For a long time now Qatar Airways first class has been a product I’ve wanted to try, and I was finally able to try it. Qatar operates their A380 to Paris, London, Guangzhou, Sydney and soon Melbourne, so really this is their only long-haul service at the moment.

As Qatar are in Oneworld, they use the brilliant Qantas first class lounge in Sydney. I visited for about three hours before boarding. The inbound flight was two hours late which meant the outbound would also be late. Normally the flight would depart at 10:10 and our boarding started at 10:00. We managed to depart Sydney at 10:30, very impressive considering the cleaning, catering, and passengers were all boarded.

For this flight, there was only one other passenger in first, so it was a very quiet flight. I selected 1A.

Qatar’s first seats are wide and very comfortable, I often prefer the fabric over leather, especially in hotter weather.

Each seat in first is equipped with a 26-inch screen, the screen itself isn’t touchscreen but comes with a remote that is.

On the left side of the seat is where you’ll find the IFE controller, light and seat controls and reading materials.

You’ll also be given a bottle of water.

On the right side, you’ll find more seat functions.

Qatar’s A380 first cabin consists of 8 open suites configured in a 1-2-1 configuration. The seats themselves were designed by B/E Aerospace.

Each seat has a divider which can either raised or lowered for takeoff and landing.

 

 

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As I sat down, I was greeted by one of the crew who would be looking after me. She also handed me my amenity kit and pyjamas. These are the new BRICS amenity kits and pyjamas I wrote about not too long ago.

She also asked if I wanted a drink, she offered Krug, but due to age, I couldn’t have it, so I went with the So Jennie non-alcoholic champagne which is really really nice.

Each side has a little self-service area for snacks, drinks (non-alcohol) and reading materials.

I was happy to see the water onboard is Acqua Panna and flavoured & sparkling water by San Pellegrino.

Qatar has two bathrooms for first guests however unlike their opposition (Etihad and Emirates) they don’t feature onboard showers.

They feature lovely Rituals amenities in the bathrooms.

The bathrooms are large and easy to move around in, the mood lighting is also awesome.

 

 

 

One of my favourite parts of the bathroom is the tap head. It’s water comes out like a waterfall, and it’s cool to look at.

Qatar also provides the basic amenities for use.

 

Shortly after we took off the meal service started. I was asked if I wanted to dine now or later on and I elected to dine after takeoff.

The service started with a small snack of salted caramel popcorn.

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I was served crab cakes as the amuse bouche

For the appetiser, I choose the caviar which was a little salty for my liking.

 

For the main I had the cod which was cooked beautifully, the whole dish fit well and tasted brilliant.

And for dessert, I choose the fruit plate as I was quite full.

After dinner, I went and had a look at the bar, safe to say it’s the best in the air.

It can seat four on each side and has a lot of room for standing.

 

 

Post from RICOH THETA. – Spherical Image – RICOH THETA

Qatar used to offer Krug at the bar even to business guests, but it became too popular, and I’d say cost cutting had an influence in the decision for it to be kept just for first passengers.

The bar offers a variety of snacks and drinks.

 

 

The bar is located right behind the business class cabin, to my surprise just behind the bar is a small economy section, not more business seats.

Qatar’s A380 business class seats are B/E Super Diamonds are my favourite type of business seat.

There are only 48 business class seats on the A380 in a 1-2-1 configuration.

I made my way back to my seat and found the seat behind me made into a bed. Pretty impressive service considering I didn’t ask for it to be made. I managed to have around 8 hours of sleep and woke up feeling refreshed but also very dry. One thing that is quite annoying is the cabin was hot for the whole flight, I’ve experienced this is a few times on middle eastern carriers.

I got up and decided to have a light breakfast, eggs, chicken sausages and hashbrowns. I also tried to use the wifi, but it probably worked for 5 minutes then shut off, the speed was terrible, so I wasn’t really worried about it.

I also had a cappuccino and a date and cinnamon smoothie; both were brilliant.

To finish off, I had another fruit plate, as you can see I’m trying to reduce my calorie intake while flying 😉

Despite our pretty late departure we actually landed in Doha a few minutes early, kudos to the flight crew for that!

Bottom Line

I really enjoyed my flight on Qatar. First, the food was great, the seat was comfortable, and the service was done well. Is it the best product on the market? No, but for what it is it’s pretty damn great and would recommend it.