Qatar Airways have a premium seat they call Qsuites, which is usually considered one of the best business class seats in the world. Having seen official pictures, it certainly looks good, but those images always do.
Review after review online tended to be a rave, but looking at the real pictures, I thought it lacked space. After having flown in Qsuites, I finally know what it’s really like.
Sydney To Doha Or Bust!
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.
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- 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.
Time To Go
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.
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- The Qsuites cabin on our Boeing 777-300ER.
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.
Qatar Airways Qsuites In Pictures
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.
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- Seat 1K – the rear facing seats are right next to the window.
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- The shelf has a small shelf below it, where I put the menus. On top here is the blanket and Brics amenity kit.
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- During the pandemic, all passengers receive a Travel with Confidence pack, containing hand sanitiser, a mask and gloves.
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- A large entertainment screen is de rigueur in business class.
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- The tray table is under the screen, below that is the foot well. It’s more spacious than it looks.
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- Looking across the aisle at another Qsuite.
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- An individual light is beside you.
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- Some of the pattern detail.
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- 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.
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- The arm rest is flat and can be raised when sitting.
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- To one side is a storage cabinet, containing a water bottle, headphones, sick bag and anything you want to put into it.
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- The cabinet raises up to become your other armrest. It’s quite nifty!
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- The marble finish on the table looks great.
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- A video plays giving you instructions on how to work your Qsuite, which is nice and handy.
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- There is a special safety card, showing you how to pull off your door in the event of an emergency.
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- The flip side shows brace positions.
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.
Pyjamas and Safety
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.
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- Pyjamas by The White Company.
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- A second Champagne before take-off, complete with nuts.
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- The Safety Card for…
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- … the Qatar Airways Boeing 777-300ER.
There were just seven passengers in business class, which is a direct result of the Australian Government restrictions. Not that I was complaining!
Tonight’s Menu And WiFi
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.
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- Plenty of options to choose from on tonight’s service.
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- The non-alcoholic drinks list. The Mocktails are particularly good, especially the Pineapple Margarita.
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- All about that Laurent-Perrier Champagne. Each drink in the drinks menu has a whole piece about it.
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- Spirits, Cocktails, Beers, Cognac and Liqueurs.
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.
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- Onboard WiFi is available on many Qatar Airways flights.
Complimentary WiFi is great when flying, even if it is just for half an hour. 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.
Time To Change Into My PJs
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!
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- The basin in the spacious bathroom.
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- Plenty of light in the mirror.
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- Toilets are always like this when you enter.
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- Those perfect points!
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.
A Snack Before Bed
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!
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- It’s an Aussie beef burger with dill cucumber and beetroot relish.
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- Another Champagne? Don’t mind if I do!
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- Friends of mine commented on “Just FOUR chips?!” – however, it was plenty.
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- A trio of condiments for burger joy.
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.
A Bed Above The Clouds
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.
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- Mood lighting during the night.
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- Seat topper in place.
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- A fully flat Qsuite with blanket.
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- Close the suite door and you’re in a world of your own.
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.
Wake Up To… Dinner?!
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.
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- Green tea and biscuits.
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- Mushroom soup and hot bread roll.
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- Signature Arabic Mezze. Always good!
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- Pan fried vegetable gyoza.
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- Chocolate and raspberry tart and a Pineapple Margarita.
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.
A Short Interlude
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.
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- The galley at Doors 2 on the 777.
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- More bubbles and some crisps.
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!
Breakfast… and Afternoon Tea!
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.
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- Toasted Banana Bread with Caramelised Banana, fresh fruit, greek yoghurt and another Pineapple Margarita.
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- Finger sandwiches and scones for afternoon tea.
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!
Time To Land In Doha
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.
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- A final Champagne and Godiva chocolates.
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- The business class bus in Doha!
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!
Overall Thoughts
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 and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.
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Featured image by Aeroprints on Flickr via Wikimedia Commons.
That’s an useful information.
Thank you.
Great review that was exceptionally unbiased. Thanks. I do have two questions:
Are there individual air nozzles? Often, Asian airlines can keep the cabin extremely hot and having your own air nozzle can make a vast difference in your comfort level.
Was the seat width okay? SeatGuru lists the seats as being 21.5 inches wide, which while not exceedingly narrow is not very wide. I’m large and have broad shoulders so this is a pertinent question for long flights.
Thanks for the kind words – glad you enjoyed the review! Now that you mention it, one thing I have always found with Qatar Airways is that the cabin is kept at a comfortable temperature during flight. That is probably why I was able to sleep, as a hot cabin means no sleep and it makes you feel pretty terrible too. There are individual air nozzles, so you can suit yourself. I rarely use them myself. Seat width was fine, I found it more spacious than I expected it to be. However, I’m 5’7″/170cm and 140lbs/64kg so I never have… Read more »