Strictly Travel

***This Review is a few months past due***

Qatar Airways is one of the best airlines in the world and the flagship carrier of Qatar. The airline offers flights all over the world with connections out of Hamad International Airport. Jen and I had the awesome opportunity to visit Doha for a couple of nights before continuing to the Maldives. We stayed at the Hyatt Regency Oryx Doha which offered a free shuttle service to the airport. Here’s the full review.

Booking

True Story, when planning our trip to the Maldives, I booked a pair of tickets on Qatar Airways for 40,000 American Miles each thinking it was for business class. Upon checking in the night before, I found out that I had mistakenly booked us in first class and business class was actually only 30,000 miles per person. For a four hour flight, 10,000 miles might seem a lot but was well worth the experience.

Pre Departure

Jen and I received a few double takes upon arriving at the premium check in area at Hamad International Airport. Qatar Airways offers a dedicated check in for Business Class Passengers and another separate system for First Class Passengers. We were both dressed down for our evening flight, but upon the agent’s confirmation that we were indeed booked in their first class cabin, we were ushered to a private check in area. Here, we were given cool towels and water while our bag got checked.

Within minutes we were well on our way to Qatar Airway’s Al Safwa First Class lounge. While I have visited many airport lounges, this is my favorite lounge in the world, with the neighboring Al Mourjan Business Class coming in second. Jen and I had a wonderful time in the lounge including several amazing dining experiences.

I will have a separate review dedicated to the lounge itself.

Boarding

An interesting experience, boarding commenced on time and we were shuttle by bus over to our plane. There were dedicated buses for premium class passengers which was a nice touch compared to other airlines. Jen boarded the bus ahead of me and I had to wait for another bus. Upon arriving on the plane, the attendant saw my ticket and personally escorted me to my seat. By this time, Jen was already well situated and having a blast. The flight attendants were simply amazing and echoed Qatar’s commitment to excellence.

The Plane

Our flight was operated on a Boeing 777-300er that previously belonged to Cathay Pacific and utilizes their cabin with minor alterations to the color scheme. For business class passengers, seats are in the standard 1-2-1 reverse herringbone fashion, while first class features an impressive 1-1-1 config that is equal parts spacious and luxury.

The cabin was elegantly designed, but also showed some signs of wear and tear. The entertainment display was gigantic and the seat was extremely spacious.

Amenities

Jen recieved a special white with a pink trim amenity pouch while I had the standard black pouch, both from Diptyque and well stocked. Additionally, we were both offered a pair of pajamas from Qatar’s partnership with The White Company. I enjoy Qatar’s amenities and always find them to be high quality in comparison to many other airlines.

Food

Although our flight didn’t take off until 2 in the morning, Qatar still offered an extensive meal service in first class. While Jen and I have traveled on numerous airlines, this was one of the best meals I have ever had.

We started with drinks and complimentary caviar service. We had beluga sturgeon caviar served with several compliments including milk bread and a few slices of smoked salmon. The caviar was utterly delicious.

After caviar service, Jen and I both opted to skip starters and went straight for the Wagyu beef tenderloin with roasted vegetables. The tenderloin was cook medium and still juicy, while the roasted veggies showed little hints of being soggy.

Overall Thoughts

While the Q-Suite is my favorite business class seat in the world, Qatar continues to impress me with both their lounge service and inflight crew. Jen and I had a wonderful time enjoying the First Class Lounge in Hamad International. Onboard, this was our first true caviar tasting and it was simply amazing. The staff was extremely friendly and I can’t wait for my next flight with Qatar.