Here's a few notes I made on my recent flights MEL-DOHA. Conclusion is that Qatar is a world-class airline.
Airport: A380
Qantas 1st Lounge, good as usual but rather impersonal. 'Rockpool' staff always look bored
Smooth boarding. Charming reception from hostess. Krug Grand Cuvee poured (-:
Seat:
Full wardrobe in seat BUT almost no space for personal items
Had to put laptop on the floor and Kindle etc sliding around
Seat comfortable, controls in armrest very complicated
Bed had plenty of room, softer and more comfortable than Etihad, much more tasteful than Emirates
Fantastic 32 inch TV screen, but again complex controls, good selection of movies
Nice BRICs amenity kit but plain pretty standard contents, moisturiser, socks etc etc. Expect better in First
Service:
Very good, personable service, friendly and feeling very genuine
Excellent menu, started with Oscietra Caviar and more Krug
Best bar in the sky and I've tried a few, well laid out for comfort and conversation. They bought my Krug down from 1st and let me offer to friends, brilliant little snacks in glasses. Great hostess.
DOHA LOUNGE
Stunning airport and an amazingly large and class business lounge. Very impressive indeed.
Business DOHA-LHR on 777
Good seat pod, way more personal space to lay things out plus a neat bin for tech etc.
USB socket faulty. Bad a bit narrow, but not as bad as Virgin Australia, got a good sleep.
Service and food still good but not upon to 1st standards of course.
I flew Qatar SYD to EDI return a couple of months ago booked in J and was upgraded to F on the SYD-DOH and DOH-SYD legs.
I thought the service in both classes was outstanding. It was efficient, friendly but not over solicitous. The catering was excellent (it's been a few years since I 've had Lobster Thermidor on a flight). The on-call dining in both classes mean you eat when you want to, rather than at set times.
You're correct regarding the lack of storage in F class on the A380. There are no overhead bins in that section of the aircraft so if you want to have your hand luggage nearby, it needs to be stored under the ottoman. There is a small shelf permanently fixed to the side of the seating area, but items such as Ipads etc. will slide off this during the flight. There is also a narrow closet at each seat, but this is more suited for hanging jackets etc. Strangely, the business class seats have more convenient locations such as bins and drawers for putting odds and ends than in first class.
Qatar's F seats are more conventional than the other ME rivals, but they are very comfortable and spacious and it's easy to get a good night's sleep on these sectors.
The F class cabin on the A380 is upstairs at the front. The restrooms are spacious and occupy the area on each side of the forward stairs (this is the area Qantas has a small office on one side and that strange little lounge on the other in J class). The spacious restrooms have a padded bench and it means you can change into your pyjamas on a dry floor away from the toilet.
Their business class is probably the best I've flown. Whilst the seat design is very similar (at least on the B787) to others such as Cathay, there are some small touches that make them a bit more comfortable and useful. Add the high levels of service to the accommodation and you have a very good overall product.
Qatar Airways is a great option for Oneworld flyers wanting to go to British or European destinations, particularly those that are less travelled than the usual major centres. For instance, their flight from Sydney to Edinburgh was one-stop at Doha and thus avoided the need for an additional time-consuming transit at somewhere like LHR.
As robfol said, Qatar is a world-class airline.
Hi Guest, join in the discussion on
First Class / Business on Qatar MEL-LHR
robfol
robfol
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
Member since 23 Mar 2015
Total posts 4
Here's a few notes I made on my recent flights MEL-DOHA. Conclusion is that Qatar is a world-class airline.
Airport: A380
Qantas 1st Lounge, good as usual but rather impersonal. 'Rockpool' staff always look bored
Smooth boarding. Charming reception from hostess. Krug Grand Cuvee poured (-:
Seat:
Full wardrobe in seat BUT almost no space for personal items
Had to put laptop on the floor and Kindle etc sliding around
Seat comfortable, controls in armrest very complicated
Bed had plenty of room, softer and more comfortable than Etihad, much more tasteful than Emirates
Fantastic 32 inch TV screen, but again complex controls, good selection of movies
Nice BRICs amenity kit but plain pretty standard contents, moisturiser, socks etc etc. Expect better in First
Service:
Very good, personable service, friendly and feeling very genuine
Excellent menu, started with Oscietra Caviar and more Krug
Best bar in the sky and I've tried a few, well laid out for comfort and conversation. They bought my Krug down from 1st and let me offer to friends, brilliant little snacks in glasses. Great hostess.
DOHA LOUNGE
Stunning airport and an amazingly large and class business lounge. Very impressive indeed.
Business DOHA-LHR on 777
Good seat pod, way more personal space to lay things out plus a neat bin for tech etc.
USB socket faulty. Bad a bit narrow, but not as bad as Virgin Australia, got a good sleep.
Service and food still good but not upon to 1st standards of course.
Marksw
Marksw
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 15 Jan 2016
Total posts 3