Qatar Airways is best known for its Qsuite long-haul business class. But if you’re thinking of flying Qatar, remember that the airline operates a diverse fleet with multiple seat styles. So it’s important to be a smart shopper and know what you’re getting when you book.
We recently wrote about Qatar’s A320 business class, and we’ll be back later with a dive into Qsuite. But in this story we’re featuring one of Qatar’s other long-haul business class seats, which we flew on an Airbus A350-900 flight from Cape Town to Doha.
Read on for the full details. For those of you considering Qatar Airways for your future travel plans we outline how this seat stacks up against Qsuite. And for those of you just AvGeeking from the comfort of your homes we have all the window seat views and videos you could ask for.
On the Ground in Cape Town
We got to enjoy Qatar’s Cape Town contract lounge, the Bidvest Lounge, before we boarded.
It was a gorgeous day outside, perfect for some planespotting from the terminal before we boarded.
Meet the seat
Onboard the non-Qsuite subset of Qatar’s A350-900 fleet there are 36 reverse herringbone seats in nine rows.
Each seat is plush and spacious. With two windows per seat the views are excellent.
Instead of standard window shades, this cabin has button-operated double-layer shades. The first level looks like window blinds and set a cozy mood, while the second level blocks all light. You can see them operate in the video above.
This is one of Qatar’s older seat designs. The upholstery and finishes look a bit dated but they do the job just fine.
Each seat has plenty of storage, including a large bin beside the seat.
The most noticeable thing about this cabin is the wide-open feel. There’s no door or shielding between the seat and the aisle, though seats in the center section do have an adjustable divider separating them.
There aren’t any overhead bins in the center of the cabin, helping it feel more airy and spacious.
Last but not least, you can’t miss the striking entryway. On most planes the area by the main boarding door is utilitarian, surrounded by galleys and lavatories. But on this aircraft they kept the area open, with a ring light on the ceiling that makes it feel more like a hotel lobby.
Whether you’ll like the overall cabin design aesthetic is a matter of personal taste. If you need tons of privacy you won’t be a fan. But if you’re into a spacious sunlit vibe you’ll love it.
After we settled in the purser came by to introduce herself and discuss the service rhythm for the flight. We had a moment to sip a boarding drink and start taking in the exterior camera views.
The Cape Town area’s natural beauty was on full display during taxi, takeoff, and climbout. It was one of our favorite takeoff views in a while:
Starting the service
Soon after we hit cruise climb the crew came by with a round of drinks.
Here’s a look at the wine list:
The list of cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks:
The dining menu:
In Qatar Airways business class meals are completely on-demand: you can eat whenever you want instead of being constrained by pre-set meal times. Like most of the other people on this flight I went with a meal right after takeoff.
The small starter was okay but the soup was amazing.
The entree was classic inflight fish (a little overcooked and light on flavor) but the presentation was beautiful.
A cheese plate rounded out this pretty great meal.
For lighter grazing between meals the flight attendants placed some bowls of mixed snacks in the cabin entryway.
Passing the time
For inflight entertainment each seat has a large screen. The sleek interface even allows you to pair your phone so you can use it as a remote control. There are multiple exterior camera views for us AvGeeks. The library of movies is plenty for a long-haul flight or two, though not best-in-class.
The boxed amenity kit has plenty of goodies inside.
In addition to the amenity kit, the lavs come stocked with dental kits, shaving kits, and some basic toiletries.
Each seat comes with two plush pillows and a hefty blanket.
The seat controls are intuitive and well lit.
In fully-flat mode the seat is extra spacious thanks to the wider-than-average footwell and the ability to lower the armrests to bed level.
Wrapping up the flight
This wasn’t a true overnight flight and I was having too much fun to get any real sleep, so with a few hours to go until Doha I had a second meal. It was even better than the first one, and beyond that I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.
As the flight crew announced our descent, the flight attendants came by with Läderach boxed chocolates.
Here’s a look at our nighttime descent and landing at Doha’s Hamad International Airport.
We had plenty of fun during our layover at Qatar’s Doha hub. But we’ll save that for another story.
The Verdict
There’s no question that this was a great flight. But how did this seat stack up against Qatar Airways’ much better known Qsuite?
The short answer is that Qsuite is probably the winner. But the better answer is that it REALLY depends on your priorities and there’s no one-size-fits-all answer.
Qsuite is exactly what its name suggests: a suite with a door and a ton of privacy. If being able to close a door and enter your own private world is your inflight priority, then Qsuite is a winner. Qsuite’s upholstery, table surfaces, and other details / finishes also feel fresher.
But suites with doors are polarizing. For some people they feel too constraining and claustrophobic. The cabin on our A350 flight was the complete opposite, with an wide-open, well-lit feel that some people may prefer. Having tried both, my wife (who joined me on this itinerary) said she actually preferred this cabin to Qsuites.
Of course the seat isn’t the only factor that makes or breaks your inflight experience. There’s no doubt it’s nice to fly a next-gen jet like the A350, with bigger windows, better cabin pressure and humidity, and other tech benefits. Just remember that some of Qatar’s A350s have Qsuite onboard, and some of their 777s don’t, so to know what you’re getting when you book you have to look at the seat map.
In the end, the seat we flew from Cape Town to Doha scores high, and the service made the time fly by.
Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
