After an incredible week in Cape Town it was sadly time for my girlfriend and I to return home. When we first booked our trip to Cape Town we were scheduled to fly home with Cathay Pacific in Premium Economy However, due to the then spreading global pandemic we decided to change our flights. So, a week before our scheduled departure we rebooked everything. This was an expensive decision, but one that we thought was the right choice at the time. As we arrived at Cape Town international airport our decision to change our flights was validated.
As we looked up at the departures board we noticed Cathay Pacific canceled our originally scheduled flight to Hong Kong.
Furthermore, if we hadn’t changed our flight we would have been stuck in Cape Town for a few days. The next Cathay Pacific flight to Hong Kong wasn’t until 3 days later.
Clearly we had made the right choice as neither of us wanted to be stranded in Cape Town for the next few days. We also were happy with our choice because it meant instead of flying Premium Economy with Cathay Pacific, we would fly Business Class with Qatar Airways. Sure the flights home were now a bit longer, but at least it was considerably more comfortable.
Qatar Airways Business Class Check-In
As with most airports around the world, Qatar Airways opens the check-in counters approximately 3 hours prior to the scheduled departure time. This is especially relevant for airports with only one or two Qatar Airways flights a day as it means you can’t check bags or get a boarding pass until check-in opens. If you arrive at the airport too early, you’ll be forced to wait in the departures hall instead of at the lounge on the other side of security.
This wasn’t an issue for us this time as we arrived to the airport about 2 hours prior to our scheduled departure time. When we arrived the check-in counters were already open and a few people were waiting in line.
Check-in took just a few moments as the Qatar Airways representative took our passports and checked our luggage before handing us our boarding cards.
With our boarding cards in hand we then proceeded to the security checkpoint. The lines for the security checkpoint seemed long and moved slowly, but only took about 15 to 20 minutes. After passing through security we proceeded to the customs desk.
Qatar Airways Ad Cape Town
On the way to the customs checkpoint there was a full wall poster which advertised Qatar Airways’ QSuites which we were about to fly.
Boarding Our Qatar Airways Flight To Doha
After clearing customs we entered the main terminal and made our way to the lounge. Qatar Airways Business Class customers can access the Bidvest Premier Lounge located near the entrance to the terminal. Since we arrived at the airport a bit later than expected we decided not to visit the lounge and instead explored the terminal. While exploring the terminal we spotted the Qatar Airways A350-1000 which would carry us to Doha.
As with most Qatar Airways flights I’ve taken, the entire boarding process is a bit of a “hurry up and wait” situation. What I mean is, the gate agents make several boarding announcements before actually opening up the gate boarding doors. As a result, everyone lined up for about 15 minutes before boarding began. This was a bit frustrating since the line wrapped clear across the terminal and blocked all foot traffic.
It is worth noting that one of the advantages of flying in business class is that you don’t have to wait in line. Typically you don’t have to worry about overhead bin space or settling into your seat as you do when flying economy. However, on a QSuites aircraft, there aren’t all that many overhead lockers for passengers since the middle section lacks bins.
This was especially true for the aft mini-cabin where we were seated. As we arrived to our seats we barely had any room to put our carryons as most of the lockers were already full.
Qatar Airways QSuites Seats
Currently, Qatar Airways offers flights from Doha to Cape Town which are all operated by the A350-1000 with QSuites. To get to Cape Town we flew in QSuites as well, but did not get the rear facing seats which turn into a double bed. We also sat in the large forward cabin instead of the aft mini-cabin. For reference, here’s my review of our Qatar Airways QSuites flight from Doha to Cape Town.
The aft mini-cabin is much more intimate as there are only 2 rows of 8 passengers in this area. As with the main cabin, the rear facing seats form a double bed while the forward facing seats are further apart. If you manage to book 4 of these seats you can open all of the dividing walls and turn QSuites into a family room/workspace of sorts.
No matter what seat you pick, you’ll end up with a fully enclosed suite with plenty of space and a generously sized in-flight entertainment monitor.
If you manage to get two rear facing seats, the center divider can be lowered fully to make the seats feel significantly more connected that other side-by-side business class seats.
These are of course the best seats on the plane if traveling as a couple.
QSuites Overview
As you take your seat you’ll quickly notice just how much space QSuites offers. For starters, there is a massive counter area with ample storage in flight. This area can easily hold a laptop when not in use.
Directly next to the seat is a storage area that doubles as a movable armrest. This entire cabinet can be raised or lowered. When lowered the seat itself feels significantly more spacious.
Inside the storage cabinet is a water bottle holder and a nice tray to store personal items (phone, wallet, etc.). This area is also home to the Qatar Airways noise canceling headphones provided for the flight. The cabinet is quite deep as well with plenty of room to store shoes if needed, just note there isn’t any ventilation…
The seat also offers a generously sized footwell which makes it quite easy to sleep in most sleeping positions.
The seat controls are probably the feature I most appreciate about the entire seat. Qatar chose to incorporate the seat controls along the rounded edge of the area below the counter.
This curved area is also home to the easily accessed power outlet, the Oryx One IFE remote, and the headphone outlet.
QSuites Power OutletThere is also a NFC reader which can be used to pay for things in-flight, but also used to pair your Oryx One App to IFE system.
I have to admit, Qatar Airways absolutely wins the award for having the most practical seat. It’s nice to have the power outlet, headphone jack, and IFE remote all easily within arms reach.
Qatar Airways QSuites Amenities
When we arrived at our seats we found a leather Bric’s Amenity Kit, a travel pillow, and a blanket waiting for us. I’ve read that passengers can keep these white pillows with various phrases on them if they wish.
Inside the amenity kit you’ll find a sampling of Monte Vibiano products, travel socks, and an eye mask which are all consistent with the older hard-sided amenity kits.
Shortly after taking our seats a flight attendant stopped by to ask if we’d like a pre-departure beverage. We both asked for a glass of the rose Champagne and signature lime mint drink. The drinks arrived with a choice of a hot or cold towel.
Since we boarded fairly early in the boarding process we had plenty of time to finish both drinks before departing. All of the pre-departure service items were collected as we pushed back from the gate.
Departing Cape Town
As we pushed back from our departure gate several videos played on the large IFE screen in front of us. Unfortunately, the video monitors are locked with Qatar Airways programing until shortly before takeoff. This means that you can’t enjoy any of the complimentary Oryx One programing while waiting to depart.
As we taxied toward our departure runway Qatar Airways’ new safety video played. I hate to say it, but this is probably the worst safety video I’ve ever had to watch…
Immediately following the safety video the Oryx One system unlocked and I immediately checked in on the A350’s HD exterior cameras.
For the departure out of Cape Town I decided to watch the forward view to fully admire the city as it passed beneath us.
Eventually we climbed above a cloud layer which obstructed the views and I decided to switch over to a movie on the Oryx One system.
If you’re unfamiliar, Orxy One is Qatar Airways’ IFE system which boasts 1,000 of hours of movie, tv, and music programming.
My only complaint about the Orxy One system is how it’s organized. It can be hard to find exactly what is offered, but once you get familiar with the quirky organization the system is easy to navigate.
Another thing that’s great about flying on the A350-1000 is that it offers Qatar Airways’ Super Wi-Fi.
Qatar’s Wi-Fi prices are exceptionally affordable with a flight pass costing just $10.00 USD.
All passengers also have access to 60-minutes of complimentary WiFi access.
The WiFi isn’t the fastest I’ve ever used on a plane, but is sufficient to stay connected in-flight.
QSuites In-Flight Experience
Shortly after passing through 20,000 and 30,000 feet, the cabin crew stopped by our seats to close our suite doors. On our previous flight we were asked if we wanted the door closed, but on this flight both doors were closed right away.
With the door closed you can get a better idea of just how spacious the Qatar Airways QSuite seat actually is. You can also appreciate just how private this seat is as well.
With the door closed I quickly browsed the in-flight Wine list. The wine list was identical to that offered on our flight to Cape Town days prior which didn’t come as a surprise.
The wine list began with a welcome message from Qatar Airways’ cellar and continued with a brut and rose Champagne.
The next pages revealed various whites from around the world.
Next came a discovery white from Austria and a Bordeaux from France.
There was also a shiraz from South Africa and a Arabs from Argentina available.
Finally, the wine list included a dessert wine and a port.
The back page of the wine list included various spirits, beers, and cocktails available throughout the flight.
After browsing the wine list I decided to next take a look at the in-flight dining menu (which I forgot to photograph).
Qatar Airways QSuites Dining Service
One thing that I love about Qatar Airways is that they currently offer a “dine on demand” meal service concept. That means you can order anything on the menu at any point in time throughout the flight. I fell in love with this service when I flew with Qatar Airways in 2017, but have found it’s essentially turned into suggested dining times. What I’ve found on most Qatar Airways flights is that the flight attendants prefer you eat your first meal shortly after takeoff and your second meal shortly before landing.
For our first meal we decided to eat shortly after takeoff and placed our order accordingly. As we placed our order the flight attendant also asked if we wanted to reserve anything for later in the flight. We decided against it at the time and when we declined the flight attendant looked concerned. She insisted we reserve something, but we politely declined; we wish we would have…
A short while late the flight attendant returned to set our tray tables for diner. In signature Qatar Airways fashion this included a white tablecloth, bread bowl, salt and pepper shakers, olive oil, butter, a table candle (battery powered), and a prawn amuse bouche.
The prawn amuse bouche was fantastic and left us both wanting more.
My first course arrived shortly after which was a creamy courgette soup.
Following the soup came my favorite Qatar Airways dish, a classic Arabic mezze which didn’t disappoint.
Lastly, I ordered the chicken biryani for my main course which was fine.
The best part of the meal of course was the pistachio malva cake and Godiva chocolates.
Following the meal service the flight attendant returned to clear our tray tables before we both took an extended nap. Although the flight was technically a daytime flight the cabin became quite dark about 3 hours into the flight.
Qatar Airways QSuites “Snack Service”
Our nap lasted a bit longer than either of us anticipated. When we woke up we had just three hours left in the flight. It was as that time that we decided to order a snack as our next meal wouldn’t be for several hours later. As we attempted to place our snack order it quickly became apparent why the flight attendant pushed us to reserve something.
I went down the entire snack list of grilled vegetable skewer, chicken empanada, beef bresaola, truffle parmesan arancini and a banana sponge cake. Every single item was gone. Ultimately I asked if we could instead have just two cheese plates. A few minutes later we were told that there was only one cheese plate left that we could share.
The cheese plate was great, but hardly substantial enough to feed both of us.
The only saving grace was that there was still plenty of coffee available on the flight.
So, next time I fly Qatar Airways I will make sure to reserve anything and everything that I find remotely appetizing immediately after takeoff.
Qatar Airways QSuites In-Flight Service
I wanted to wait to comment on the in-flight service at the end as to not skew the tone of this review. I think it has to be said that Qatar Airways QSuites Business Class is fantastic. Although it’s not my favorite cabin design to look at, it’s an amazing product to fly. The seat, the space, and the double beds are amazing (hard product). However, that’s only half of what makes business class enjoyable. The second half is the soft-product or service.
Typically, Qatar Airways offers impeccable service in business class. From previous experiences, the flight attendants go out of their way to make sure you have the best flight possible. This includes calling you by name while on board, refilling your beverage proactively, and making sure your’e comfortable. Sadly, this flight in particular missed the mark. Essentially the flight attendants closed our doors at the beginning of the flight and never returned. We had to buzz the flight attendant call button any time we needed refills of water, etc. or anything else. We also just felt unwelcome on board the majority of the flight.
It’s worth saying that the service wasn’t terrible by any means. In fact, even so, the service was far ahead of anything I’ve experienced on many other international carriers. However, it just wasn’t near the calibre typically found on Qatar Airways.
Arriving In Doha
We arrived into Doha in the evening so there wasn’t much to see as we came into land. Interestingly we taxied straight to a connected terminal gate which I find is rare in Doha. Typically flights arrive to a remote stand before passengers are bussed to the terminal. In this case we offloaded via a jet bridge and proceeded directly to the transit security checkpoint.
Transit security wasn’t all too busy when we arrived so we made it through security and into the main terminal within about 15 minutes after arrival. From there we proceeded directly upstairs to the Al Mourjan Business Class lounge to sleep for a few hours before our early morning departure to Oslo.
Final Thoughts
Several years ago when I flew Qatar Airways business class for the first time I wasn’t sure how it could get any better. I remember getting off that last Qatar Airways flight in Vietnam sad that I wouldn’t get to fly them for some time to come. Over the years I’ve built up that first experience in my head so much that nothing has come close to besting Qatar Airways business class.
That memory mostly held up on our Qatar Airways flights from Oslo to Doha and Doha to Cape town, but sadly, this flight did not. This flight showed me that even Qatar Airways has bad days. However, in seeing that I also realized the dine on demand service is kind of a gimmick since meals are generally serviced when the crew wants them to be served. Likewise, the wine and food menus seem expansive, but are actually not too much broader than other carriers.
Even so, I love Qatar Airways QSuites, especially when traveling as a couple. Having a double suite in the sky is a true luxury that makes the entire travel experience that much better. If traveling alone, I think I’d still prefer to fly on the A350-900 with the “old” business class cabin as I just find that design so much more attractive.
