Qatar Airways business class service is often described as one of the world’s best business-class experiences. The individual Qsuites offer a high level of comfort and privacy, and the flight attendants are famous for their excellent in-flight service.
I flew business class with Qatar Airways from Cairo to Doha and onwards from Doha to Seattle. This was the first time I’d experienced the Qsuite, and I was excited to see if it lived up to its reputation for excellence, especially since flying business class or first class is a true bucket-list item for many people.
Read on to discover what I loved about the Qsuite, and what aspects didn’t meet my expectations.
How much does flying business class with Qatar Airways cost?
The cost of booking a Qatar Qsuite depends on the route you take and when you plan to fly. The Doha to Seattle route I took generally costs around $4000-$5000 for a round-trip. However, you might find lower rates in late spring and early summer.
Along with airlines like American Airlines, British Airways, and Qantas, Qatar Airways is a member of the Oneworld alliance. You can use points earned on other member airlines to reduce the cost of your Qatar flights.
Qatar business class passengers can select their seats without additional charge. They can take carry-on luggage weighing up to 15kg and check in two bags weighing up to 32kg each for flights to or from the U.S. The standard business class baggage allowance for most other routes is 40kg.
Qatar Airways business class passengers also enjoy a dedicated check-in and separate security lines with experienced staff. This delivers a smooth, hassle-free boarding process.
Al Mourjan Business Lounge Access
If you have a layover at Doha’s Hamad International Airport, I highly recommend heading to the Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge. It’s a huge, two-story space with a laid-back vibe and lots of comfortable seating areas.
There are workstations where business passengers can catch up on some work, and family areas where the kids can burn off some energy. The lounge also has two dining rooms offering free buffet options and à la carte menu.
You can also freshen up in the shower suites. These are well-equipped with Diptyque toiletries, fluffy towels, and hairdryers.
Being able to shower and enjoy a delicious meal in the Al Mourjan Business Lounge makes waiting for long-haul flights much more relaxing.
The Qatar Airways Qsuite
The comfort and privacy of a Qsuite is one of the major advantages of traveling business class. Qatar Airways pioneered the idea of a suite with a sliding door, and their “hard product” has been winning awards for best business class seats since its 2017 launch.
Qsuites are decorated in soft tones of grey and Qatar’s signature burgundy. They have large lie-flat seats that each passenger can adjust to their personal preference using the seat controls. When you’re ready to take a nap, the cabin crew will add a mattress topper to your reclined seat and make up the bed for you.
The innovative seat layout can accommodate groups of 2 or 4 people by opening the doors between certain center suites. This also creates a double bed across two Qsuites.
For this reason, the middle seats tend to be assigned to groups travelling together. However, you may be able to request them by calling customer service.
The business class cabin has overhead storage bins running along the center and sides. There’s also plenty of storage space for small items alongside your seat, a small table, and a separate ottoman.
However, the suite doesn’t feel cramped, and there’s enough room for a second (small) person to sit next to you if they angle their feet.
The Q Suite design offers extra privacy thanks to its high walls and fully-closing doors. These are high enough to cut out most of the noise from people walking past. However, the cabin crew can still peek over and check if you need anything.
The spacious suite, fully lie-flat bed, and soft linens make it easy to catch a few hours’ sleep during your long flight. It’s no wonder that Qatar wins so many best seats awards!
Facilities in the Qsuite
Business class passengers can choose from a good selection of films and TV shows to watch on the 21.5” high-resolution touchscreen.
The over-the-ear noise-cancelling headphones provided for use during the flight are pretty clear and also block out most of the cabin noise. On newer aircraft, you can also pair your own Bluetooth earphones to the entertainment system.
There are 2 USB charging ports and a regular charging port for charging your devices. There’s even an HDMI adapter that lets you project from your device to the in-flight entertainment screen.
High-speed WiFi is available on Qatar Airways business class. Qatar Privilege Club members get one hour of access for free, and you can purchase unlimited access on board or in advance.
However, the WiFi doesn’t always work so well, and sometimes there’s no signal at all. This poor service caused some problems for me on my Qsuite flight – more about that later.
Amenities
Qatar Airways partners with Diptyque for their amenity kit. You’ll receive a faux-leather pouch filled with the usual goodies: a dental kit, eye mask, compression socks, earplugs, lip balm, lotion, and a little spray of eau de toilette.
Dental kits are also available in the lavatories, which are much larger than standard airplane restrooms. There are four restrooms for business class passengers, which are equipped with touchless faucets, Diptyque soap, and hand lotion. Wherever possible, the flight attendants try to clean the facilities after each passenger.
You’ll also be provided with a pillow, a cozy blanket, and pajamas and slippers from The White Company.
Qatar Airways food and beverages
Flight attendants will offer you a glass of champagne or a fresh juice along with a warm hand towel when you arrive at your Qsuite. While you enjoy your welcome drink, a member of the cabin crew will take your food order if you haven’t ordered in advance.
Qatar Airlines offers Dine Anytime instead of fixed meal service. The cabin crew will confirm preordered meals at boarding, along with dining preferences such as whether you’d like breakfast and whether they should wake you for meals.
At mealtimes, a white tablecloth will be laid over the tray table. Your food will be served with real tableware and a white cloth napkin.
The extensive menu includes starters like a mixed mezze platter or soup of the day, prime beef tenderloin or Qatari-spiced barramundi for your main course, and desserts such as poached pears in syrup or a cheese board. There’s an excellent wine list and other alcoholic beverages including a selection of classic cocktails as well as non-alcoholic drinks.
Drinks and snacks are available throughout your flight. You can opt for light snacks like popcorn or cookies, or choose something more substantial like a Cajun chicken and cheese toastie.
The breakfast menu includes everything from cereals and yoghurts to omelets, pastries, and traditional Arabic breakfast foods.
If you don’t have allergies, dining on board Qatar Airways is very good. However, I felt it was less memorable than when we flew First Class with Emirates.
Catering for Allergies
I enjoyed my dining experience on board the Qatar Airways flight, but unfortunately, we found that they didn’t accommodate food allergies well.
My son’s complex food allergies make it difficult to preorder a safe meal for him. So, it wasn’t a surprise when I couldn’t order his meals in advance before our Qatar Airways flight.
However, the flight attendants could tell me hardly anything about the ingredients in any of the menu options. Food is such a major part of the business class flight experience, and this made ordering my son’s meals more stressful than it needed to be.
Practically, this meant that he had to forego any of the fresh meal options in business class for the entirety of the flight and stick to packaged foods only.
Businesses these days are generally much better at accommodating guests traveling with food allergies, and I expected more from a top airline like Qatar Airways. It was super disappointing for what should be a luxury experience.
On-board service
I would say the Qatar service was as expected for a business class flight. However, it stopped short of the exceptional service I had hoped for.
The cabin crew were cheerful, friendly, and happy to help out with requests. I never felt like I was being constantly bothered by them, and there’s a call button on your suite’s control panel if you need attention.
Snags during our flight
Unfortunately, I had a couple of issues on the Doha to Seattle leg of our journey. Nothing major, just some annoyances that it made it less than perfect.
The first issue was a water refill request that was acknowledged but then forgotten multiple times. Eventually, I gave up and took my glass to the galley to be refilled. It wasn’t a major deal, but it fell short of the level of service I expected.
However, the second situation spoiled my business class experience a bit.
My kids were sitting in premium economy with another member of our party while my husband and I were in business class. My younger son came up to visit us during the flight, and the flight attendants let me know that they weren’t happy about that.
I understand that they don’t want passengers using the facilities in a higher cabin, but the seatbelt sign was off, and my son wasn’t bothering anyone. He was moving silently between the sections and simply came to cuddle with me in my suite.
Apparently, another passenger had complained about it, but my suite door was closed and he wasn’t making any noise. So, I’m not sure how anyone else would have known.
In fact, the privacy door and layout of the suites make it pretty difficult for anyone other than the cabin crew to know who is in each suite.
Ultimately, my son kept visiting me because I couldn’t communicate with his caregiver due to the spotty WiFi. If the WiFi had been working properly, I would have visited him whenever he asked me to. That would have removed any need for him to try to join me in business class.
Ultimately, I understand that they were enforcing the rules preventing customers from moving between cabins. I disagree that my son was disturbing anyone’s experience, and it certainly feels different than allllll the flights where people move cabins to use the better bathrooms.
Would I recommend flying business class with Qatar Airways?
Qatar Airways business class is a popular choice for business travelers and passengers seeking a luxury travel experience.
The spacious Qsuites offer lie-flat seats and high-quality linens for comfort, and the sliding doors and high walls provide privacy. Business class passengers also enjoy a generous baggage allowance, a smooth boarding process, and access to the excellent Al Mourjan Business Lounge.
So, it’s easy to see why so many people choose Qatar business class for long-haul travel.
My Qsuite experience was generally positive, but I found the lack of information for passengers with allergies disappointing. Some aspects of the in-flight service didn’t live up to my expectations, which took the gloss off the experience.
Overall, I’d recommend Qatar Airways business class for long-haul flights via Doha, but it doesn’t get my loyalty over Emirates when I have the choice.
