Qatar B777-300ER Qsuite review

Seat and Amenities

Qatar Airways has touted its Qsuite as the ultimate in travel for Business Class and you would have to say that it is very hard to beat.

It is very spacious, very private, and sports a sliding door to totally cocoon you from your fellow passengers.

One of the things that strikes you as you settle in is that it is very well designed and packed with neat features focused on making your trip as comfortable and productive or if you desire as entertaining as possible.

There are two business class cabins on the Boeing 777-300ER and the configuration is one-two-one with Qsuite facing both forward and backward.

On my two flights – QR907 and QR707 – I had both and preferred the backward facing which was closer to the window.

I had 4J, forward facing, from Sydney to Doha and 8K, rear facing, from Doha to Washington.

The seat in the Qsuite is 21.5 inches across and extends to a bed that is 79 inches long with fitted mattress and two pillows and is very comfortable for this 6ft 4in traveler.

There are also, as one would expect, a host of seat settings to set you up in your perfect position. There are four presets: lie flat, fully upright, take-off and recline.

A great feature is the secure storage compartment underneath a big padded armrest next to the seat and this holds the headphones and water.

It also has a smaller sub-compartment to secure things like glasses and passport.

Another important aspect is the countertop which is big enough to accommodate a laptop or iPad while you’re having your meal.

And talking if iPads and laptops there are plenty of charging options at your fingertips.

The privacy door is manual and is easily opened or shut and even in the opened position, you cannot see your fellow passenger.

A unique feature of the Qsuite is the center sets of seats that can be transformed into a double cabin with a double bed or a space for four people called a quad.

Passengers get sleepwear from London’s The White company and a superb amenities kit with socks, eyeshades, earplugs and Castello Monte Vibiano products such as moisturizer.

Razors and toothbrushes are also available in the four very well-sized washrooms serving the business class cabins.

These washrooms are great as you so often find this important space is too confined.

READ: Qatar Airways hub is an oasis 

Customer service on board

The flight attendants on my two sectors were outstanding. I was looked after by Susie from Venezuela on QR907 and Arnold Mathias on QR707.

There is an on-demand ordering system through your IFE system but the flight attendants ensured that I never needed to bother with that.

The only challenge was what to order from the extensive selection of food and wines on offer.

Catering

The departure from Sydney was 3.30pm and thus dinner was on offer once we were at cruise. I started with Arabic mezze which is a favorite of mine and this selection did not disappoint.

This was accompanied by Pommery Brut Royal.

Next, I chose the Arabic chicken kofta with oriental rice accompanied with golden fried onions, cashew and raita yogurt – another great choice.

To finish, as the Boeing 777 slipped quietly over the Western Australian coast near Derby I chose Gourmet ice cream. Magnificent.

The next sector from Doha to Washington was a morning departure from Doha just after 8 am so breakfast followed as the Boeing 777 slipped over Iran.

I opted for a compote of fruit and yogurt followed by an omelet which was excellent.

I took lunch over northern Canada and selected smoked salmon for a light starter and then Arabic Mezza again but this time as the main meal.

Being a creature of habit I could go past the Pommery Brut Royal.

The daylight flight to Washington was effortless and very scenic. My flight crossed Russia, Latvia the Baltic Sea, north of Bergen, Iceland, Greenland and into Canada.

Inflight entertainment

Qatar Airways Onyx system has over 3000 entertainment options and also features the airline’s state-of-the-art communication through OnAir mobile service.

Once the aircraft is above 10,000 feet, you can use your portable electronic devices (PEDs) and send SMS and MMS or access your email and browse the Internet to stay in touch with everyone on the ground.

Not on my flight but being installed on 777s and A350s is what the airline calls “Super Wi-Fi”’ which can reach speeds topping 50 megabits per second – better than many home broadband services.

The in-flight broadband uses Inmarsat’s GX Aviation technology.

Extra information

All in all a superb experience and the Qsuite is in a class of its own backed up by genuine service from clearly dedicated staff.

Sure, they knew I was doing a review, but the genuine friendliness of the flight attendants and the attention to detail cannot be manufactured  – it was from the heart.

• Geoffrey Thomas was a guest of Qatar Airways 

Seat and Amenities

Qatar has been plugging its Qsuite as the bright star of premium travel, touting its patented design as closer to some competitors’ first class than traditional business class.

Fly it and you’ll quickly discover this is one case where reality reflects the hype. It is spacious, private, well designed and packed with features aimed at making travel at the pointy end more comfortable and productive.

It is a genuine suite featuring a sliding privacy door and enough room to sprawl out comfortably, feet on the ottoman, without having to worry about swapping things around to make space.

The two business class cabins on Boeing 777-300ERs featuring the Qsuite come in a one-two-one configuration with suites facing towards both the front and the rear of the plane.

This means those who dislike traveling backward should be judicious in their seat choice. In our case, Seat 11B was a forward-facing left-hand window seat with two windows affording good outside views. At 21.5 inches across,  the seat is not the widest in the sky but there’s no feeling of being cramped.

There’s sufficient room between the sculpted privacy screen on one side of the seat and wide open space on the other. Storage is not a problem either. A generous secure storage compartment underneath the big padded armrest next to the seat holds the headphones and water and features a small bridge to hold smaller items such as glasses.

A wide countertop is big enough to cope with magazines, menu, s spare pillows and other bits and pieces.  Underneath is a lit shelf for parking laptops and tablets. Seat controls are handily located and self-explanatory, except for the light switch.

This looks as though it should control the overhead light but in fact for the lighting in the laptop shelf. Variable seat controls allow you to recline or move the seat forward and backward and adjust lumbar support.

There are four presets: lie flat, fully upright, take-off and recline. There’s also a do not disturb button that turns red when engaged and is white when not. That’s handy if you accidentally turn it on and do want to interact with cabin crew.

Options for charging devices include an illuminated USB port and a power point. A second USB port and an HDMI connection are around the corner. The control console is easily accessible in the upright and recline positions but there is also a tethered touchscreen pad which hosts the main light and flight attendant call buttons.

This is difficult to access with the table fully deployed so get it out before eating if you think you may use it. The table itself slides underneath the IFE monitor and is easy to use. It is in a fixed position when fully deployed but will still slide in and out when partially extended to allow you to leave the seat.

It doubles as a drinks holder when stowed. The privacy door is manual and is easily pulled shut or opened. The seats are designed so travelers cannot see each other even with the door open unless they stand up.

Qsuite’s fully flat bed is 79 inches long and comes with a fitted mattress and two pillows. The footwell is nicely proportioned so that even size 14 feet fit comfortably in the recline position.

A unique feature of Qsuite is center seats that can be transformed into a double cabin with a double bed or a space for four people called a “quad”.   This allows families or other groups to socialize and dine together.

The bed was roomy enough for a big guy, and generally comfortable. The armrest drops down to accommodate people with wide shoulders who sleep on their back and there’s wriggle room for the more than 50 percent who sleep on their side and for whom the two pillows are very welcome.

For this tall traveler, the seat’s headrest introduced a noticeable bump around shoulder blade level that the mattress did not completely smooth over. But that’s what pillows are for and they allowed a work-around.

Qatar supplies business class passengers with sleepwear from London’s The White company and a handsome amenities kit with socks, eyeshades, earplugs and Castello Monte Vibiano products such as moisturizer. Razors and toothbrushes are available in the four well-proportioned lavatories serving the business class cabins.

Customer service on board

Qatar’s staff are friendly, efficient and attentive. There is an on-demand ordering system but crew regularly asked if anything was needed. Getting fed was simply a question of selecting what you want from the a la carte menu and ordering it when you want. Ditto for drinks.

Catering

Food and wine on Qatar are up there with the best and the presentation on the two flights involved in this exercise was restaurant standard.

The trip to Canberra began with breakfast and the Emmental cheese omelette with chicken patty Lyonnaise potatoes, roasted tomato and chestnut mushrooms looked and tasted great.

A small electronic candle in a basket was a nice touch. Other choices included smoked halibut and mackerel rillettes with a horseradish dressing and a traditional Arabic breakfast.

There’s also a snack menu which on the Canberra inaugural included prawn cocktail crostini, duck spring rolls and a blue cheese croquette with pear chutney.

Dinner kicked off with dill marinated prawns with smoked salmon followed by Arabic spiced chicken with cinnamon spiced sauce, rice with minced lamb and golden roasted onions.

It was washed down with a Laroche 2015 Chablis Premier Cru and followed by 15-year-old Glenfiddich.

Inflight entertainment

The suite is dominated by a giant, 21.5-inch high definition touch screen that is both crisp and responsive. It is complemented by a pair of decent noise-canceling headphones to give a superior cinematic experience.

And there’s plenty to choose from: the latest version of Qatar’s Oryx system has some 3000 options and a good selection of movies that can be accessed by genre and include the latest Hollywood blockbusters.

The system is simple and intuitive when using the touch screen to navigate the big selection of games, music and information. There was no wi-fi on our flight but Qatar is in the process of introducing it.

Extra information

In all, the more than two years of research spent to arrive at Qsuite were well spent. Qatar has moved the bar higher in the ongoing  race to re-invent business class with this  quality product.

Seat and Amenities

Seating:
B777-300ER: 42 six abreast at 198cms (78 inches) per row; seat width 56 cms (22 inches); 180-degree flat-bed recline.

A350-900: 36 four-abreast at 127 cms (50 inches) per row in a ‘herringbone’ (skewed) arrangement that provides as least as much stretch-out leg room as the B777-300ER and more privacy per seat. Seat width 56 cms (22 inches); 180-degree flat-bed recline.

Amenities: Upmarket pack of toiletries and cosmetic goodies, such as Armani Acqua di Gio, plus a stylish tracksuit for sleeping in the Qatar Airways grey and maroon colours.

Catering

By far the best thing about Qatar Airways business class for me is the food and beverage. In fact, for me, it is foodie heaven and the service is faultless. A selection from one of the typical menus – appetizers: king crab mango and coriander salsa or North Atlantic lobster rillete. Mains: pulled lamb shank with mesquite barbecue sauce in a wrap (the best thing I have eaten on an aeroplane) or grilled Arabic style spiced prawns. Desserts: chocolate cake with dark chocolate mousse or gourmet icecream (served – with apologies for the required delay in preparation – melting on the outside but frozen on the inside – a favourite I returned to on a later flight). A typical wine list includes French champagne (Billecart-Salmon) and a selection of quality reds and whites from France, Australia and the US. A show-stopper for me, a 1974 Kopke tawny port from the varietal’s home turf – Douro Valley west of Porto, Portugal – went superbly with a cheese spread served with crackers, dried fruit, walnuts and chutney.

Inflight entertainment

The Qatar Airways Oryx in-flight entertainment system offers more than 2000 options -movies (from classics to latest releases) and TV, categorised by genre, audio (music and spoken word) and games. As well as a choice from the world’s showbiz capitals, there is an array of Arabic entertainment. The operating the system is different on the A777 and A350 and it took me 15-30 minutes to get comfortable with each. That said, I found that, after two long sectors I felt that I had watched most of what was of interest to me. Therefore, on the third and fourth sectors, my attention turned to the in-flight web where it was available and, because I am a geography nerd, the moving flight map.
Wifi: standard in-flight internet rates [in both business and economy class]: one hour $US5; three hours $US10; set price of $US20 regardless of the number of hours used – available on A380, A350, B787, A319, and select A320 and A330 aircraft but not on B777-200/300. For travel from Australia, that rules out Sydney (from March 1 2016), Melbourne and Perth, but includes Adelaide (A350 service from May 1, 2016). In December 2015, Qatar Airways announced a sponsorship deal with Gulf communications company Ooredoo under which in-flight wifi on all connected aircraft is free for the first 15 minutes before the above fees cut in – handy if you just want to check emails.
if you need laptop power don’t be afraid to ask an attendant where the power plug is if you can’t find it – I wasted plenty of time wondering. Remember also you’ll need a Qatari power plug adaptor, as well as a power adaptor at your destination country. USB port also available.

Extra information

Qatar Airways says it focuses on little things that make a difference to its customers and the amount of awards it’s received over the past six years attest it’s not an idle boast. My flight from Melbourne to New York on both the 777-300 and brand new A350-900 further reinforced that this airline is a world leader when it comes to premium service.

Seat and Amenities

Seat had plenty of legroom with a 32 inch seat pitch and approximate 5-6 inch recline. The pillows were full economy size and had cotton covers. The blankets were slightly larger than your standard economy size blanket and relatively thick. USB ports were present. Passengers are given a great amenity pack with socks, ear plugs, an eye shade, toothbrush and toothpaste as well as “do not disturb or wake me for meals” stickers to put on your seat. The in flight entertainment box underneath the seat was huge! I was on a window seat where the box was located and it literally took up half the under seat space and inhibited the use of the foot rest. I strongly advise passengers to avoid this seat

Customer service on board

Excellent

Catering

Arguably the best food I have ever eaten on an aircraft. The meal service is slow because it is personalised. Every passenger has a placemat put on their tray table before being offered the choice of hot meal which goes onto the meal tray. You are also served a drink at the same time. The serving sizes were large, the bread rolls fresh and oven warmed and the fruits sweet and juicy. The breakfast with the freshly warmed pastries was a highlight. We struggled to finish our meals as there was so much food. What I particularly liked about Qatar was the ample snack they offer instead of a full meal on flights that are leaving late at night. This simple snack (ours was a hot chicken roll) takes the place of a full meal service at a time when most people are exhausted and just want to go to sleep. A great idea for those who are hungry with minimal cabin disturbance to those that want to sleep. Hot towels are also handed out before meal service. Qatar offer passengers menu cards outlining the full meal options as well as drinks menu

Inflight entertainment

Qatar are a global airline and therefore the in flight entertainment has to have something for everyone. The list of options is extensive however it is truly global therefore you may find as we did that the selection becomes quite limited. The Selection of TV shows is very very extensive and probably better than the movie selection. Plenty of games and options for kids. Kids packs are also available and are handed out by the cabin crew

Seat and Amenities

Seats were comfortable with a 32 inch seat pitch and approximate 5 inch recline. Obviously being on a single aisle plane you will always feel that there is less cabin space however this was one of the better single aisle aircraft I had travelled on. Blankets and pillows were provided but as this was only a four hour flight there was no amenity kit

Customer service on board

Excellent

Catering

Arguably the best food I have ever eaten on an aircraft. The meal service is slow because it is personalised. Every passenger has a placemat put on their tray table before being offered the choice of hot meal which goes onto the meal tray. You are also served a drink at the same time. There is also a drink service prior to the meal service soon after take off

Inflight entertainment

There aren’t a lot of aircraft in the Qatar fleet that don’t have Audio Video on demand but this was one of them. There were shared screens throughout the cabin that screened a movie and short TV programs