FLYING BUSINESS CLASS WITH QATAR AIRLINES
I started 2023 with a bang by investing in a business class flight with Qatar airlines for my Royal Caribbean 4 night Asian cruise. Our departure port was out of Singapore and we were visiting Penang, Malaysia and Phuket, Thailand. Throughout my search for flights to Singapore I was seeing the air time nearly totaled 30 hours of flying. My first flight leg was 15 hours and my second leg was 8 hours. If you’re planning a trip that will require a long haul flight, you may want to consider saving up more for a business class ticket. After my experience, I may have started a dangerous trend for myself on future international flights ;)
Flying business class with Qatar was life changing And totally worth it. If you're interested in learning more about the business class suites with Qatar airlines, the sister company to American Airlines, then read further to decide if it’s worth it for you! I hope this may help you understand everything that’s included in your suite price including stellar service from the Qatar flight attendants. Sometimes you deserve the ability to splurge on things you want in life. You work hard, treat yourself within reason and you won’t regret it!
THE Q SUITE
There are two different business class setups that I was able to experience during different flight legs. The Q Suite was my favorite and from the name you can guess that yes, it is essentially your own personal suite! Your chair has various settings enabled to lay completely flat like a bed, move upright for dinner, or recline backwards. When your chair reclines, there is an extra foot rest area that will connect with the chair for extended leg or body room. Next to your chair is a storage compartment that raises up and down to be used as a armrest. This will also contain your noise cancellation headphones, a bottle of water, and more storage space for your belongings.
There is a large main display screen as well as a handheld touch screen device to use as a remote to control which movies, tv shows, music, or games you would like to play on the main display. The movies are split between Hollywood, Bollywood, African, and Asian film categories with newer and older movies to choose from. There were plenty of amenities included so lets check them out!
THE Q SUITE AMENITIES
The Q suite amenities are perfectly picked for a comfortable stay. You’ll receive a packaged purple quilt with a small head pillow as well as a decorative pillow. Each suite comes with a complimentary gift bag featuring diptyque skincare and fragrances exclusively with Qatar airlines. The bag has comfy black socks, a Velcro adjustable sleep mask, earplugs, essential face cream, nourishing lip balm, and fresh lotion.
Throughout the flight the attendants will bring both cooling and warm face towels. These are so refreshing especially after a great rest in the Q suite bed. You won’t leave the plane with crusty eyes and dried out skin. The cooling towel comes packaged and is given at the beginning of the flight. Whats perfect is this stays damp until opened so you can use it at any point during or after your flight.
After learning your Q suite and adjusting your bed, don’t forget to put on your complimentary sleepwear provided by Qatar airlines! The sizes are larger than expected and should fit fine or you can request a larger size if required. The sleepwear pack comes with a long sleeve cotton shirt, cotton drawstring navy pants, and slippers. I loved this because I didn’t have to worry about wearing my regular clothes for 2 days of travel and could easily change in and out during the flight before landing. Look at me all snuggled up in my sleepwear, comfy quilt, with drink in hand!
One of my final favorites in the suite was the noise cancellation headphones that connect to both the hand and main display. They may be a little bulky to sleep with but they do block out a lot of the loud engine noises, snoring, or even passenger coughing - unless I’m the only one who gets super annoyed by the enclosed space and germs lingering in the air lol.
FOOD AND BEVERAGE
For business class food and beverage, be ready to partake in the essence of international flavors with a dash of Arabic cuisine. You’ll first be greeted with a drink of your choosing before takeoff and then given both the food and wine menus for the flight attendant to take your order. You’ll be able to choose from several signature dishes via female chef Aisha Altamimi. Dine at any time of your choosing and pick anything from the menu. So even if you want to try every single thing on the menu no one is stopping you!
Each plane will differ in menu offerings which is great because you can try a variety of cuisine. Start off with artisan bread where you can spread with light butter or dip in a savory olive oil vinegrette. Then choose from the available soups and appetizers like hummus or tapas. Some of the main courses available on my flight included lamp chops, beef short ribs, Qatari chicken, and salmon fillet. Each plane also offered a cheese plate served with the finest international cheeses. For dessert, indulge in gourmet ice cream, fresh fruit, or something like a chocolate tart. There are also lighter options if you don’t want something super heavy to start off with after takeoff include quinoa, a burger, or finger sandwiches with afternoon tea.
They’ll also get a head start with your breakfast order by taking it at the same time as your dinner selections. For my first morning on my 13-15 hour leg, I chose the waffle drizzled in maple syrup. It was to die for. It was so perfect that I hoped my next flight legs would include it...but unfortunately it didn’t. Ugh! The runner up for me was the California style omelet featuring ricotta, avocado, and roasted tomato on my return flight to the US. They also offer two cereal types, yogurt, coffee, and tea.
When it’s time to eat your flight attendant will make up your tray table with a tablecloth, personal napkin, salt and pepper holders, and a tea light. It’s exquisite dining in the sky! As I write this now I’m savoring all of the flavors I tried and I definitely cleaned all plates. From American, to Arabic, or Asian cuisine I was ready to try them all!
**Do note that if you have a nut allergy majority of the menu did have some type of nuts incorporated into the dishes. Majority of the dishes cannot be altered so you may be limited on your choices and that includes snacks. I have a nut allergy, but didn't have an issue trying the other options on the menu. Make sure to tell your attendant so they are aware of any allergies or dietary restrictions.**
SUITE BATHROOMS
I will always remember one of the American Airline international flights I traveled on featured a ridiculously spacious bathroom unlike anything I had seen before. It had futuristic features and room to actually walk around with a full mirror. Since then I’ve unfortunately haven’t seen anything like it - which would be a dream come true to see on any new modern flights!
On my Qatar flight the restrooms are moderately sized being larger than most commercial economy flights. The restrooms have disinfectant cleansing wipes available for each use which was a plus to me since we all know how filthy airplanes are and how fast they are turned between new people boarding. Other amenities available are facial mist and lotion with a lathering hand soap. They also provide packaged toothbrushes with toothpaste as well as shaving kits. Even better for my beauty gworls...the main mirror has a smaller compact mirror built in for makeup as well as vanity lighting.
AIRPORT LOUNGE ACCESS
Your business class ticket also includes access to top airport lounges under your designated airline! So during your layover period you have the opportunity to head straight to the lounge to continue your experience.
Airport lounges have more comfortable seating, business workspaces, fine dining restaurants, and free food and drink available. What is super refreshing after a long flight is the ability to take a shower. Phew! The Qatar airport lounge in the Doha airport had showers available with fresh towels, toiletries, and walk in showers with your own private bathroom. After I freshened up I sat down for a few more minutes to charge my phone and grab a snack before my next 8 hour flight to Singapore.
SO RAQHELLE... IS IT WORTH IT?
I have two more trips planned on the other side of the world and am really contemplating upgrading both flights to business class. I would contemplate its worthiness based on your comfortability levels and patience. Especially if I have a flight longer than 8 hours, and more than one flight leg I have to decipher if I will truly be comfortable enough to be able to sleep and get right to exploring when the plane touches down. I don't sleep well on planes, and my back ends up killing me after just 2 hours.
When I traveled to Japan from Dallas nonstop for 13 hours, I conquered that with ease. But at the same time, the plane was nearly empty and I had plenty of space to stretch my legs or even lay down across 2-3 seats which increased my comfortability and stress levels. I’ve never had an issue with economy international flight set up other than the lack of space for seating and being tightly stuck between strangers. Flying 16 hours to South Africa from Atlanta was a totally opposite experience because of the full flight, lack of space, and uncomfortability. My stress levels were high.
Knowing that my flight to Singapore had a stop in Doha, Qatar which is one of the busiest airports, I figured the plane would be completely booked....and was correct. I'm so glad I had the privacy within the Q suite to relax, watch movies, play games, and work on blogging in peace! The food was great, the service was stellar, and I was comfortable for both flights. I considered it a win and totally worth it for this vacation experience!
Do you think business class is worth it and if so how do you determine when to book versus when to fly economy?