Qatar Airways review by Graeme 2014-08-07

We flew Business Class from Perth to Copenhagen (777) with a change of aircraft to the Dreamliner in Doha in June 2014 and from Munich to Doha (Dreamliner) for a 3 day stay before our return flight to Perth (777) at the end of July. Business class on both the 777 and Dreamliner are overall both very good as expected. The staff were very friendly and provided attentive personal service throughout all sectors. On the whole the meals are generally acceptable but they were nothing special. The drinks selection is reasonable though. Otherwise you are provided with all the standard business class options including noise cancelling headphones, pyjamas, shaving equipment, etc. one great little option on the Dreamliner was the self-service bar at the rear of Business class where you can help yourself to drinks, snacks, etc. While the seats are extremely comfortable on the Dreamliner, they do not offer a great deal of room when converted to a bed for sleeping. While long enough, their contour shape makes sleeping flat on our back the only real option. The choice of entertainment options is also very limited, virtually non-existent compared with Emirates. It is worth noting Business class passengers receive priority clearance through customs in Doha, very useful after a long flight! When we first flew in to Doha the business class lounge was not yet open but as compensation they gave us 10,000 points plus approx. $360 in vouchers to spend at the airport. We were fortunate on our return as the lounge opened the day we were leaving. It is a truly great facility with everything anyone could reasonably need. Perhaps the biggest issue for Qatar is the business class lounges they use at some other airports. In Perth the lounge was Qantas. While the lounge itself was reasonable and it is close to the departure gate, the service, meals and drinks were very sub-standard. In Munich they use the British Airways lounge. To access this lounge you have to make your way through what appears to be a number of dingy service corridors. It is also on another floor and some way from the departure gates. Overall the food and drinks on offer were reasonable but the seating seems to be on its last legs and the general amenity is below what you'd expect. The view through the windows appears to be that of the airport's air conditioning ducts. Overall, in the air, Qatar is a good airline, but not "great". On the ground they still have a long way to go to get near airlines such as Emirates.