Wow! The Qatar Airways Airbus A380 upper deck bar is fabulous – but will it last?

One of my bucket list aviation experiences was to visit the bar on an Airbus A380. In my view, Qatar Airways have the most beautifully appointed space, so that is what I aspired to do someday.

The Doha based carrier initially retired their A380s for good during the pandemic, but other issues have meant a temporary reprieve for the superjumbo and they’re back in the air. I had no plans to fly the airline, but fate intervened and I was re-routed onto a service to Sydney on 3 July 2022.

A Spectacular Bar!

Located on the upper deck, the bar is sandwiched between business class and economy class, as you can see here on the seating plan. Access is available to business class and first class passengers during flight.

Entering the area, my first impression was one of ample space awash in colour from the LED lighting. It is also quite a beautifully designed thing, which is immediately apparent.

Window blinds are electrically operated so I gave those a whirl, then ordered a drink. As it was an overnight flight to Australia, there were only two other passengers siting on the other side.

I got chatting with the cabin crew and they assured me the space is usually quite busy on a daytime flight. It was also one of the crew members’ favourite position to work on board.

Hey Bartender!

Throughout the flight, the bar is staffed by one person, who is switched out when it’s time for another’s break. The attendant is also responsible for preparing any drinks orders that come in from business class and first class during flight.

During our discussions, the crew let me have a look at the menu from first class, which was nice to see. It is more extensive than the one in Qatar Airways’ excellent business class, but not extremely different.

A Luxury Take On Bar Food

Set out on the bar top are some light snacks in glasses, and I was exhorted to have some. I’d had no plans to, but in for a penny, in for a pound, so I happily gave them a go.

The snacks are very much amuse-bouche size and are quite nice. I still can’t believe I had a basic pack of crisps when there were far more highfalutin choices available! And me, a lover of crisps… the shame!

Roses are Red…

Once the other two passengers left, I swapped sides just to see the space from a completely different angle. Turns out there are a bunch of roses there just to add a splash of colour and freshness to proceedings. I asked if they were fake and the crew member proudly showed me they were real.

In the end I stayed up there for a good couple of hours, and managed to have a couple of Champagnes and a cocktail. After that I headed back to my seat to enjoy the rest of the flight.

Overall Thoughts

Well, I made it into the Qatar Airways Airbus A380 bar and I really enjoyed it. It’s so nice to be able to go somewhere different for a while on a long flight, which really helps to break it up.

The seats are equipped with seatbelts and I put mine on during a spot of middle of the night turbulence. With the inviting aesthetic and array of snacks and drinks, the whole thing is a winner in my book. I loved it!

Alas, the CEO of the oneworld alliance carrier remarked earlier this week that the original order was his biggest mistake and that he can’t wait to ground the aircraft again. Therefore, if you want to try it, get your skates on, as it won’t be around much longer.

What do you think of Qatar Airways’ upper deck bar on the A380? If you’ve been on it, what was your experience like? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.

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