I was so excited to fly Q Suites because I had heard nothing but great things about it from everyone I know who has flown it. To be honest, I was a little worried that my expectation would sadly come short of reality because I had built Q Suites up in my head.
The reality is that Q Suites lives up to and exceeds all expectations for a business class product. I would not only say that it is certainly the best business class product I have ever flown but would also say it dwarfs many first class products out there. From the hard product to the service, a business class product this good doesn’t really need a first class product.
Cabin
I was a bit late entering the cabin since I had issues with my paperwork but I can easily say the cabin is very well appointed. The layout is in a 1-2-1 layout with the window seats alternating between a true window seat (closest to the window with storage closest to the aisle) and a window seat with storage closest to the window and the seat closer to the aisle). The “true” window seats offer the most privacy so that would be my preference even though the door really does make this all pretty meaningless. The only advantage would be to stare out the windows.
The middle seats also alternate between close together and separated with seats closer to either aisle and the storage of either seat maximizing the privacy. Couples will probably want to sit in the seats that are situated closer together.
Q Suites
I think it’s easy to say that Q Suites is by far the leader when it comes to business class products. The fact that there is a privacy door to each suite that even comes with it’s do not disturb light is a great touch. The seat is comfortable and at first, I was disappointed by the (perceived) lack of storage until I realized the padded area next to my seat lifted up to reveal more storage (it also moved up and down as an adjustable arm rest).
The seat also extends to a fully flat bed so you can easily sleep and the controls allow you to sleep/lounge/sit in any configuration you feel comfortable.
Waiting for me at my seat was a pillow and blanket as well as a water bottle and headphones underneath the padded console/seating area next to my chair.
What I did find odd was that there was no amenity kit waiting for me. Now I’m not sure if Qatar Airways is doing away with amenity kits similar to Singapore Airlines, if someone took mine before I got seated, or if they’re not offered to passengers who use points/miles to redeem flights. However, as the cabin lights were dimmed after dinner and people were going to sleep, the bathrooms were stocked with the regular amenities you find in a kit (toothbrushes, razors, etc) so maybe they are doing away with them? It isn’t a big deal but I do like to give them to people who genuinely enjoy receiving them so that was a bit of a bummer.
I will say that there was a small kit of protective gear which had a mask, hand sanitizer, and a couple of other things waiting at the seat so I’m not sure if that was in lieu of an official amenity kit.
**Oddly, my connecting flight from Doha to Cairo was about 3 hours long and they provided a small kit with socks and lip balm so not getting a kit for a 14+ hour flight was really odd.**
Shortly after I was seated, the attendant came around to ask if I wanted a drink and to see what size I’d like my PJs. The PJs run a little big but it wasn’t like it’s a deal breaker since I usually only change into them to avoid getting my regular clothes dirty and if they’re not that great, I just leave them on the plane.
The screen size was also huge and the entertainment options seemed endless. For movies, you had choices of Hollywood, Arabic, Bollywood, etc. For TV channels, you can comedy, drama, BBC, HBO, etc. Basically, you had everything you could possibly want to keep yourself entertained for a 14 hour flight. The touchscreen was great but it also came with a touchscreen remote so if you wanted to watch something while lying down, you could.
The table folds to a very generous size and was ample for me to get work down on my laptop as well as have my phone and water handy.
Internet was only $10 for the entire flight and it’s high speed so it allows for all sorts of things you might want. And for a 14 hour flight, I think $10 is a steal. You also get 60 mins of free internet access if you think that’ll suffice so that’s up to you. I also wasn’t met with any data caps so I’ll gladly take a flat rate of $10.
The final touch of the suite is the door. It closes so that you can have your own space to work, sleep, eat, etc. without being bothered by people walking by. Now obviously the walls and the doors don’t go all the way up to the ceiling so people can easily peer in. But it is an added touch for those who just want to have their own space to get things done or need a bit of privacy.
Flight
We departed about 30 mins later than the scheduled time. I think that is mainly attributed to the fact that the ground staff is going nuts making sure everyone has the right documents clearances to fly to their final destination. There were so many people being called up to the podium, all due to document checks, that I was genuinely surprised that they started boarding around 6pm (for our scheduled 6:40 departure).
Meal service began shortly after takeoff. Again, I thought it was odd that the menu said that this was dine on demand but the meal was served to everyone at the same time.
I started with the smoked salmon appetizer and it was delicious. It was a great way to start a meal. However, what was clearly evident was that the crew was really being careful about sanitation. The meal looked prepackaged and came with plastic covers. Even the garlic toast came wrapped in plastic. Although I definitely appreciate how seriously the crew is taking Covid, the plastic does take a little something away from the presentation.
For my main, I ordered the Chilean sea bass. It really wasn’t a choice since I refuse to eat anything with raisins in it and the chicken had raisins. The fish was buttery and flakey and the veg was perfect. I actually think I lucked out since it sounded like everyone else around me was ordering the chicken dish.
Ah, and dessert. I’ll admit I’m usually a savory person versus a sweets person but this was so good it was like a donkey kick to the groin. I really didn’t know what to expect since the description only stated “chocolate delight with hazelnut” but it was this chocolate mousse dessert that wasn’t too sweet and just perfect. I must have looked like a ravenous pig because the attendant offered me another dessert. I declined only so I could save some pride and dignity (but if the situation were different and no one was looking, I totally would’ve taken another dessert).
After, the lights were turned off and cabin pretty much went to sleep.
A few hours in and I asked for a martini and just a snack to munch on as I got some work done. I asked for some chips but unfortunately they had run out. Instead, the attendant said she had popcorn and brought out this salt and caramel popcorn that was to die for good. Seriously, where has this been all my life?
About 2.5 hours before landing, they served breakfast. The crew had come around earlier when they were taking dinner orders to ask what we wanted for breakfast. I had miraculously fallen asleep for a couple hours so when they saw me with the reading light on again, they were quick to pounce and ask if I wanted breakfast served.
Breakfast was a light affair with Greek yogurt and fruit. It was actually really quick as more and more passengers were getting up and the crew not only had to serve the passengers but also had to get ready to land.
Service
I really felt it was necessary to just touch very quickly on the service. I don’t know if I was just really lucky with the people who were on my flight or if it was because I was mainly the only one up for the duration of the flight (because I just have a hard time sleeping on planes), but my goodness the service was excellent. I mean absolutely NAILED it/ bonkers good. I think I hit the service request button once after the lights were dimmed and that was only because I was feeling peckish. After I took a break and watched a movie (Parasite in case you’re curious), I got up and started to get some more work done. Without warning, the same attendant who helped me earlier, came by to ask if I needed or wanted anything. It actually startled me because I wasn’t expecting it. Yes, everyone was still asleep and I had my reading light on, but there really was no reason for her to check on me. From start to finish, the crew were amazing and I just thought it should be recognized since it really went beyond in my book.
Overall
Maybe it was the fact that this was my first flight in 18 months. Maybe my excitement of finally being able to travel the world was overshadowing my reality. Or maybe, it was just that good. To me, this flight was perfect. The Q Suites hard product is undeniably superb to any business class product I’ve flown and better than some first class products and the service was outstanding and exceeded all expectations. I honestly can’t think of a better way to spend any significant amount of time on a plane than this.