Despite its awards, Nick Walton discovers disappointment and frustration during a recent Qatar Airways flight to Doha.
It’s been a few years since I last flew Qatar Airways, an award-winning carrier whose tagline, “the World’s Five Star Airline”, certainly sets the benchmark high, which is why I was so surprised to find an inconsistent and rather lacking experience on my recent flight between Bali and Doha.
Check-in/Boarding
I check in online and, after a quick visit to the newly renovated Tujuwang Lounge at Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, I make my way to Gate 6. The crew greeting guests at the aircraft door could best be described as blasé. A senior crew member glances at my boarding pass while chatting to another and waves an arm in the general direction of the plane’s nose. Must have been a good conversation.
The Seat
The first impression of the 787’s business class cabin is spacious in a kind of cut-back Scandinavian minimalist style. The cabin, with its 1-2-1 seat configuration, is spacious and inviting, but at a time when most airlines are increasingly cocooning premium passengers in suites with doors and ample privacy (a la Qatar’s Qsuite), this older rendition is the complete opposite — it’s virtually naked, stripped down and exposed.
Attached to the shell of the seat in front, the 18.5-inch personal monitor is really in your face, and beneath is a tray table that folds in and yet still juts out into the oh-so-precious personal space. I feel like I’m sitting in a racing car simulator, sans driving wheel.
With its faux wood and stitched leather, the effect is certainly elegant, but there’s little storage, save for a small compartment at knee level and another in the other armrest that’s already taken up by the airline headphones. Combined with the rather cheap, disposable towelettes (again, a departure from Qatar’s competitors) and an amenity ‘box’ (no plush leather case here) from Diptyque and the overall impression is that of a regional business class — comfortable but streamlined — despite the 10-hour flight time.
In sleep mode, the seat is perfectly comfortable, but the space between that pesky tray and the seat cushion is quite confining. There’s also the sense of being very exposed as people walk past inches away.
Dining
Soon after take-off, a crew member takes my order for brunch. I opt for the classic Arabian mezze of hummus, baba ghanoush and muhammara, which is perfect for grazing on. My first drink choice is unavailable, so I opt for a Bloody Mary only to have the crew return 40 minutes later and ask if I’d like to order another (I never got the first one). In the end, it arrived and was very good.
The main, Indonesian rendang with beef short rib, turmeric rice and cassava leaves, is rich but very salty, so remains mostly uneaten, and is followed by an ice cream cup that comes frozen like a bowling ball and takes a full hour to thaw enough to be eaten.
About four hours out from Doha, I ask for the mie goreng with chicken satay from the light meal menu — again, it’s not available. Nor is the cheese platter. The crew tells me the plane is “50% catered”, meaning many things were not available despite the business class cabin being 95% full, leaving me with the impression of an airline that’s fixated on cutting costs.
Connectivity/Entertainment
While Qatar Airways has installed Starlink on its 777 fleet and offers complimentary Wi-Fi in business class, neither is available on this aircraft. Instead, I pay US$10 for a connection that resembles my first dial-up account.
The Qatar Airways in-flight entertainment system is quite comprehensive; you just need to dig around a little, as it features a slightly weird indexing that means not all movies show up when you search. Frustratingly, the headphone jack plays up throughout the flight, and the plane doesn’t feature Bluetooth connectivity.
Service
This is another aspect that surprised me. While the crew were perfectly friendly and came when called for, there was no proactiveness or consistency. Glasses, napkins, empty bottles of water and coffee cups simply stacked up until the crew were called to take them away. They are quick to act, however, when a couple slip in from economy class and is discovered in the business class bathroom together. Naughty, naughty!
Summary
Qatar Airways has talked a big game over the past decade, and I’ll admit I’ve enjoyed past flights, but with lacklustre service, inconsistent availability, seats that lack privacy, no perks like Emirates’s complimentary limo transfers and a price point that’s usually north of its competitors, I’m not sure what the airline’s game plan is.
Note: The author travelled on a full-fare business class ticket without the airline’s prior knowledge
For more Reviews, click here.
STAY IN THE KNOW BY FOLLOWING US ON FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, & LINKEDIN
