Secrets revealed in Business Class on Qatar’s longest flight

It is about time the secrets are revealed about Qatar Airways longest flight. The flight between Doha and Auckland is also currently the longest flight in the world by distance.

Taking this flight in Business Class means entering another world. Superlative service, mood lighting, pyjamas, slippers, generous pillows and a turndown service are just some of the features on board.

QR920 – Doha to Auckland (DOH-AKL)
26 August 2017
Boeing 777-200LR – A7-BBC
Seat: Business Class 3A
Departure: 03:01 Arrival: 04:35+1

Boarding in Doha is very efficient and business class passengers board separately. I quite like this as it adds a feeling of exclusivity to the service.

The Business Class Cabin Revealed

Setting foot on board is like entering an oasis of calm. Lighting is dim and coloured mood lighting makes the cabin feel very inviting. Seats are upholstered in red fabric with a snow white head rest adding some contrast.

Between the seats is bottled water storage which is revealed at the press of a button. A panel slides across and there you find your water. The crew offer a hot towel and a drink before departure and I always select Champagne. On Qatar this is Billecart-Salmon. Seats are arranged in three pairs across the cabin with four rows in the forward cabin and three aft. This means there is a total of 42 seats. Menus are delivered before take off and once everyone is on board the cabin crew come around asking for your order. You can dine when you like so you are able to specify when you wish to eat.

The Seat That Makes For A Great Bed

In the air you can ask the crew to make your seat up into a bed at anytime that pleases you. A fitted sheet is put over the seat, a pillow added and the blanket is also unwrapped.

The bed is revealed to be both comfortable and spacious. Unlike newer seats which utilise the floor space better, these seats take up all the room they can. This also means there is no tight foot well to restrict your sleeping position which I particularly love.

An Early Morning Meal

This flight departs Doha at 3am but once in the air I decided I’d like something to eat. I chose a Spiced Tomato Juice from the mocktail menu and selected an Arabic mezze followed by some pasta.

As usual the service followed the same pattern. The table is set, the crew member folds a napkin into a triangle and lays it on your lap and then the first dish is presented. The food is very good and the service is timely.

Bed Time High Above The Earth

After the meal was cleared away, I opened up the noise cancelling headphones and watched a movie for a little bit. The Oryx One entertainment system contains quite a few series and on this trip it was Alfred Hitchcock movies for me.

Eventually it was time to sleep and I retrieved the ear plugs from the amenity kit and slipped into bed. The white pillow with its silver detail matches the silver duvet really nicely. Sleeping is very comfortable – and easy – on this aircraft.

Awake Time Means Breakfast

Waking up means the cabin crew will soon come visit you to ask if you would like anything. Qatar crew have a sixth sense which is uncanny so you never have to really wait for the crew. I ordered a smoothie and an energiser and my breakfast.

For what it’s worth, the energiser tastes pretty horrible (it’s good for you!) but the smoothie is revealed to be sublime. Soon enough the main course arrives with a flourish. I quite like the Arabic Breakfast however I thought it was less nice than the one I had on a previous flight. Saying that it was totally fine, perhaps I wasn’t in the mood for such strong tastes.

Bathroom Facilities Revealed

There are plenty of toilets for the business class passengers on Qatar Airways. I never have to wait to use one which is pretty much the expectation when you are paying a lot of money for a ticket.

My favourite thing in here is the Infinity Body Mist. You spray it all over your head and face and it lands in a cool refreshing dew on your skin. It makes you feel refreshed, hydrated and it also smells nice.

Mocktails and Movies

Since drinking non-stop for 16 plus hours is not really healthy or recommended, I usually switch to the mocktails during the long part of the flight in order to keep hydrated.

All of the mocktails are extremely tasty and I say that having tried all the mocktails. Highly recommended! I watched more movies and also took another nap. Around three hours prior to arrival I decided to have dinner.

A Four Course Dinner

Let’s face it, I like to eat. There is no way I was going to avoid having a four course dinner on board. The great thing about Qatar Airways is the portion sizes are not stupidly huge, meaning you can try many of them.

I find the soup to be always bursting with flavour and this was no exception. The mango and pasta complimented the prawns perfectly, so once again there was no fault with the meal. Dining can now be pre-selected on Qatar Airways and I chose the Seared fillet of cod with red pepper sauce which is on a seafood and saffron risotto. It is quite tasty! Best of all is the gourmet ice cream though you are left wanting more of it!

Flying Over Sydney

The route from Doha to Auckland invariably passes quite close to Sydney, Australia. To my delight we passed straight over Sydney Harbour and it revealed itself to be quite pretty in the middle of the night from 40,000 feet.

Craving some more ice cream, I asked the crew for another helping. I told them I didn’t need the tray reset so they brought me just the dish, a small napkin and a spoon. Perfect!

Right Before Landing

Undercover Boss is on the Oryx One entertainment system so I watched an episode to wile away the final hour before landing. Lots of emotion in that episode! Next to me the screen is on the moving map which revealed our progress to Auckland.

Cabin Crew deliver another hot towel before landing which is quite welcome. I was offered a top up of my Champagne but the crew member returned to inform me the bar was already closed at about 35 minutes to landing. It should be open a little longer. We landed in Auckland on time.

Overall Thoughts

Business Class on Qatar Airways certainly deserves the accolades heaped upon it. All credit is due to the hard working and friendly cabin crew plus what must be a very good training programme.

The only fault I can think of is the bar closed too early. Everything else is perfect – service, food, movies, sleeping, amenity kit, the works. Flying on a long haul flight this long is an escape from the world itself and one I recommend.

Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.

To never miss a post, you can follow me on Facebook, and I am on Twitter and Instagram too!
All my flight and lounge reviews are indexed here if you want to see more.