After what feels like years, I finally got to try the Qsuites business class on Qatar Airways. On my previous flights, I had the pleasure of the spacious old seats on the Boeing 777-200LR from Auckland to Doha, and then the current business class seat on other services. But still, I had not got the top one, until now!
Everyone says that it's pretty damn good, so I was wondering if this was just a snowball of hype or whether it was true. Things are slightly different food service wise thanks to the pandemic, but otherwise things are pretty much the same. How did I find it? Well, read on, good person!
Due to the pandemic, Australia has travel restrictions both inbound and outbound. My final destination of Dublin also required a PCR test before travel and a contact tracing form to be completed, so obtaining my boarding pass took some time.
Check-in at Sydney was a total palaver, which is not the fault of the airline or their handling partner. I was delighted to finally receive my boarding pass and be on my way. At the gate, I sat near the business class boarding sign. While waiting, gate staff came by to have a few words with various passengers including me to ensure they knew what to do when boarding. Soon enough, we were invited to board and I headed down the aerobridge to the aircraft.
QR909 – Sydney to Doha (SYD-DOH)
16 January 2021
Boeing 777-300ER – A7-BAE
Seat: Business Class Qsuite 1K
Departure: 22:25 Arrival: 05:20 (scheduled) 04:30 (actual)
Cabin crew showed me to my seat and offered to stow my cabin bag for me. I’m usually happy to do that myself, which is what I did on this occasion. I noticed I had three windows tonight, which pleased me. The crew wear a white smock over their uniforms, along with face masks, gloves and face shields for the entire flight. Passengers are no longer given face shields, but are required to wear a mask for the duration of the flight.
The Qsuites are extremely thoughtfully laid out, with a high quality finish that is truly wonderful to experience. There is also far more space than pictures I had seen previously led me to believe. The rear facing seats are right beside the window, which I prefer, so I sat in 1K. The forward facing seats are beside the suite door.
The shelf has a small shelf below it, where I put the menus. On top on arrival is the blanket and Brics amenity kit, along with a Travel with Confidence pack, containing hand sanitiser, a mask and gloves. That, of course, is specific to the pandemic.
A large entertainment screen is de rigueur in business class, with the tray table under it and below that the foot well. It’s more spacious than it looks.
There is an individual light beside you, which has several settings. There are a plethora of controls - the seat has a massage function which I like and there is a Do Not Disturb button to stop crew from interacting with you. There are plenty of power ports and even a HDMI cable slot.
The arm rest on one side is flat and can be raised when sitting. On the other side is a storage cabinet, containing a water bottle, headphones, sick bag and anything you want to put into it. The cabinet raises up to become your other armrest. It’s quite nifty! You can find out how all this works as there is a video about the Qsuite played before you fly.
Shortly after sitting down, I was asked if I wished to indulge in a pre-departure drink. My Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé Champagne was duly delivered. Once done with my photo taking, the crew came by again and offered me White Company pyjamas. A medium was delivered, but I thought a small might be better, so I was given those. She was actually correct, the medium would have been better as the short was a bit short for my arms. Oh well, my bad and it didn't impede me in any way.
There were just seven passengers in business class, which is a direct result of the Australian Government restrictions. Not that I was complaining! The long flight from Sydney to Doha means there are two full meal services, dinner and breakfast, as well as a decent selection of light options. Of course, Qatar Airways offer dine on demand, so you can have what you want when you want.
Prior to departure, the crew come by and ask for your meal selections and when you want them. I elected to have a light option after take-off, then to sleep and eat again when I woke. Qatar Airways offer WiFi on their flights, which is great, with a complimentary portion as well. To be fair, it cost US$10 for a full flight pass, which I paid for as it is excellent value for 14 or 15 hours. After finishing a second glass of the excellent Champagne, I settled in for take-off.
Once the seat belt sign went off, it was time to change into the airline pyjamas. On my way to the toilet, a crew member stopped me and asked if I’d like a hanger for what I was wearing. Yes, please!
I always give kudos to the Qatar Airways flight attendants for the toilets. They are always clean and fresh as though no-one has used them before you, which must be some task on long flights. I changed into my PJs, then handed my t-shirt and jeans on their hanger to the crew to store for the flight. It was now around midnight Sydney time and I was tired. However, I was not going to sleep without a snack first, because I like all the food all the time! I decided on the Aussie beef burger with dill cucumber and beetroot relish.
My friends commented on "Just FOUR chips?!" - however it was plenty
My burger was really good and the chips were perfect. More airlines should do chips on flights, I really like them. Once I had finished, the crew cleared everything away for me. Since I planned to go to bed, the crew asked if I wished my seat to be setup for sleep. To my affirmative reply, a mattress topper was put on the seat along with the pillow and I was ready to go.
With the seat topper, plump pillow and plush blanket, sleep came easily. The footwell in Qsuites has enough room so I could roll over easily. I popped in ear plugs from the amenity kit and went to sleep fairly swiftly, which is unusual for me.
Once awake, it took a very short time before the cabin crew noticed and asked if I’d like anything. This is a hallmark of the Qatar Airways service – they always attend to you very fast when you wake up. I decided to have a green tea and then have dinner, even though my body clock said it was morning. My bedding was whisked away, as it was time to eat. I had a green tea with biscuits, then started my meal. To start I had a mushroom soup, followed by Qatar's signature Arabic Mezze. Next, I had pan fried vegetable gyoza and finished with a chocolate and raspberry tart.
The usual elaborate Qsuites service with the candle and table setting is not happening during the pandemic for safety reasons. Despite that, the food is presented on nice china and is extremely tasty. I enjoyed all of this and was very full after. I elected to have breakfast and afternoon tea together about two hours before landing, which was only three hours after dinner. During this time I happily relaxed, just enjoying the experience rather than watching a movie or anything like that.
The only misstep on the flight was when I asked for another Champagne, which arrived completely flat. This was whisked away and replaced in a moment, with apologies. Considering this is the only thing I can fault the crew for, it shows just how good they are! I’m not used to sleeping so well on a flight, so my meal whoring ways were put to a serious test. Still full from dinner, the crew brought breakfast and afternoon tea at the same time, as we had agreed. It looked good, but how much would I fit in? I died a little inside at the challenge ahead of me.
For what it’s worth, I shovelled in almost everything put in front of me. The banana bread was amazing, as was the Greek Yoghurt and fruit. The sandwiches, of which I had a bite of each, were lovely as were the scones. Well worth the effort, I think! Next up I waddled off to the toilet to get changed, with my clothing being retrieved from the wardrobe and returned to me. Once changed, I sat back down and had another Champagne to take the food baby edge off.
The Godiva chocolates also arrived, which I had when I got home to Dublin. I had a lovely chat with the flight attendant who had been serving me throughout, and soon enough we landed in Doha and deplaned. Business class passengers get their own bus to the terminal, which is rather nice, I think!
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Qatar Airways Qsuites are an excellent product and easily the best business class seat I have ever flown in. Not only is it comfortable and spacious, it is really deliciously designed and looks great. More importantly, the ease of sleeping is second to none. Getting an uninterrupted seven or so hours on a flight is unheard of in my world.
I would love to go through the cabin crew training at the oneworld alliance airline, as they are always on point. Friendly, engaging, and helpful are three words that spring to mind. They also anticipate your needs without needing to be asked. Personally, I love how if you wake up, they are there within minutes to ask if you need anything. That has always been remarkable!
While the full Qsuites dining experience is in hibernation due to the pandemic, the menu choices remain extensive and the quality top notch. Everything here is pretty much faultless and makes for a great flight. I have no complaints whatsoever and am happy to have experienced this. Highly recommended!
Have you flown Qatar Airways in their business class Qsuites before? What was that like? Thank you for reading, remember, to see the full set of pictures click here, and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.
