Premium champagne on arrival, personalised greetings, luxury Italian amenities, magical double beds and tailored customer service: welcome on board your Qatar Airways 777-300ER Qsuite. To say this was the best flight and service we experience while up in the air would be an understatement. The Qsuite experience on Qatar Airways left us simply speechless. Not only did they gain two new privileged members, but also two loyal customers as so far, Qatar has been our favourite airline on the economy class, business class and business class Qsuites.
Our journey was from Doha to Berlin, on the Qatar Airways 777-300ER Qsuite. This was our first time experiencing the Qsuites so we didn’t quite know what to expect. We heard they are pretty great, but didn’t think our experience will be more enriched than the normal business class we experienced before. Turns out, the Qsuites feel more like a First Class experience for Business Class prices. Hard to say no, considering the level of comfort and privacy we enjoyed up in the air.
Want to book a flight with Qatar? Click on the Qatar site to see their latest prices and offers. As a tip, make sure you add a few days in Doha, to really experience the city and the hospitality.
Booking Process
We were in Nepal when we decided to cut our trip short. All we wanted was to be back in Germany, in our nice apartment in Dresden. Because of the complications, we experienced on our Nepal trip, we wanted comfort, luxury and a bit of exclusivity. Thus, we decided to check prices for Business Class flights from Kathmandu to Berlin TXL, where we left our car. We booked our tickets one day in advance, as we wanted to leave pronto.
The only option was to fly Qatar Airways as any other airline company had tickets available in about 2-3 days. Waiting was simply not an option, hence we decided to visit Qatar Airways website directly and check ticket prices there.
One-way flights in Economy cost £800 for the two of us. The alternative was to pay £1800 in Business Class for two people or upgrade using our miles. Went for Business Class in a blink of an eye. The total duration was scheduled for 28 hours with a long 17-hour layover in Doha. Given that included in the Business Class price we had lounge access, a premium hotel room for the duration of the layover and free visas in Doha, we were actually embracing the lengthy trip.
For a change, we were excited about spending so much time flying!
The moment we received our booking confirmation email, we logged in our Qatar accounts to select our seats and change our meal preferences to Vegetarian.
From Kathmandu to Doha, we flew on an Airbus A330-300 (333) and selected seats 4E and 4F. From Doha to Berlin we flew on the Boeing 777-300ER Qsuite and selected 2D and 2G. Luckily, there were several empty rear-facing seats so we can see how the double bed works.
Airport and Airport Hotel
Since this review is about the Qatar Airways Qsuite, we will focus on the Doha – Berlin TXL flight only and the airport and lounge in Doha.
We flew to more airports than we can remember but there are only two in the world which, in our opinion, are the best: Dubai and Doha. We both prefer Doha, mainly because of its incredible Al Mourjan Business Lounge which is one of the largest airport lounges in the world.
When we landed in Doha, we had a special shuttle waiting for business passengers. The shuttle had fluffy armchairs instead of normal bus seats, a rather nice surprise which we don’t get in many other airports. All business passengers had a dedicated fast track lane which was a breeze. We were told to inquire about our transfer arrangements at the dedicated transfer desks. Of course, business passengers had a priority queue as well.
The moment we showed our passports and boarding passes, the staff told us we have a private driver waiting to take us to our luxury 5-star hotel, where we can spend the night in comfort. They also offered us QAR175 per person as a meal allowance in our hotel.
If you book your business seats more than 72 hours in advance, you can get all these things done online. That’s also the time to apply for a free visa online (depending on your passport). Since we booked less than 24 hours before our flight, we had to go through this process at the airport. Either way, it was very fast, so no worries.
Since we didn’t have a visa sorted in advance, they told us to go through the dedicated Business Class security line. There was one person there who took literally 2 minutes to stamp our visa and welcome us to Qatar. Pretty cool experience, not much to complain about.
Our driver was indeed waiting for us to take us to Oryx Rotana Hotel. Oryx Rotana is a 5-star hotel with classic rooms, deluxe rooms and 12 luxury suites. Business travellers will appreciate our state-of-the-art Business Centre and 11 modern meeting and conference facilities. You’ll have the exclusive Jazz Club with live entertainment six nights a week; The Cellar offering Mediterranean tapas; Al Nafourah Garden with its incredible authentic Arabic menu, alfresco dining and hubbly bubbly; and the stunning Sky Lounge with high glass conservatory-style ceilings.
Once we arrived at the hotel, we were put in one of the Deluxe King rooms with complimentary amenities and water upon arrival. We phone the reception to ask for a few extra amenities which arrived quickly and efficiently to our door.
We slept incredibly well for around 8 hours which was definitely much better than spending the time in the airport. We used our meal allowance for breakfast which was a vast buffet with everything you can possibly imagine: from a variety of bread, trough traditional food, fruits, spreads, cuts and cheeses. Of course, unlimited tea, coffee and water. Once we finished our breakfast we made our way to the pool area to chill a bit and pass some time, before making our way to the lounge where there were macaroons and chocolate fountains available for those with a sweet tooth. Business Class passengers do not have to rely on the shuttle buses which leave for the airport every 30-60 minutes, but they can request a private transfer in a luxury car. We left around three hours prior to our flight as we wanted to have the grand experience in the Al Mourjan Business Lounge.
Al Mourjan Business Lounge
We read a lot of reviews about the Al Mourjan Business Lounge before our arrival. Although some say it gets really busy, we were lucky to experience it at around 12 pm with nobody around. There were maybe 10 other passengers there and an array of staff who went above and beyond to look after us.
We passed the famous fountain and made our way to the hot food area to see what we can have for lunch. Given that Nepal wasn’t too kind on our stomachs (or souls) we really didn’t fancy any of the food in the lounge. Although it must taste glorious, the smell of spices really made us walk away. We did, however, hit the dessert buffet hard. We got a piece of each of the cakes on display and made our own sugar (or diabetes) platter.
We had a member of staff asking us for our drinks order. They had cocktails on demand and special summer cocktails for those more adventurous. Of course water, coffee and tea are also available.
Once we satisfied our desire to eat as much sugar as possible, we made our way to the other side of the lounge where we could ask for hot sandwiches. They had a dedicated sandwich menu with various options to cater for all tastes and diets. Again, we had a dedicated person to take our drinks order at the table. We walked around a little more to discover the whole lounge, but time really flies when you’re having fun, as we noticed the board saying we need to make our way to the gate.
We wanted to see all seating areas in the lounge and check out the special sleeping pods, available for business passengers who have a layover which is less than 12 hours. Alternatively, note there is a hotel at the airport and the price is around $250 for a comfortable night (or day) sleep.
We honestly didn’t think this experience will get any better… but the moment we boarded our Qatar 777-300ER and saw the Qsuites, our jaws dropped. Guys, seriously, exclusively at its finest.
Business Class Cabin
There is no doubt that the Hamad International Airport was created with the business passenger in mind. We had our own fast track lanes everywhere. Naturally, business passengers were the first to board the plane. Every row had a dedicated flight attendant who personally came to say hello, introduced themselves and welcome us on board. They also offered us a choice of champagne on arrival. We asked for a glass of Laurent-Perrier Rose. Alternatively, you can ask for a glass of Pommery or non-alcoholic drinks.
Before we go any further, we’d like to invite you to watch the following video which introduces the Qsuites.
Apart from the superb comfort and incredible space, what’s unique to Qsuite is the “quad” arrangement of the seats, pairing rear and forward-facing centre seats so they can create a fun space for friends or business colleagues travelling together. For solo travellers, there are single suites located next to the window on both sides of the airplane.
As mentioned, we went for the forward-facing seats and not the rear-facing ones. This is because I’m a bit of a terrible flyer who’s afraid of pretty much anything and everything. I also get a bit of motion sickness so taking off and landing while rear-facing seemed like a no-no to me. However, luckily, we had some suites available on our plane so we can see how the double bed looks like, an amazing option for couples travelling together or honeymooners who want to treat themselves to something special.
The toilets have amenities for business travellers including toothbrushes and razors. The cabin crew made sure the toilets are spotless at all times. There were hand gels, body mist and body lotion from Rituals available in all business toilets.
The seat
The seat itself was huge and incredibly comfortable. The seat lies flat and in the rear-facing seats, you can transform it into a double bed for you and your loved one.
The seat comes with a hand rest on the side which can be adjusted to your specific height and requirements. It has a nice reading light with adjustable intensity, a storage compartment for small items and a dedicated space for the shoes. There are a few buttons you can use to adjust your seat in the most comfortable position. You can sit up, lie down or be in a lounging position. You have very sturdy seat belts which padding around them, so they won’t be disturbing your sleep at any point.
The coolest feature? The seat comes with a massage feature for your back, so when the travel gets a bit too much, simply press a button, sit back and relax!
Amenities
We also received a luxury amenity kit in a pouch from Brics, the premium Italian bag makers. A nice thought was that all men received a green bag with green amenities, including a sleeping mask and socks. Ladies received a red bag with all red amenities. Both bags contained a luxury lip balm, lotion and face mist for added comfort.
We also got a pair of noise-cancelling headphones and a bottle of water from Evian. Of course, everything is on-demand so if you wish to drink anything else, you can always just call the flight attendant and ask.
We received two pillows and one large cover. For the first time ever, I was not cold in an airplane. The cover was incredibly comfortable and thick. The pillows were great too, one for my head and one for my back as I usually get bad back aches.
In-Flight Entertainment
This is perhaps the only thing that was a bit of a letdown. Much to our surprise, the movie selection was not great. We found some things to watch but nowhere near as many options as what we had in Emirates or Turkish Airlines.
The screen was huge though, so watching something from our Qsuite was like being in our own private cinema, up in the air. However, even though we struggled to find great movies, we did have access to the internet, which meant we could catch up with work or find our own entertainment online.
We had access to one free hour of internet. However, for just 10 USD we got access to the internet for the whole duration of the flight. That’s a bargain considering we could work up in the air.
Food and Beverage
The menu is on-demand so you can get served food whenever you want. You can order the food at a specific hour or just call the flight attendant for your meal. You can pick anything and everything from the menu.
There is an extensive beverage menu, which is too, on demand. You can have free-flowing champagne for the whole duration of your flight if that’s your thing. There are non-alcoholic beverages on the menu, including soft drinks, juice cocktails, sparkling drinks, tea and coffee.
It’s nice to be served food in real plates with real cutlery for a change. Everything looks premium. You do get a restaurant dining experience up in the air, which is, pretty great. Again, being in a Qsuite, you can simply close the door and enjoy your dinner in your own privacy.
Ok, not everything was perfect, however. We asked for vegetarian meals in advance. Unlike the on-demand menu, we had a set option which was not great. It wasn’t bad, but not as great as what there was available on the normal menu. My husband didn’t have his vegetarian option registered in the system for some reason, so he got to pick from the on-demand menu. The issue? Prefered food already ran out, so he kinda had to deal with secondary choices. Although we didn’t expect unlimited food on the plane, for the price of the ticket we expected at least to have ALL options available for ALL business passengers.
Overall Impression
We absolutely loved our time in the Qatar Qsuite and they definitely deserved to win the Airline of the Year 2019. We became part of their privilege club so we can make use of the points and also decided to book with them again, for my 30th birthday. We look forward to having a Qsuite experience again. We promise to make a video this time, so you can really see the space, the service and the in-flight experience.
Want to book a flight with Qatar? Follow this link to see their latest prices and offers. As a tip, make sure you add a few days in Doha, to really experience the city and the hospitality. Not ready for the Qsuite experience? Don’t worry, we flew with Qatar in Economy from Chennai to Budapest via Doha and absolutely loved our experience. This is exactly why we decided to remain loyal to Qatar and fly with them again and again.
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