Qatar Qsuites
@globaloztraveller Review
An almost perfect flight and business class seat.
The good
On-demand dining
Excellent service
Innovative seat and cabin
The bad
The airport lounge in Singapore needs improvement
Rear-facing seat might not be for everyone
Qsuites has been praised ever since its 2017 launch and is often even rated above other airlines' first class products.
It's a supposedly revolutionary business class seat with lie-flat seats, private doors and the ability for travelers to eat and sleep next to each other.
Qatar Airways was also recently named the world's best airline for business class in SKYTRAX's 2019 awards, so I wanted to see if Qsuites lived up to all this hype.
Boarding was on time with no delays and Qsuites passengers were able to board first..
Upon boarding I was greeted by the customer service manager, who then introduced me to my attendant for the flight.
I was then offered a choice of pre-flight drinks including champagne, non-alcoholic sparkling wine and juice. Even though it was a busy flight it was impressive that the crew took the time to offer various options while still on the ground.
The QSuites cabin is set out in a 1-2-1 configuration, with some seats facing the rear of the plane.
This is definitely not going to be to everyone's liking, so be sure to check the seating plan before booking. Most importantly, every seat has aisle access unlike other Gulf airline business class products.
The cabin itself has an unbeatable wow factor. It looks luxurious, with elegant decor and a generous sense of space in the cabin. Qatar's signature colours of burgundy, grey and rose gold are also used tastefully throughout.
If you're travelling by yourself, definitely pick a window seat. For couples or families the middle seats are the ones to pick, giving you the ability to eat and in some cases sleep with each other.
The seat itself is the star of the Qsuites experience and was comfortable with lots of leg room. There's plenty of room to work with both a laptop and paperwork and it's comfortable when dining. There are also various storage compartments around the seat.
The seat can be controlled using a small remote or with switches on the seat itself. The controls were user-friendly and I experienced no glitches when using them.
Qatar Airways hasn't skimped out on amenity kits, partnering with two Italian luxury brands: Bric's and Castello Monte Vibiano.
The kit contained all the essentials when flying plus some skincare products.
Amenity kits were placed in the QSuite as we boarded, with pyjamas made by The White Company also available upon request.
Service was excellent throughout the flight. The crew were very personal, which I'm always delighted to see when flying as this seems to be sadly becoming a thing of the past in the industry.
Your experience flying will often be a reflection of the cabin crew on a particular flight and I thought the crew did a magnificent job on this flight.
The crew engaged with all passengers, checking in on us regularly to see if we were liking our flight and meals and if we wanted any extra food.
The entertainment screen in QSuites is sizeable at 21.5 inches and the Oryx system has plenty of choices available in various languages.
It recently came second in SKYTRAX's awards for best entertainment awards and this is well deserved.
In regards to wifi, there was one hour of free on this flight. This was fast and worked well with no glitches. Once the hour runs out you can pay for certain blocks of time ranging from an hour to the whole flight.
The onboard meals were the stand-out feature of the whole flight.
Qatar Airways offers on-demand dining in QSuites, which is a great concept that more airlines should adopt.
At the start of the flight we were given menus for main meals, snacks and wines. You can then choose whatever you like and dine at your own leisure throughout the flight.
To guarantee specific choices I would recommend picking your meals immediately after departure, especially if it's a busy flight.
The menu had a range of different dishes, including a sweet potato and coconut cream soup, smoked tuna and quinoa salad, chicken machboos, pecorino fagottini pasta, a cheese plate and bread.
Desserts included ice cream and a warm chocolate plum cake. Qatar also often features local dishes on its menus, so there was a laksa on this flight.
The snack menu included smoked salmon and asparagus, lamb kebab, Vietnamese spring rolls and grilled chicken with mushrooms for those wanting a lighter meal.
Qatar Airways is famous for its signature Arabic mezze, so I picked that for the appetizer and thought it was 10 out of 10. It was fresh and tasty.
Next up was the herb-crusted lamb cutlets with fig juice. This was served with mashed potatoes, grilled tomatoes and warm bread. It was delicious. The crew were attentive throughout the meal service, even asking if we wanted seconds or other meals from the menu.
When it came to alcohol there was a selection of European and Australian wines, cocktails, mocktails and spirits including Glenfiddich, Chivas Regal, Woodford Reserve and Grey Goose.
Beers included Peroni, Heineken and Hoegaarden.
In a time when airlines are cutting back on services and extras it's nice to see Qatar going the extra mile.
It's also important to mention that this was only a seven-hour flight. Some Gulf carriers won't even give you this volume of food on a 14-hour haul flight.
Qatar Qsuites Business Class Verdict
(★★★★★☆)
I would have no hesitation flying QSuites again. The product is innovative and it's clear Qatar Airways has cut no corners in terms of the cabin, seating and dining.
It has really earned the hype. Combine this with great service and it was hard to fault this flight.
Qatar Airways could improve the experience even more with a dedicated lounge in Singapore.