Talk about incredible comfort in air, for over 13 hours straight! Quite the experience, for sure.
The Business Class of Qatar Airways is truly one of a kind. It’s literally like having your very own room in-flight, with a sliding door for privacy and an amazing seat that reclines all the way. Let’s take a flight together from Doha to New York on Qatar Airways Fight 701, and discuss about what really stands out, and what doesn’t quite impress…
The cabin interiors look very classy, with a subdued grey and rich burgundy color palette. There is a feeling of high-end quality as one walks down the aisle to get to the seat. First off, there’s a plush burgundy, quilted throw, rolled up, and waiting to be snuggled into. Also, there’s a mini bag from the company Bric’s, filled with little goodies like lip balm, anti-aging moisturizer and hydrating facial mist, all from the Italian company called Castello Monte Vibiano Vecchio. It’s also nice to see a Covid protection kit with hand sanitizer, a face mask and gloves.
The cabin crew is undoubtedly warm, hospitable and thoughtful. As soon as one is in their seat, the crew is immediately on task to make the guest feel welcome and comfortable – explaining the many different buttons on the side panel, providing loungewear and slippers in a suitable size and taking initial orders for drinks. Do not miss the signature lemon mint drink! If one doesn’t plan to sleep right away and rather stay up, or if it’s a jolt of energy you need before landing in your destination, this drink is going to do the work! It would be an understatement to say that the drink is tangy. Apparently, this is a popular lemonade concoction from the Middle East. It’s got a faint sweetness. But it’s the tartness of the lemon that overpowers, and the mint is ever so refreshing!
Ok, now that we are all settled in and have taken off, let’s get right into the food! So first up, we have the beef bacon and cheese omelet with home-made veal sausage. Must say, it is all delicious! The omelet is perfect. It is soft and mildly runny on the inside, with yummy bits of bacon. The sausage has a lovely flavor of herbs, and it is all accompanied with turmeric roasted potatoes, baked tomatoes, spinach and asparagus. Lovely! On the side, there is a portion of fresh fruits, a warm, flaky croissant, and Greek yogurt with strawberry compote and toasted granola with nuts, which honestly, is not ah-mazing! It is alright, but the main with the omelet and the sausage is the clear winner.
The next meal is the braised Australian lamb shank with jus, charred polenta and grilled vegetables. The plating is a delight for the eyes, with lovely, bright colors. Although the lamb sadly does not have a ‘melt-in-the-mouth’ quality and is slightly on the tougher side, the jus is the saving grace and a great accompaniment to the meat and polenta. It is a delicious and flavorsome gravy! The meal comes with warm artisan bread, which is an assortment of three types of doughy goodness clinging together, in a pull-apart kind of way. Out of the three, the medium brown bread is a standout with a slight hint of spices. Dip it in the accompanying olive oil of your choice, and it is splendid! One gets to choose from a number of olive oils, infused with balsamic vinegar, tomato chili, pomegranate and a strong contender of the lot – spicy lemon.
Next, how about some seafood? We have seared Atlantic cod fillet and poached lobster tail with saffron beurre blanc. They are served with saffron barley risotto, sautéed asparagus and cauliflower. Again, the plating is exciting to see. The risotto is wonderful with a lovely, mild flavor. However, it’s not as creamy as is suggested in the menu. Nevertheless, it is comforting. The cod and lobster tail are cooked well, and the sauce is creamy and divine!
For dessert, can’t go wrong with the Valrhona chocolate mousse! It is that wonderful, light, airy ending to a meal, and this mousse is exactly that…
With the bonanza of food and beverage available, and the long-haul journey, a good stretch and rest is inevitable! The cabin crew actually provides a wonderful service of turning down the seats into cozy beds for guests. Couples would be happy to note that the middle row seats turn down into somewhat of a double bed. It is supremely comfortable and the journey just gets that much more relaxing… For entertainment, there’s a whole array to choose from – old classics and new movies from Hollywood, Bollywood, world cinema, TV series and so much more. Time to unwind and relax…
Final thoughts- The Qatar Airways QSuite is definitely impressive in terms of comfort. The reclining seat is definitely the cherry on the cake! Who wouldn’t enjoy a fully lie-flat bed feature while traveling for hours?! The transition between the different seat positions is so smooth…Smooth like butter! It’s simply fantastic. There’s decently good storage space near the seat, to keep essentials within arm’s reach. In this space, one would find excellent, nearly noise-cancelling headphones, and a bottle of water. The entertainment system is super easy to maneuver through. There are loads of movies, music clips, TED talk videos, and so much more. The movies are not the most current, but there are releases as latest as from the month of April. There are no complaints to make when it comes to customer service onboard. The cabin crew is very attentive and intuitive to the passenger’s needs. The only gripe is that enough attention is not given to maintaining the cleanliness in lavatories and in general, the spaces in-flight don’t appear spotless clean. Since the Qatar Airways business class appears on many lists for providing a premium service, one would expect such details to not be overlooked. The food is served warm, with care and attention, and one gets to enjoy a good variety of international cuisines, to one’s heart’s content. It’s kind of like eat and drink all you want, although there’s so much in one given meal, that it’s doubtful if one could try out almost everything on the menu… All in all, this is definitely a luxe experience from Qatar Airways. There are a few aspects with room for improvement, and it will be interesting to see how the airline takes it a notch higher, especially before the upcoming World Cup in 2022…
Comfort – 5/5
Customer service – 4.5/5
Cleanliness – 3.5/5
Food and beverage – 4/5
Entertainment – 4/5
Overall rating – 4.2/5
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