control the screen with the handheld remote that also has a picture screen that can show a different picture such as the map.

QSuite Quad

2. Premium Suite B787-9

There are no QSuites on B787 as the fuselage is too narrow. So Qatar invented what is affectionately know as QSuite lite. This is only available on new B787-9s currently.

Unlike the original QSuites, which face forwards and backwards in an alternating pattern, the Premium Suite, as it is known is arranged in a herringbone pattern, in a 1-2-1 configuration.

There are 30 Suites on a B787-9. As you would expect, each suite has direct aisle access with a sliding door to ensure extra privacy.

The centre seats can be arranged with the privacy divider up or down. However, there is no way to make the double bed like on the QSuite, and you can’t have the Quad arrangement either.

The interesting part about the divider that I have not seen before is that both people have to press the divider button to work, which I like. If you’ve had an argument with your other half or your travel companion is irritating you, you can just keep the screen up!

The business class suite, transforms into a 79” fully-flat bed, and the arm rest can be completely stowed away if you wish, giving more available width for sleeping. There are three preset positions for the seat – bed, landing/take-off and relaxed, but you can also raise or lower the leg rest separately.

In terms of technology, the Suite is well-equipped. There is a 13-inch Panasonic IFE touch screen which feels large in relation to the position of the seat. You can control the TV via its touchscreen or you can use the separate handheld controller that allows you to have something separate on the screen, such as the moving map.

I really liked the personal electronic device holder for mobiles which allows wireless charging but keeps your phone safely out of the way, so it doesn’t get lost. There is no HDMI connector like some QSuites, but it does have a USB port as well as a multi-country socket.

3. B787-8 older seats

Seat and welcome drinks on B787

In terms of in-seat storage, there is a large storage bucket to the side of the seat, a smaller storage unit in the aisle armrest, as well as a table space next to the seat, so it definitely has enough storage for pre-departure bits and bobs.

The seat layout is a bit odd as although they have the 1-2-1 layout, there are two seats at the back called the honeymoon seats by many. While these are very private, they are also right between the two toilets, not quite what I would call romantic! You can tell that it is a B787-8 older seat layout when you see the honeymoon seats on the map.

seat plan by Aerolopa

I find these seats the most comfortable within the fleet due to the padding and they are very similar to the A350 older seats. The B787 seats are the Super Diamond design that is used by many airlines.

The B787 has a unique feature which is the tinted windows. The cabin crew can control these when they wish, but the rest of the time, you have your own controls to darken the window or turn it clear. I enjoyed playing with these and still marvel at how it works. However, I don’t really like them when trying to sleep as they do not block the light very efficiently. I actually prefer the old-fashioned window shades.

B787 window tinting

Joint 3. A350-9 Older Seats

Seats are laid out in a 1-2-1 configuration, but unlike the B787, it does not have the honeymoon seats. Instead, it has a lovely wide entranceway with a dome that can be lit up in different colours. It definitely gives business class an air of grandeur. They usually place some snacks and drinks on the bar here between meal services.

The seats are the same Super Diamond design as the B787-8 and are spread over two separate sections.

Qatar business class review A350 Cabin

My preference is for the first row in the second business class section. It is immediately to the right of the second door (which is usually used for boarding). This means that you can also be one of the first to get off.

Qatar A350-9 older seat map by Aeropola

Instead of automatic dimming windows like the B787, it has electric window shades. Other than this, the seats are pretty much identical to the B787 with plenty of storage space and well-padded.

Joint 3. A380 older seats

These are very similar to the A350/B787 older seats. The main difference is that business class upstairs has a side bin which is usual on many A380s upstairs. So if you want extra storage I’d recommend a window seat.

They are also arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration.

5. A330 Business Class

The A330-300 has five rows of business class in a 2-2-2 configuration. The front row is definitely the best option, although you are then close to the toilet and galley. Qatar operates two configurations of the A330 as they also operate the A330-200s, so it is always best to check the seat map carefully before deciding on your seat.

The seats on the A330 are quite narrow and lack room for stowing anything for take-off apart from your water bottle and headphones. Once airborne, you can have things around you more as there was a little shelf space behind you as well as a large central armrest.

The seat is the B/E Diamond seat which is also used on some of Qatar’s A319. All the seats except the front row have a narrow foot well which I personally didn’t find a major issue, but I would have preferred more room.

Narrow foot rest area

I don’t find the seat very comfortable for sleeping due to the narrowness. But it’s absolutely fine on a day flight. You can put down the armrest on the aisle side, which helps a bit but if you like to sleep on your side, it feels narrow around the leg and knee area. The seat is well padded, though and also comfortable for sitting in.

6. B777 old 2-2-2 seats

Qatar Airways B777-300ER business class cabin

These seats are only featured on four aircraft, and hopefully, as they receive newer aircraft they will be phased out. The seats are laid out in a 2-2-2 configuration across four rows, so easy to spot on a seat map.

The good point is that they feel very spacious in terms of the distance to the seat in front of you compared with most modern business class seats where your feet go under the seat in front.

Qatar Airways B777-300ER business class seat

Nonetheless, they feel very exposed with zero privacy. There is a small divider between the seats at head height but it is so small it is pointless as it only extends a few more centimetres if you pull it.

Note how close my neighbour’s glass of water is. My drinks area was above that in the photo.

One thing I really hated on my most recent flight with these seats was the tiny shared table in the middle. My neighbour kept putting his drink on my half and at one point, I picked up his bowl of nuts by mistake. I was worried that I would inadvertently knock his drink over as it was so close to my arm. From readers’ comments, this happens pretty frequently with these seats.

There was at least plenty of storage space with a large bucket type of storage beneath the seat in front but this, of course, meant that you could not reach it when the seat belt sign was on. There was also room for shoes or small bags in the racks next to it. At the side there was a pocket for “literature”.

The seats technically go almost flat and are very low to the floor which makes it easier to step over someone next to you. However, with the footrest which is leather, it doesn’t feel like a proper flat bed as your feet are slightly lower. Also, if you look in the top right of the photo below you can see what happens if someone tall is next to you – you will either have to ask them to move their feet or hurdle over them – one of my pet hates in business class.

When debating with others on Twitter, a few of the men said it was easy to get out if there was someone next to you when in the window seat. My view would be this is only true if your neighbour is not tall or you yourself are pretty tall and happy to straddle someone’s legs!

The seat is reasonably wide, well padded and not uncomfortable as such, though I did not like the leather footrest. I did like that you could control the leg rest separately, and the footrest was adjustable in length.

If you are travelling with someone else these seats aren’t as bad, and they are definitely wide and well-padded. But generally, these are the ones I try to avoid.

You can find full reviews of all the Qatar seat types on this page.

The post A Guide to Qatar Airways business class seats – which are the best? appeared first on Turning left for less.

A Guide to Qatar Airways business class seats – which are the best?

Michele — Thu, 26 Jan 2023 05:30:13 +0000

If you are planning to fly Qatar business class, it may surprise you that there are no less than six different types of business class seats, and that’s if you count the older B787/A350/B777 reverse herringbone Cirrus/Super Diamond as the same (they are very similar). There are also some leased aircraft from other airlines such as Cathay Pacific and Virgin Australia. Seat maps for these can be found on Aerolopa. I suspect as soon as the A350 issue is resolved these will be removed from the fleet. I have not covered those in this review since I have not flown them myself.

So how can you tell which seat you have and which is the best? I will cover these in the order that I think are the best from high to low.

1. Q Suite on A350-10, B777-200LR and B777-300ER

B777 seat plan by Aerolopa

The Qsuites are a good size for business class and very private with a door. I don’t find the QSuites at all claustrophobic, even with the door closed, but even with it open, it is pretty private.

You get slightly different amenities with Q Suites with a small day pillow which you can take home.

A forward-facing QSuite

Next to the seat is an ottoman with a padded top which effectively extends the width of the seat. In the ottoman, there is a reasonable amount of storage space too.

QSuite with ottoman

QSuite controls

QSuite Quad

2. Premium Suite B787-9

There are no QSuites on B787 as the fuselage is too narrow. So Qatar invented what is affectionately know as QSuite lite. This is only available on new B787-9s currently.

Unlike the original QSuites, which face forwards and backwards in an alternating pattern, the Premium Suite, as it is known is arranged in a herringbone pattern, in a 1-2-1 configuration.

There are 30 Suites on a B787-9. As you would expect, each suite has direct aisle access with a sliding door to ensure extra privacy.

The centre seats can be arranged with the privacy divider up or down. However, there is no way to make the double bed like on the QSuite, and you can’t have the Quad arrangement either.

3. B787-8 older seats

Seat and welcome drinks on B787

seat plan by Aerolopa

B787 window tinting

Joint 3. A350-9 Older Seats

The seats are the same Super Diamond design as the B787-8 and are spread over two separate sections.

Qatar business class review A350 Cabin

Qatar A350-9 older seat map by Aeropola

Instead of automatic dimming windows like the B787, it has electric window shades. Other than this, the seats are pretty much identical to the B787 with plenty of storage space and well-padded.

Joint 3. A380 older seats

They are also arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration.

5. A330 Business Class

Narrow foot rest area

6. B777 old 2-2-2 seats

Qatar Airways B777-300ER business class cabin

The good point is that they feel very spacious in terms of the distance to the seat in front of you compared with most modern business class seats where your feet go under the seat in front.

Qatar Airways B777-300ER business class seat

Note how close my neighbour’s glass of water is. My drinks area was above that in the photo.

If you are travelling with someone else these seats aren’t as bad, and they are definitely wide and well-padded. But generally, these are the ones I try to avoid.

You can find full reviews of all the Qatar seat types on this page.

The post A Guide to Qatar Airways business class seats – which are the best? appeared first on Turning left for less.

A Guide to Qatar Airways business class seats – which are the best?

Michele — Thu, 26 Jan 2023 05:30:13 +0000

So how can you tell which seat you have and which is the best? I will cover these in the order that I think are the best from high to low.

1. Q Suite on A350-10, B777-200LR and B777-300ER

B777 seat plan by Aerolopa

The Qsuites are a good size for business class and very private with a door. I don’t find the QSuites at all claustrophobic, even with the door closed, but even with it open, it is pretty private.

You get slightly different amenities with Q Suites with a small day pillow which you can take home.

A forward-facing QSuite

Next to the seat is an ottoman with a padded top which effectively extends the width of the seat. In the ottoman, there is a reasonable amount of storage space too.

QSuite with ottoman

QSuite controls

QSuite Quad

2. Premium Suite B787-9

There are no QSuites on B787 as the fuselage is too narrow. So Qatar invented what is affectionately know as QSuite lite. This is only available on new B787-9s currently.

Unlike the original QSuites, which face forwards and backwards in an alternating pattern, the Premium Suite, as it is known is arranged in a herringbone pattern, in a 1-2-1 configuration.

There are 30 Suites on a B787-9. As you would expect, each suite has direct aisle access with a sliding door to ensure extra privacy.

The centre seats can be arranged with the privacy divider up or down. However, there is no way to make the double bed like on the QSuite, and you can’t have the Quad arrangement either.

3. B787-8 older seats

Seat and welcome drinks on B787

seat plan by Aerolopa

B787 window tinting

Joint 3. A350-9 Older Seats

The seats are the same Super Diamond design as the B787-8 and are spread over two separate sections.

Qatar business class review A350 Cabin

Qatar A350-9 older seat map by Aeropola

Instead of automatic dimming windows like the B787, it has electric window shades. Other than this, the seats are pretty much identical to the B787 with plenty of storage space and well-padded.

Joint 3. A380 older seats

They are also arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration.

5. A330 Business Class

Narrow foot rest area

6. B777 old 2-2-2 seats

Qatar Airways B777-300ER business class cabin

The good point is that they feel very spacious in terms of the distance to the seat in front of you compared with most modern business class seats where your feet go under the seat in front.

Qatar Airways B777-300ER business class seat

Note how close my neighbour’s glass of water is. My drinks area was above that in the photo.

If you are travelling with someone else these seats aren’t as bad, and they are definitely wide and well-padded. But generally, these are the ones I try to avoid.

You can find full reviews of all the Qatar seat types on this page.

The post A Guide to Qatar Airways business class seats – which are the best? appeared first on Turning left for less.

Qatar Airways old B777 2-2-2 seats business class review – the dinosaur of the fleet

Michele — Tue, 06 Dec 2022 05:40:40 +0000

This is a review of the Qatar Airways old B777. Putting aside politics, I have always been a huge fan of Qatar Airways business class. For me, it is the best you can buy. However, recently I heard a few negative comments about aircraft swaps and people losing their seat assignments. During the World Cup and the lead-up to it there have been a lot of aircraft changes, so I was almost expecting something to happen.

The start of the tale of woe…Lastminute.com

I had booked a great deal from Oslo to Dubai for around £1100. Against my better judgment, I used Lastminute.com. I always tell people to either book flights direct with the airline or using a reputable travel agent, not an online one. But here I ignored my own advice…

Suffice to say I would never recommend even my worst enemy to use them to book flights. Hotels yes, flights no. The reason I booked it was that it was advertising a “Classic” business class fare rather than booking directly on Qatar that was categorised as Business Lite.

Qatar switched to offering a business class product without lounge access or seat selection a while ago called Lite. The next fare class up “Classic” offers lounge access and seat selection so I thought I would book that. Little did I know that it was not a Qatar Classic fare but a Lastminute.com Classic fare. I only discovered this when I went into the booking on Qatar’s website and saw the fare class.

Nowhere did it state during the booking process that lounge access and seat booking were not included and that this was a Lite fare. I find this extremely misleading and very unclear what you are buying.

I tried arguing, and initially they relented and said I could rebook in the correct fare bucket. But then they kept saying there were no seats available – for the next 6 months – despite it showing very clearly that it was wide open on Expert Flyer. Eventually, I just gave up.

However, the second half of the ticket from Doha to Dubai was booked in first class (A) so I assumed that would entitle me to use the Al Safwa lounge as there is no such thing as First lite.

Aircraft musical chairs

Qatar B787-9 Premium Suite

The whole point of booking the flight from Oslo was to try Qatar’s Premium Suite on their B787-9 aka Q Suite lite. Sadly a few weeks before the aircraft changed to a non Premium Suite B787-8. Although it was annoying for the review, I wasn’t too worried about the journey personally as I don’t mind any of Qatar’s reverse herringbone seats.

However, a couple of days before when I was checking my seat my heart sank when I saw it had changed to one of the oldest B777s in their fleet which features a very outdated 2-2-2 seat. Now if you are travelling as a couple or with a friend it’s not nearly so bad. But as a solo traveller, I am very conscious of my personal space and privacy – this is what I pay for business class for. I was not notified of the change except possibly in a very vaguely worded email that just said there had been a change and stupidly had forgotten to set an alert on Expert Flyer. I assumed the email was about a time change that happened at the same time. By the time I realised, there were virtually no seats left, so I settled on one in the middle as at least I would have aisle access.

Normally you would have had to pay for the seat assignment, which in this case, I would have done so as not be trapped next to someone in a window seat. However, if you have Oneworld status that gives seat assignments then you can get them free on the lite fare.

One positive about Qatar is that if you have booked QSuites and the aircraft changes you can move free of charge to another flight from the same destination with QSuites. Unfortunately, Oslo only has one flight a day, and I was only in Dubai for 4 nights, so I couldn’t really move to another date.

Check-in

I flew in on the last British Airways flight and stayed overnight at Oslo airport at the Radisson Blu (review coming soon). Work is being done at Oslo airport, so Qatar was right down the far end from the hotel.

There was only one person ahead of me, so I thought it would be a short wait. Wrong! They had a very odd system where they had people checking documents before check-in, but they were both at the economy queue checking all of those. Why they did not just position themselves at the entrance to the area I don’t know. They had been coming over to the business class queue prior to my arrival and they walked off just as I arrived.

By this time, a queue had built up behind me, and the woman at the counter would not serve me until my documents were checked. You’d think they could just check them themselves for something simple like a vaccine certificate. Instead, they started serving people from the economy queue while the whole business queue stood there. Eventually, someone came over, and while he was very apologetic, I wasn’t very impressed by the lack of organisation. Then to add insult to injury, they had let a group go in front from the economy queue that had loads of luggage that then kept us all waiting even longer, even once our documents were checked.

The security queues were fairly short and well organised, at least. Overall Oslo is a pleasant airport to fly from apart from all the long walks!

Lounge

The OSL lounge is before you go through immigration but after security, so you need to allow extra time to get to the gate. However, both times I went through there was no queue. I will do a more thorough review of the lounge as a stand-alone article since it is used by BA as well.

If you head towards the international departures area, you will see a Starbucks. The lift behind it will take you up to the lounges.

There are two parts to the lounge – the main area and the Premium lounge for BA Gold/oneworld emerald. In terms of alcohol and food and drink, the main lounge is very basic. Blue Nun wine or wine on tap plus beer is the drink choice! There is a salad bar as well as a few nibbles, but that’s about it. Nevertheless, the lounge itself is modern and wasn’t too busy when I was there.

Boarding the Qatar Airways old B777

Sadly this wasn’t great either. The gate was the furthest away and a very long walk away. Once there, they called business class to board. When we got down a very long corridor to the actual jetbridge, we found that both entrances to the aircraft had tensa barriers across, so we were left standing on the freezing bridge for 10 minutes waiting. Apparently, there was some sort of inspection going on, but why get the passengers there in the first place if you knew that?

Once onboard I found my seat and was pleased to see that the indications were it would at least be a good service. I was offered a choice of welcome drink and one of the new Diptyque towels. These are room temperature but smell absolutely divine. Sadly you can’t buy these or I’d go and get a load to carry with me when travelling.

I went for the Rosé champagne as they have a very special one aboard at the moment. It’s is a step up from my favourite Laurent Perrier Rose that they usually serve. This one costs around £300 a bottle and is highly praised by critics. It is like a more complex refined version of the usual Rosé but still has plenty red fruit hints though a bit more toasty.

At the Qatar Airways old B777 seat, there was a Diptyque amenity kit, but one for shorter flights rather than the full presentation box. This was in a Fifa world cup branded black leather look pouch which I thought looked smart. The bag had a detachable strap, so you could use it as a handbag.

Inside were:

socks
Essential Face moisturiser
Perfume Eau de Rose
Fresh body lotion
Nourishing lip balm

I’m sad to see the refreshing face spray go from the previous brand, as I use these more than anything on long-haul flights to keep the atmosphere less dry and my face hydrated. Nonetheless, this was an upmarket kit with plenty of useful items. Pajamas were not offered as this was a 3pm departure but they will usually find you some if you ask nicely.

Qatar Airways old B777 Seat and cabin

The Qatar Airways old B777 seats are laid out in a 2-2-2 configuration across 4 rows.

The good point is that they feel very spacious in terms of the distance to the seat in front of you compared with most modern business class seats where your feet go under the seat in front.

Note how close my neighbour’s glass of water is. My drinks area was above that in the photo.

One thing I really hated was the tiny shared table in the middle. My neighbour kept putting his drink on my half and at one point, I picked up his bowl of nuts by mistake. I was worried that I would inadvertently knock his drink over as it was so close to my arm. From readers’ comments, this happens pretty frequently with these seats.

There was at least plenty of storage space with a large bucket type of storage beneath the seat in front but this of course meant that you could not reach it when the seat belt sign was on. There was also room for shoes or small bags in the racks next to it. At the side there was a pocket for “literature”.

The Qatar Airways old B777 seats technically go almost flat and are very low to the floor which makes it easier to step over someone next to you. However with the footrest which is leather it doesn’t feel like a properly flat bed as your feet are slightly lower. Also if you look in the top right of the photo below you can see what happens if someone tall is next to you – you will either have to ask them to move their feet or hurdle over them – one of my pet hates in business class.

When debating with others on Twitter a few of the men said it was easy to get out if there was someone next to you when in the window seat. My view would be this is only true if your neighbour is not tall or you yourself are pretty tall and happy to straddle someone’s legs!

The Qatar Airways old B777 seat is reasonably wide, well padded and not uncomfortable as such, though I did not like the leather foot rest. I did like that you could control the leg rest separately and the foot rest was adjustable in length.

Qatar Airways old B777 Food and drink

The menus were already at my seat and I was very pleased with what was inside. These too were world cup branded.

Here is the food menu:

And the drinks:

The service started with a drink and some warm nuts. I decided to continue with the Rosé champagne. Apparently Qatar bought the entire vintage of this champagne.

Next came a tasty prawn amuse bouche and a beautifully laid up table with a cute little candle.

I was also given a basket of bread and offered a choice of olive oils for dipping. I went with my usual favourite, the spicy lemon.

It had been a long time since I had flown on Qatar, so of course, I had to have the mezze, which is my favourite starter.

It was, as usual, delicious, but be warned, the portions are enormous, so pace yourself!

For the main, I went for the prawns. This was a little like the chicken Machboos dish Qatar often has. It had an Indian taste to me with plenty of spice but not heat, although it is a classic Arabic stew believed to have beduin origins. The prawns were not overcooked and so I really enjoyed this dish. RThe nuts added some nice texture to the otherwise soft dish. There was a lot of this too!

I was very tempted by the berries and mango as I have often had similar desserts on Qatar which are fresh and light. But I decided, for the sake of the review, I should try the cheese with some more of the excellent Pauillac Bordeaux, which was exceptionally good – far better than anything I have had on BA first class. I had also had a glass of the Beaune Chardonnay from Burgundy which was good but not as special as the Pauillac.

It was a generous portion of cheese with plenty of different crackers although I wasn’t keen on the sweet paste that accompanied it due to the spice used in it which was a little overpowering. But the cheeses themselves were excellent.

Later in the flight, I had a cappuccino which was one of the best I have had on an aircraft and was offered a choice of chocolates to go with it, which is a nice touch. I went for the berries which were enjoyable and not too sweet.

Before landing, we were all given a box of two gourmet chocolates by Laderach, both of which were delicious – particularly the coffee one.

Qatar Airways old B777 Entertainment and wi-fi

Wi-fi is another area that Qatar excel in. Their super wifi is indeed super. Not only is it fast but it is also cheap and even free if you are a member of their Privilege Club. So if you are flying Qatar make sure you sign up for the Privilege Club before your flight. It was easy to get the free hour as you only needed to remember your phone number or email address that was registered. Even if you had to pay $10 is very reasonable for the full flight.

Noise cancelling headphones were provided. There was a reasonable selection of new and older films to watch and quite a range of TV programs. You could tell the TV was a bit old as it lacked definition. IT was a decent size but because it was so far away I found I kept getting distrac ted by what was going on in the cabin. And yes, they still have the super irritating football safety video from ages ago. Let’s hope after the World Cup they get rid of it.

There was a multi country socket and a USB point for charging but the headphone socket and USB were not particularly easy to reach being hidden away at an angle from the seat. The power socket was also a fail as it was at floor level in between the seats and had an annoying cover which basically meant that you could not use it with anything but the tiniest plug. Given that I had been hoping to work and hadn’t managed to charge my laptop before the flight, I was extremely annoyed to find that I could not plug it in with any of my plugs. My neighbour also could not use his socket.

Arrival and connecting

I thought I would touch on this although I will cover the next flight to Dubai in a separate article. My bad luck did not improve when we arrived at Doha at the furthest C gate which is miles away from the central concourse. A few us went to get the train but the airport employee wrongly informed is that we could not use it if connecting. After walking what felt like miles, I breezed through the premium transfer security lookimh forward to my lounge visit.

I went to the Al Safwa lounge as I was flying first class to Dubai (there is no business class on short haul). I was extremely surprised that I was refused access due to me being on a business lite ticket. I was pointed to the frequent flyer lounges. These are new and actually very good.

Al Safwa

I have consulted with a number of very frequent flyers to check it wasn’t just me that would expect lounge access in this scenario. They all agreed that if I have an A class first class ticket in my hand I should be allowed access.

I tried to get an explanation from the Qatar Support team on Twitter. First they said the catch all “operational reasons” then they changed their minds and said they could not help and I needed to contact Qatar by email.

I now have had the official answer. Even though there is no such thing as first class lite, the business lite applies to the whole ticket even if part of it is in A fare class for first.

A spokesman for Qatar Airways said,

The Business Lite fare ticket does not include lounge access. As Dubai is only 2 cabins – Business and Economy – due to cabin ineligibility the ticket was issued in First Class cabin with Business Fare. While booking the itinerary, the website will show the sectors and the benefits.

Now, obviously Lastminute.com and other online travel agents do not show this information. It is also a bit confusing with multiple class bookings as on most airline you would still receive the first class lounge even if travelling in business class on the first segment.

Conclusion

It is such as shame that Qatar are still using these aircraft that are well past their sell by date. I went from the newest seats available to the oldest. Fortunately there are only two of these aircraft left in the fleet so the chances of you getting this plane are small. With Qatar’s shortage of aircraft due to the airbus paint issue, I fear they may be around for a bit longer.

The onboard service was as good as ever and the food generous and delicious. The wine list was fantastic with several superb wines and chamagnes available that you would be lucky to find in first class never mind business class.

Fortunately for the way back it changed again to a QSuite.

Like our Qatar Airways old B777 review? You can read more Qatar flight reviews here.

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NEWS: Doha Airport’s terminal expansion with new lounges & hotel opens, New Qatar at Heathrow

Michele — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 11:50:44 +0000

Doha Airport’s expansion almost complete with new lounges and hotel

Just in time for the World Cup, Doha’s Hamad Airport revealed the new Orchard development as part of its expansion. The airport will be able to handle 58 million passengers annually.

Anyone that visited the lounges recently or prior to Covid will know how busy they have become. When I visited last week, the airport was a complete zoo at 5am around the central bear statue. So it’s great news that the expansion with huge new lounges and a new transit area is complete.

The ORCHARD

Hmm, now, what does this area remind me of? Anyone who has been to Singapore’s Jewel, may find this looks scarily familiar. However, nonetheless, it is a great-looking area. Sadly it wasn’t open on my way through recently.

ORCHARD is a tropical garden located at the centre of the terminal expansion. It has a beautiful water feature and includes over 300 trees and over 25,000 plants sourced from sustainable forests from around the world.

The unique design of the area allows trees and plants to easily adapt to the internal conditions and grow throughout the life of the airport – with natural light to create calming ambience and promote a sense of well-being. I always enjoy garden areas in an airport, particularly when transferring between two long flights, so I’m pleased to see this area.

New transit facilities

Doha Hamad consists of one expansive terminal with a number of groups of gates. The airport’s expanded operations should greatly reduce waiting time, thanks to the new transfer hall on concourse C (Transfer Hall C). This is good news as it also should stop you from having to go all the way to the A gates area to transfer (by the bear) if you arrive and depart from the C Gates.

Food and Retail options

There are brand new F&B options at the HIA expansion including over 20 cafes and restaurants. The expansion features many world firsts and exclusives, including a Fendi Boutique with the first Fendi Café in an airport, and the first Ralph’s Coffee Shop in an airport. The North node also houses the world’s first Oreo Café in an airport.

There’s also a large selection of luxury boutiques, including the first Dior Boutique at HIA, the only FIFA shop in the world, Thom Brown’s only store in an airport, the largest Ray Ban store in an airport, and a lineup of prestigious brands such as flagship Louis Vuitton Boutique, Gucci, Burberry, Tiffany, and Co. Bvlgari, and many more world-class brands.

A second airport hotel and multiple new lounges

As part of the overall expansion, Hamad airport has launched the second airport hotel within its transfer area, the Oryx Garden Hotel. This is great news as the existing airport hotel, the Oryx Airport hotel can be a nightmare to get a booking at unless you book a long time in advance. This should greatly improve the situation. Located in the north plaza, the 100-room hotel focuses on sustainability, with rooms ranging from king to twin, as well as suites located moments away from the boarding gates.

Guests at the new hotel can use the passenger train to visit the near-by Oryx Airport Hotel in the south plaza should they want to use its Vitality Wellbeing Spa and Fitness Centre. The centre features a 25-metre swimming pool, gym, spa and squash court.

Swimming pool in Oryx original transit hotel

As part of the expansion project, HIA has four brand-new lounges for passengers to relax and unwind, namely the Al Mourjan Business Lounge – The Garden; Gold and Platinum lounge; Oryx Lounge and Al Maha Lounge. As yet, I have not seen any notification of these being open or any photos. However, there was a temporary Al Mourjan North lounge, so you may want to check it out if you are that part of the airport. The new Al Mourjan lounge is expected to be the world’s largest airport lounge.

Phase B of the expansion – set to commence in early 2023 – will further increase the capacity of the airport to well over 70 million passengers and construct two new concourses within the existing terminal.

New Qatar model aircraft at Heathrow

Next time you head to Heathrow’s T4 by car, you may spot something new.

Qatar Airways has unveiled a new 3D advert at London Heathrow Terminal 4 roundabout

. The branding features a 9-metre long Boeing 777-9 scaled model aircraft, placed above a 12-metre LED screen to highlight Qatar Airways’ products, services, destinations, and marketing campaigns. It also showcases the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 logo to promote the airline’s official partnership with FIFA.

Qatar Airways recently added a new Frequent Flyer Lounge exclusively for Privilege Club members and oneworld alliance partners. The lounge has modern interiors overlooking the apron area, and customers a menu comprising of a hot and cold buffet selection and a range of beverages.

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Qatar Airways new lounges Doha review – what lounges can you access on business lite?

Michele — Sun, 20 Nov 2022 18:31:26 +0000

This is a review of the Qatar Airways new lounges, the new Qatar Airway South Platinum and Gold frequent flyer lounges at Doha airport, which are for those who are not entitled to enter the main Al Mourjan or Al Safwa lounges. That includes those that have bought a business lite fare (P class), upgraded or are travelling in economy with status.

There are another group of these frequent flyer lounges that are due to open in the North of the terminal shortly, which should ease overcrowding in all the lounges. There will also be a second Al Mourjan lounge there too, which is due to be even bigger than the original one. There is currently a temporary north Al Mourjan lounge.

Where are the South lounges?

The South Frequent Flyer lounges are near the Bear sculpture but not very well signposted. They are just before gate A1. The Gold and Platinum entrance is the same.

Qatar Airways Platinum Lounge South

Who can use it?

Qatar Airways Privilege Club Platinum members and Oneworld Emerald card holders (including BA Gold).

What can you expect?

The lounge is relatively small with 140 seats, and was fairly crowded in the busy early morning peak period. Hopefully, this will ease when the new north lounge opens. During the day it is quiet.

There was a rather convoluted process to gain entry for some passengers. I would assume it was because I was oneworld emerald rather than having status with Qatar. Some passengers were waved through but I had to queue up for the desk to validate my entry. I was directed upstairs (there is a lift as well as stairs) to the Platinum lounge.

The lounge does not have a rest area like Al Mourjan, but it does have showers.

You enter into the restaurant area, which has a buffet as well as a la carte options ordered via QR code.

Dining area

I was there at breakfast time, and there was a decent choice of food available. There were cereals, whole and cut fruit, yoghurt, pastries, muffins, bread (and a toaster) omelette, chicken sausages, potatoes, congee, foul medames, meat and cheeses and a banana bread pudding with custard.

You can order a la carte as well.

Later on in the day there is a lovely selection of mezze along with some hot dishes and desserts.

There was a lovely choice of juices, including two detox blends, freshly squeezed orange and the signature lemon mint drink.

There were a couple of bottles of white wine in the fridge along with some beer, but for most of the alcohol you needed to go to the bar or order it. There were plenty of mini San Pelegrino and still water bottles lined up if you needed to rehydrate.

Main lounge area

If you don’t want to eat there is a lounge and bar area which is nicer with floor to ceiling windows and plenty of natural light. There were a few snacks such as fruit and pastries available here.

If you wanted to wake yourself up, there was also a decent coffee machine. If not, there were soft drinks in the fridge as well as juice and lemon mint drink in dispensers.

The seats were comfortable and each pair had two sockets and two USB charging ports on the table inbetween.

There was a variety of seats to choose from including some with more privacy like individual booths.

If you wanted to work there was also a high table with stools.

On one side of the room there was a bar which served champagne, wines and spirits. I rather liked the bar area and thought it looked elegant. There was also a seating area by it.

Here is an example of some of the drinks you can order:

In most cases you’d be better going to the bar to collect a drink as the selection was better there such as Hendricks gin. Here are some of the other wines available from the restaurant area:

Gold lounge

Who can use it?

Qatar Airways Privilege Club Gold members and Oneworld Saphire card holders (including BA Silver).

What can you expect?

The Gold lounge is downstairs and can hold 85 passengers. It has family seating, a bar, a dining area, buffet dining, showers and complimentary wifi.

As you go in it feels elegant with the shelving along one side.

The seating was very similar to the Platinum lounge with plenty of power points and a work area. Along the window were more private pairs of seats, though the view was not as good as upstairs.

There was also a bar area here but the selection of drinks was slightly less.

There is also a buffet here but the choice was slightly more limited. What was out was exactly the same as upstairs.

Here is the menu available via QR code for drinks:

I was also impressed with the washrooms, which had Diptyque toiletries and were spotlessly clean. They definitely could put a lot of other airline lounges toilets to shame!

Qatar Gold lounge toilets

Conclusion

I was very pleasantly surprised by both lounges. There was not much difference between the two, although there were better views upstairs in the Platinum lounge, and it did feel slightly more upmarket.

If you have status and don’t want to pay for Al Mourjan access, I’d have absolutely no fears about booking one of Qatar Airways’ business class lite fares as you can access these lounges, which have a more intimate feel than the huge Al Mourjan. Once the new north lounges open, then they should also be a bit quieter, even during the morning rush.

Thanks to my friends Ben and Craig for the extra photos.

Like our Qatar Airways new lounges Doha review? You can read more Airline Lounge Reviews here.

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NEWS: Inside the new Qatar Airways Heathrow lounges at Terminal 4

Michele — Tue, 11 Oct 2022 16:33:18 +0000

During Covid, Qatar Airways used the opportunity to extend its lounge at Terminal 4 to include a separate section for frequent flyers. Previously Qatar would not allow oneworld frequent flyers to enter the lounge if they were not flying business class. This is the same in Doha, but there, Qatar has always provided an alternative lounge. These were also recently refurbished and extended. I’ll be reviewing these next month assuming my flights go to plan.

The change at Heathrow is particularly relevant since Qatar started to sell ‘lite’ fares which do not include things such as lounge access and seat choice. However, if you have oneworld status you are still entitled to access a lounge, just not the main Qatar lounge.

My friend David visited the lounges yesterday (you can follow him on IG @daimarrr) and kindly shared some photos with me.

The Qatar Airways Frequent Flyer Lounge Heathrow

Situated in Terminal 4, located just a floor below the Premium Lounge, the Frequent Flyer lounge is open to Qatar Airways Privilege Club members, with access extending to Joint Business Partners like British Airways Executive Club members, and other oneworld Alliance loyalty members. You can guest in as per what your oneworld status allows. The entrance is next to the main lounge entranceway.

The lounge has modern interiors overlooking the tarmac. The menu is pretty impressive, with a hot and cold buffet selection and a range of drinks.

Cold buffet

Hot buffet with dishes such as pasta, curry and rice

It’s a cut above BA’s Club lounges in terms of food and probably more akin to their First lounge which is for Gold cardholders. DO & CO that do BA’s onboard catering from Heathrow, do the catering for the lounge.

Dessert buffet

However, the selection of spirits is very minimal, and the wines are more of the BA Galleries Club variety, being on the cheap side.

Qatar Airways’ Premium Lounge

Qatar Airways’ Premium Lounge in Terminal 4, the first in the airline’s global network, has also recently reopened its doors to Qatar Airways First and Business Class passengers. This is a fantastic lounge and personally, I much prefer it to the Doha lounge as it is more intimate.

Martini bar

Again it has great tarmac views, a martini bar, a dedicated family area, prayer room and several dining options including a full buffet and an à la carte menu served to your table at the brasserie and casual dining at the Global Deli.

The champagne on offer was Gosset, which if you are not familiar with, is a well-respected champagne house which I am a fan of.

The Brasserie

The lounge also has lovely spacious bathrooms with showers.

There is also a new dedicated a new enclosed Premium Check-in Area exclusively for its First and Business Class customers. Within the check-in lobby area, customers are invited to lounge with a drink while check-in formalities are completed.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are proud to be opening our first Frequent Flyer lounge outside of Doha, offering passengers across the oneworld Alliance network an oasis of calm and comfort in one of the world’s busiest airports. Qatar Airways is committed to serving passengers travelling from Heathrow with world-class facilities, and we hope that they will enjoy the warm Qatari hospitality offered at the Premium Lounge, FFP Lounge and the dedicated Premium Check-in area.”

Qatar Airways currently operates from four UK airports, which includes five daily flights from London Heathrow increasing to six daily flights from London Gatwick, up to three daily flights from Manchester, and a daily service from Edinburgh. In addition to the UK frequencies, the airline operates to Dublin with 11 weekly flights.

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British Airways First class versus Qatar Business class QSuite

Michele — Mon, 22 Aug 2022 04:09:47 +0000

There’s an old joke that British Airways has the world’s best business class – it’s called First. Having flown BA, Cathay, Emirates, Etihad, JAL, Qatar, Qantas and Swiss first class I can understand where that comes from. There are no fancy suites, caviar, or showers on BA First for a start. But in the pre-Covid days it was not unusual to pick up a First fare of under £2000 to New York fairly regularly. You won’t be doing that with any others except Swiss on a companion ticket!

Yesterday I published a reader review of BA First, and one of the questions was how does it compare with Qatar QSuites. Prior to Covid, I was also asking the question, is First worth it when you can get the new BA Club Suite, but unless you don’t plan to eat on board, at the moment First is way above the meagre one tray offering in Club.

So here is a comparison.

Price including Avios

I picked a route that is another “unicorn Avios route” London-Singapore in First on BA. For BA, the cheapest first price I found was £7142! If we look at Qatar business class the cost is £3665. BA First is definitely not worth the extra on a cash ticket!

With Avios, it is a different story due to being able to use an upgrade voucher (Gold Upgrade) or a companion voucher when flying BA First. This could take the cost down to 119,000 Avios per person on a companion voucher or 175,000 per person with an upgrade voucher plus taxes and charges of around £700. Without a voucher, it would be 238,000 Avios off peak. Qatar would be 150,000 Avios in business class if you booked through Qatar. So if you have a companion voucher, I’d view BA First as the winner. With an upgrade voucher, there is not a lot in it, so it all depends on how you plan to spend the flight and what is important.

Winner: Qatar

Customer service

When you fly with BA you get access to You First, which is exclusively for First customers and means you should not have issues getting through to BA. You can email or call them. With Qatar in business you would just have the usual Qatar customer service. Generally, I find them pretty good and have managed to get through to them during Covid. However, when things go wrong, they have a reputation for not often not being particularly helpful, particularly their ground staff. This is not something I have experienced, but it’s worth bearing in mind.

Winner: BA

Lounge

If we look solely at the home lounge, for me, there is no comparison between Qatar’s business class lounge, Al Mourjan and BA’s Concorde room. It’s sad that some of BA’s bells and whistles have gone from the CCR (Concorde Room), such as the cabanas and the spa. However, the food, drink, atmosphere and service are far superior in the CCR.

Qatar Al Mourjan

Qatar’s Al Mourjan lounge Doha

This is a huge lounge with a sandwich bar, showers, a restaurant area and a rest area where you can sleep (if you enjoy listening to people snoring loudly). It is a beautiful lounge with its central reflecting pool but it is a bit souless being so huge.

Al Mourjan lounge Doha

The choice of champagne varies greatly but is definitely not at the level of BA’s Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle. The food in the restaurant is normally a buffet, although they do have waiter service for the drinks. The sandwich bar is a nice addition and this is waiter service. I don’t like that you can’t easily see what drinks they have available when you are downstairs. The showers are nicely done but always very hot so you end up sweaty again when you get out!

BA Concorde Room

Concorde Room bar at Heathrow

This is a much more intimate space with a terrace area that’s not actually “outside” but out in the terminal. Service is all waiter service unless you want to go to the bar. One of the things I like about the CCR is the fact that if you are a regular they remember you. The barman Charlie is a real asset to BA. He will make any cocktail you’d like if he has the ingredients or invent something for you if you like. Sitting at the bar and chatting to Charlie when he has time is a great way to start your trip and is completely different from the vast impersonal Qatar lounge.

Concorde Room Terrace

There are bar snacks as well as a full menu which you can eat in the restaurant area or in the lounge. The food is a bit up and down in terms of quality and did go through a somewhat “fast food” era a while ago. However, most of the time now it has a choice of starters, mains, dessert or cheese and a decent wine list. Their signature champagne is Laurent Perrier Gran Siecle which I am quite partial to and better than any of the champagnes we see regularly in Qatar’s lounge. They also generally have a few fine wines and XO brandy as well as plenty of cocktails.

Showers and sleep pods are available too.

Winner: BA First

The seats and cabin

BA First B777-300 new First suite with doors

Although this is a direct comparison between Qatar QSuite and BA, it’s worth remembering the Qatar still have some old 2-2-2 business class, as well as lots of non-QSuites and aircraft swaps do happen. With BA the first seats are all pretty good so it would only be if the route stopped having First or the aircraft went tech and was replaced with a 3 class aircraft that you would need to worry about.

There is no comparison in cabins as BA First only has 8-14 seats which is much more personal and a different world to a cabin full of QSuites.

BA First has three main types of seats. The B777/A380 seats which come with buddy dining seats, the B787 seats which are the most modern but have no buddy seat and the new suites which have a door.

BA A380 First seat

The Qsuites are a good size for business class and very private with a door. However, they don’t have the wardrobe space that BA First does and they are quite hard. Even with the mattress topper they are still on the hard side whereas I find all of BA’s First seats much more comfortable for sleeping. The QSuites also alternately face backwards which some people don’t like.

A forward-facing QSuite

In terms of the dimensions of the seats, there is not a lot in it with Qatar’s seats being an inch longer but half an inch narrower.

Winner: The clear winner here is BA for me.

Food and drink

This is an area that BA could definitely improve in compared to the competition. However, if we look at yesterday’s review, then I would have been pretty happy with the food options.

On both Qatar and BA there is a glass of champagne when you first board although Qatar are more willing to bring other drinks usually. Plus if you are tee-total or fancy a break there is the refreshing lemon mint signature drink.

There is more of a chance of personalisation with a choice of sides, although the crew just bring a selection if you don’t specify.

Menu SIN – SYD leg

The canapes to start are one of the things I most enjoy on BA First. With Qatar, you get an amuse bouche instead.

I adore Qatar’s mezze which is plentiful and filling. They usually have a slightly less fancy menu than BA as it’s quite normal to see things like scallops or lobster on BA’s First (now we are back to pre-Covid standards) whereas this is less common on Qatar.

BA’s snacks are somewhat lacking, but Qatar offers some pick and mix nibbles that are proper food, and on short night flights, they do a good one tray “tapas” type meal. Qatar also has a light meal selection which has things like burgers or afternoon tea.

Both offer “dine on demand”.

Qatar’s champagne offering are usually very good, with Laurent Perrier Brut and Rose being featured regularly along with some other good champagnes. They do have the odd hiccup, though – I remember a particularly bad rosé champagne once that was barely drinkable. BA however have a much better offering with their Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle champagne which is superior to anything Qatar offers in business. BA also have the Hattingley Valley English Sparkling which is excellent.

For other wines, there is surprisingly little difference. Both regularly offer a Bordeaux grand cru red, although it is more usual to see a good Burgundy white on BA than Qatar. Both offer a dessert wine which is great for Qatar’s business class. For me, I would not choose BA just for the champagne.

Winner: Tie

Conclusion

The official result was 4 to BA vs 2 to Qatar’s QSuite. If it was a competition between Qatar QSuite and BA Club Suite, then Qatar would win in every category except customer service (tie) and the hardness of the seat.

As always, it is really down the price. If you are travelling on Avios then for me I would rather go with BA First class if I had a voucher to use. With such a small cabin, it’s a much more personal service. Without a voucher, I would probably only go for BA First for a special occasion or if it was a better journey time.

BA has the advantage of flying direct, which means less hassle and better sleep usually. However, that also means fewer tier points if you were on a cash ticket.

What do you think? Would you choose British Airways First class or Qatar Business class QSuite for the prices?

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