26 January 2007

LHR-Doha-Male return, first class and business class. First class check in at Heathrow poor - made you feel as though you were spoiling her day by asking to check in. No mention of which seats she'd allocated/changed despite our reserving them in advance. Used United Airlines first class lounge which was pretty soulless and cold. Airbus 340-600 was very comfortable with very pleasant staff, good food and wines. The lounge/bar area on board was great and it gives you a nice break from sitting in the same seat. Good transfer (by BMW 7 series) at Doha to next leg to Maldives business class. Again, very pleasant staff and seats not bad but nothing like as comfortable as first. Used first class lounge in new terminal at Doha on return leg which was impressive with good facilities for showering/changing. Again not much communication with the gate as there were long queues when we got there. However, we were quickly whisked off in the BMW to the plane steps and enjoyed similar levels of service and comfort on the final leg where again the on-board lounge was put to good use. Well done Qatar for a very good experience. If you could just get the gates to talk to the lounges as other airlines seem to do then all would be perfect - Oh and perhaps someone who seems pleased to see you at the Heathrow first check in desk!

Qatar Airways - by James Bowen

LGW-DOH-KUL and back to LHR in Economy Class in January. One day before departure we were informed by the travel agent (ebookers) that our outbound flight would leave two hours late due to a schedule change and we would not make our connection in Doha. No help was offered by the agent and it took numerous calls to Qatar Airways in Gatwick who said the connecting plane would wait for us (and other passengers) in Doha. LGW-DOH leg was okay but the check-in staff at Gatwick have a real attitude problem. I suspect checkin staff gave us worst seats on plane: last row middle seats despite us checking in 3h before departure. Flight was okay - good entertainment. Connection was made, second leg was in old tatty A300 but flight attendants were exceptional - very friendly and reassuring when we went into turbulence. Return flight unremarkable, both flights full, KUL to DOH in old aircraft, DOH to LHR in new A330. Annoyingly, legroom in window seats was occupied by a metal box. We noticed that around 25% of all the seats in Economy have these restrictions. Crew was very helpful and offered us another seat in a middle row when we asked. I would fly with Qatar again if they were particularly cheap as stopover in Doha nothing special, tiresome and potentially messing up itinerary, and not offering any good sightseeing/shopping opportunities.

Qatar Airways - by Rob Campbell

21 January 2007

LHR-DOH-BKK-MAN. In Business Class. An excellent trip once we were boarded. Well looked after and a pleasant experience to Doha. Would agree with previous comments on the new business / first class terminal. Nice touch with staff coming to let you know that your flight was ready for boarding. Also, agree with the comments for the onward flight to Bangkok re older aircraft. Found that they used the older aircraft on the return leg to Manchester. My wife was pleased to be in possession of 8 Aigner "smellies" bags. On the flip side I think that LHR check in Business desk staff could at least let you know that you need the "By invitation" gate as opposed to the one used by economy passengers. The queue went from by the check in desks on the ground floor of T3 all the way up the stairs and along the 1st floor, where there were two desks open to check passports. Have flown Business Class from Manchester where there are no euphemisms over what gate you go through. Obviously too subtle for us northerners! However, when we finally got to the Business Class lounge (Which belongs to United Airlines.) we checked into the lounge, staff indicated that they would call us when our flight is ready to boarding. Unfortunately they neglected to do so. Suffered the embarrassment of getting on last with quizzical looks from the airline boarding staff. The UAL lounge itself was poor, food poor and décor in need of sprucing up. Having said this I’d avoid Heathrow, but definitely fly Qatar again. A superb airline for those things they could control.

Qatar Airways - by Heather Bronson

19 January 2007

LHR-DOH-CMB return. First time with Qatar and both my husband and myself found it to be excellent. Check-in no problem. Delay at Heathrow due to fog but smooth transit at Doha. Service and food on flight out was of very high standard. The cabin crew were polite, attentive and helpful. New Business/First Terminal at Doha was exceptional with every facility catered for, including its own Duty Free. Doha to Colombo was on an older aircraft, but, still very good service. Our return flights were similar to outgoing, but we had longer to sample the delights of the Terminal at Doha. The only time we haven't minded a stop en route! Would certainly fly with Qatar again and highly recommend them to anyone.

Qatar Airways - by Simon Crane

19 January 2007

Manchester - Dubai (via Doha) in Business. An excellent experience - a true 5 star trip. Lounge at Manchester is shared, but is ok. Boarding fine, taken to seat and introduced to cabin crew. With only 9 passengers in business cabin, I had a choice of seat. Seat is great, my only slight gripe is that there isn't endless legroom; I found it a little short when I had the seat in bed position I would recommend row 1 as it gives you slightly more leg room, plus you can adjust the position of the extremely large TV (which you can't do on the other rows). Lots of champagne and a lovely five course evening meal, I would recommend the Arabic mezze. Inflight entertainment is all on demand around 25 films and endless CD’s, not as much film selection as Emirates however. Noise cancellation headphones great. Amenity pack was Aigner. Arrived at Doha Saturday am - escorted to new premium terminal - very impressive, you have to experience it! Enjoyed a lovely hot breakfast, Jacuzzi and shower. Then to Dubai in first class. Same seats in this leg, flight only lasted 45mins so not much to say. Really enjoyed my experience, one tip, I booked the trip using BMI air miles 60000 return in business to Doha, then paid for first class from Doha to Dubai around £300 return. Excellent value!

Qatar Airways - by Janet Bretag

18 January 2007

In December we were flying to Colombo for a very short holiday. When we arrived at Doha airport - over two hours before flight departure, we were told the flight was fully booked! We were holding tickets which had been reconfirmed not once, but twice. So here we are with two children at 10pm at night being told that we had to come back the next day. The Customer Service Agent suggested checking in 4-5 hours prior to departure. I reminded him we were not trying to go "standby", we had actually paid for four seats on this flight . No amount of talking and pleading was going to get us on that flight. We then settled for a flight via Male (Maldives) to Colombo. This flight was supposed to leave at 12.45am (45 mins after our Colombo flight). The flight didn't leave on time and there is no transit in Male, so we had to go through customs (the slowest in the world), collect our baggage and then recheck in for the Colombo flight which then was 2 hours delayed. We finally arrived in Colombo dazed and worn out and having already lost a day of our vacation. We know that this is a regular occurance with Qatar Airways. It seems that the five star treatment must be reserved for business and first class travellers.

Qatar Airways - by Jane Calladine

18 January 2007

MAN-DOH-BKK return in business class. Food excellent, service on first leg good but not exceptional. Seats (A330-300) good but just not flat enough to be comfortable. Very new aircraft and very quiet engines. Doha airport business lounge comfortable and clean. Onward flight (A330-200) seats older style and uncomfortable. Cabin crew okay, but one surly and unhelpful. Food was good but service sporadic. Return flight to Doha cabin crew were okay. Despite us being on row 3 because of the lack of organisation in taking meal orders we did not get a choice as all the best choices had long gone. Didn't bother eating a main meal as nothing much left that we liked. Both flights on return were A330-300 and same comments for seats - love the pod idea, but for the sake of a few more inches they could be much more comfortable. DOH-MAN cabin crew disorganised. Despite again being row 3, and amongst the first to board, were left until last for a welcome drink. Food OK, but I had to ask four times for a glass of water before it arrived. Overall we liked the aircraft, seats not as comfortable as expected, cabin crew not consistently good or bad. Amenity kits good. The cabin crew need to be more consistent and organised.

Qatar Airways - by M Fazal

18 January 2007

LGW-DOH-DAC Return Economy. LGW-DOH route was fantastic both ways on brand new A330 aircraft. Great IFE, good food, very helpful inflight attendants. Doha airport facilities quite impressive given earlier comments. Net access, various food outlets even if rather busy at times, duty free shops to browse all within the 3 hour connecting flight to DAC was not that bad. Older aircraft on DOH-DAC route - but they were well maintained. Services were just as good except no PTVs this time, which was fine as it was a night flight. Would be great if Qatar could increase flights to DAC as it was impossible to change my inbound flights back to UK as all seats were fully booked for the next 5 weeks.

Qatar Airways - by Ken Leahy

12 January 2007

Round trip fro LHR-Doh-KTM return. Transfer staff at LHR rude and unhelpful. Rebboked on flight out of Gatwick. Airbus 340 fine except row 30 J&K shoe horned in before ER so seats don't recline, floor has boxes. It made for a long 8 hour flight. Connecting flight to KTM delayed but ground staff not communicative as to what was going on. The return flight from KTM was delayed due to fog. Bathrooms on the flight were dirty - my wife couldn't use them without asking flight attendants to attend to them first. We missed the connecting flight from Doha to London. The provisions for missed connections were quite adequate - 2 meals and a room. The ground staff at Doha not impressive- the boarding for the London flight was one of the most inefficent I have seen as communication and process seem non- existent. This is my third trip with Qatar. My impression is they focus on First and Business class and under-serve economy class.

Qatar Airways - by Karl Mooney

12 January 2007

MAN-DHA-IKA in economy after flying into MAN on a separate flight. Check-in for first leg was fairly smooth, considering that there appeared to be a substantial number of families with small children and other passengers who did not pass through the system without some form of complication. I did notice that every piece of hand baggage was weighed at this point. No choice of seats was offered – although the flight was completely full I was not at all the last to check in. The aircraft was an A330 and seats are comfortable enough, except for the irritating hole in the armrest through which you see the IFE handset. The menu was unclear as to what was a starter and what was a choice of two main courses. The food was perfectly edible and adequate in quantity. IFE is very good, including live satellite news programmes (no sound on CNN) in addition to a large number of films, etc. on video, and a comprehensive audio section is there too. The gift pack of bits for the flight is slightly better than other airlines. I certainly appreciated having use of the IFE right up to landing – Emirates Airways is particularly irritating in collecting the headsets at around the start of descent, and on the flights I have made with them 10-20 minutes before the end of any film showing. Transit at Doha went a bit slowly but fairly smoothly all the same – I was checked in at MAN for the onward flight. The second leg of my journey was on an A320 which was about 65% full. Again the service was professional but unexceptional. IFE quite limited. The audio content was rather poor.

Qatar Airways - by Gary Lowcock

9 January 2007

Manchester–Doha– angkok Return Business Class. No queue at check in desk and the helpful check in agent moved me away from my predesignated seat in row 1 to row 5 at her own suggestion as she advised there were a number of babies and very young children on rows 1 and 2. I was grateful to her for the move although unfortunately she left me on row 1 for the onward Doha – Bangkok leg where I was able to serve as a part time nanny for a mother travelling with her 14 day old child (more of which later). Unfortunately Qatar use the Servisair Lounge at Manchester which is dreadful. The lounge soon became full with literally standing room only and first thing on a Saturday morning was particularly well populated by stag groups determined to drink enough to ensure they’d had value for money for the £16 entrance fee. To the credit of the Servisair staff the flight was called which is becoming less and less frequent a service in lounges. There was no dedicated business class boarding but once on board everything else was exemplary. Escorted to my seat, jacket taken, champagne and newspapers offered, regular top ups of champagne and personal introduction from the purser for each person in business class, drink orders taken, all before take off. The plane was fitted with updated seating with plenty of legroom (although seats are a little short on storage if I was quibbling). Although not flat bed were very comfortable and fine for dozing which is all I can ever achieve on a flight. Food was excellent and served as individual courses including a delicious Arabic mezze which was plated up at your seat. If anything Qatar tend to overfeed you offering a full meal and a snack (English High Tea) on each flight of 6 to 7 hours. All food was of a very high quality and beautifully presented. However, what really made this flight was the service which was absolutely outstanding from a predominantly Asian crew. The crew never stopped for the whole duration of the flight and tended to anticipate passengers’ needs rather than waiting for the call bell which if used was answered promptly and with a warm smile. Overall the Manchester – Doha leg showed why Qatar have a 5 star ranking as their business class offering on this leg would have easily outclassed many airline’s first class service. Transfer at Doha was straightforward and there’s no point commenting on the lounge as this has been replaced by the premium terminal. The aircraft from Doha to Bangkok was older but the seats were comfortable enough. The food was OK but nothing special but the main feature which distinguished this from the previous flight was the service – or rather lack of it. The purser made only a fleeting appearance in the business class cabin and the male European members of the crew in the business class cabin appear to have been picked for their looks rather than any customer service aptitude. Drinks were topped up begrudgingly and on request only, the food service was rushed and the crew spent most of the time in the galley. The worst aspect of the service was the lack of any assistance offered (or even attention paid) to the Thai lady seated next to me who was travelling with a 14 day old baby. On two occasions I ended up nursing the baby so she could eat some of her meal or take a comfort break. I wonder if she would have been similarly ignored if she had been European? The return journey was up to the standard of the initial Manchester – Doha leg throughout. I would not hesitate to use this airline again based on 3 out of 4 flights being outstanding – but surely a 5 star airline should deliver a greater consistency of product with one flight only meriting 2 stars.

Qatar Airways - by David Whalley

9 January 2007

LHR-DOH-BKK in Business return. Second journey on this route. Another good experience. The standard of LHR-DOH route exceptionally high. Excellent catering. Staff attentive and helpful. New business terminal at Doha a revelation. DOH-BKK in older planes and not quite the same high standard. There is a need to upgrade these older planes to bring them up to the standard of the best. Within the general excellent experience, there are still areas for improvement. The seat mechanisms in business class need better maintenance. In the last 4 flights my wife & I have experienced some difficulties in 3 seats - at 37.5%, a high percentage. Staff try to sort out the problems, but the seats obviously come in for considerable wear & tear. As a vegetarian the food was good, but offered no choices. Indeed, the menu for other passengers included many vegetarian options but these were no offered. I hope that the airline will start to treat vegetarian passengers as deserving the same rights of choice to others. Overall, Qatar Airways are delivering a very high standard, but need to work hard to maintain expectations. We would have no hesitation in recommending the company.

Qatar Airways - by Bill Almen

9 January 2007

As a regular flyer for holiday and business I have used a number of airlines over the years. Qatar is without doubt head and shoulders above the rest. Seat pitch is good. Have used 1st, Business & economy and cannot fault them. IFE is good, food likewise, service from cabin crew is excellent. Used the LHR/HKG route in November. Found the swap in Doha a bonus (only 90min wait between flights) as chance to walk about then get sleep on 2nd leg. The privilege club benefits are also good.

Qatar Airways - by A Amaladoss

4 January 2007

LHR-DOH-KUL return in business. Easy check-in. Used United's lounge at Terminal 3 - reasonable, but nothing exceptional. A330 aircraft to DOH. Comfortable seats, angled flat. Excellent food, well-presented. Choice of 3 red and 2 white wines, together with plenty of champagne. Interactive IFE system worked well, and kept us all entertained. FAs very courteous and attentive. Premium terminal lounge in DOH is very good, although as already noted, boarding passes checked repeatedly. Food was Arabic/Asian-unusually there were no 'Western' options; fine with me, but might not have suited everyone. No boarding calls in lounge - instead staff go around telling you which flight has started to board. KUL-DOH flight in older A300, which looked a bit worn in places. No personal TV screen, but FAs produced a personal DVD player on request. Again good choice of food and drink, but served on a tray rather than individually plated. Return KUL-DOH in similar aircraft. Was able to use the Golden Lounge in KUL, which is a real bonus. Used Doha Premium lounge again. It was fairly empty at that time in the morning. Flight to LHR delayed by an hour - apology given, but no explanation. Flight to LHR on the flagship A340. It seemed as though there weren't enough FAs for the size of the business class cabin (42 seats). The meal service took the best part of 2.5 hours! FAs were rushing about, and nothing was 'offered' - everything, such as refills, coffee/tea etc had to be asked for (the response was generally quick, although on a number of occasions reminders were needed). The food itself was very tasty, and all choices were available. What slows the service down is that individually plated meals are served to each passenger-I think there is a case for bringing back the large, old-fashioned trolleys sometimes! It meant FAs had to go back to the galleys for the smallest request. Arrival in LHR was speedy, and luggage turned up promptly. In general terms, a very good airline, with competitive fares, which can rival (and in some aspects exceed) the major Far East carriers for comfort and service. Will certainly fly with Qatar again.

Qatar Airways - by Heinrich Engelbrecht

3 January 2007

Economy class from Cape Town to Mumbai. Our Cape Town flight was delayed by 2 hours, so we missed the connecting flight to Mumbai. The staff at the transfer desks were very unhelpful and the hotel that I was eventually booked into was a dump. I was rebooked on the Mumbai flight for 28.11.2006. Before I left Doha, Qatar Airways staff confirmed that my onward ticket to Goa was changed and everything was in order. When I got to Mumbai domestic airport, Indian Airlines had no knowledge of my booking! This meant that I had to purchase another ticket and pay for it myself. Had Qatar Airways informed me that they did nothing about my onward flight to Goa, I could have changed it myself and saved myself the cost of a new ticket!

Qatar Airways - by Hans Glueck

3 January 2007

FRA-DOH-BKK in Economy. First leg was good. Onboard entertainment is excellent, friendly flight attendants, food ok. Even checked in and holding boarding passes for the second leg, we (plus 20 other pax) have been offloaded due to overbooking. The treatment by Doha ground staff was horrible. More then five hours of discussion and waiting in front of Transfer desk did not help at all, staff promised everything but delivered almost nothing. It was the most awful customer care experience I had. Compensations denied, Senior representative refused to show up. Finally we have been sent to HKG finding us in front of another transfer desk, begging for good connection flight to BKK. Nothing was arranged by QR ! Happily, Cathay Ground staff are more professional. At the end we had a 12 hour delay and lost a day in BKK. Certainly the luggage was mishandled as well. Also it is not a single exception, this is standard for QR, we learnt in the meantime.

Qatar Airways - by Stuart Duncan

31 December 2006

Kathmandu-Doha-Heathrow. Business class - Flight delayed at Kathmandu. Uneventful red-eye flight to Doha, first class service from FAs. IFE a little limited on the older Airbus but sufficient to make for an enjoyable trip. Landed at Doha an hour late, as my connecting flight to Heathrow was scheduled for 07:20 next morning, Qatar ground staff made every effort to put me up in a hotel for the night. All to no avail as I unfortuateley picked the same week as the Asian games being held in the Country. So a night in the business lounge, making the best of a bad job. Flight left Doha on time - excellent FAs and IFE made the journey bearable following my night in the lounge! My first experience of Qatar Airways has left me with no inhibitions in choosing them in the future.

Qatar Airways - by Tom Neuhaus

31 December 2006

London Heathrow - Doha - Kathmandu - Doha - London Gatwick. Economy. Very pleasant flight. Check-in was generally handled well and planes departed in time. On board service very friendly. In flight entertainment great on the A330 from and to London but less so on the A321 and A300 from and to Kathmandu. Food excellent and plentiful throughout. On the return leg I had a 14 hour stopover in Doha so got given a hotel room incl lunch and dinner. The return flight was on the day in August new security regulations got introduced in the UK but Qatar Airways handled this as well as possible. There were long queues at the gate in Doha and take-off was delayed by an hour due to extra security screening (not nice for a 1am flight) but the staff remained courteous and we caught up on lost time landing at Gatwick pretty much on time. Certainly the best flight I have had in recent times.

Qatar Airways - by Peter Alderson

20 December 2006

London Gatwick - Doha - Kuala Lumpur Business Class. Check in at Gatwick was a bit chaotic as the queue merged with another flight. The Continental Airlines lounge was good with views of the airport. The business cabin in the A330-300 to Doha had 5 rows of seats and was full. Despite this the cabin felt spacious and light. The crew were friendly and attentive. The seating was very comfortable. Food and beverages were excellent as was the interactive entertainment system. On arrival at Doha we were taken by bus direct to the new Premium Class lounge. Very spacious with plenty of seats. There is a separate business area with internet access. A childrens play room and even a doctor on duty to assist the medical advice or help. Soft drinks and hot food are self service but alcoholic and hot drinks are bar/waiter service. Showers are available if you want to freshen up. Unfortunately they play the same music over and over again. It could also be quite easy to miss your flight as no PAs are made. Somebody walks around calling out the flight number. I suggest you go down to the gate area on the ground floor about 30 minutes before departure time to be ready to catch the bus. There are some duty free shops on the ground floor to help pass 15 minutes or so. Doha-Kuala Lumpur was less impressive. An A300 aircraft with older seats. These adjusted electronically but were less sophisticated than the A330. The cabin of four rows was full and felt less spacious due to a lower ceiling and luggage bins. Qatar Airways seem to have almost as many configurations as aircraft. My seat was changed as this aircraft had a First Class section. I ended up with a seat 10B in the from row that got the foot rest knocked several times by people coming from the toilets and galley. In one of the toilets panelling was held together with what looked like gaffer tape! The crew and food were excellent. However as the flight left just before midnight they still proposed to serve a four course dinner! The crew realised that eating was probably the last thing on peoples minds and took orders before take-off. Service was complete and lights were dimmed 45 minutes after take-off. There was no interactive entertainment system. Apart from the programme on the overhead screens a hand held DVD player was available to watch a choice of movies. Returning from Kuala Lumpur to Doha included access to the comfortable MAS Gold Club Lounge only a short walk from the gate. The flight on an A300 was a similar experience to the outbound leg, except the business cabin was at the front of the aircraft with only 3 rows that were again full. Although the seat pitch was good the seats were about 10 years old and when reclined took part of the personal space of the row behind. The final leg, a morning flight Doha-Heathrow was probably the best of the lot. An A340-600 with a half full cabin. 5 rows are just behind first class with 2 more rows between the galley and economy class. The cabin was equipped the same as the A330 and had the same pleasant ambience. Breakfast was served by individual courses. A good quality choice of soup and open sandwiches was served about an hour before landing. The only let down was collection of luggage at Heathrow which is never good but, on this occasion, took almost an hour!

Qatar Airways - by Peter Goddard

15 December 2006

Economy: London Heathrow/Doha/Bangkok return. Heathrow-Doha leg in both directions was superb. Great IFE and attentive cabin crew. Useful gift pack included a toothbrush, food quite acceptable. Outward leg was full but staff everywhere keeping us happy. Return leg only half full, so spoiled with plenty of complimentary alcohol. Doha-Bangkok leg was full in both directions and a bit like a Backpacker's express. Staff still enthusiastic, but no complimentary booze or gifts - food OK but not to same standard as Heathrow leg. It almost seemed like a different airline. Overall the excellent IFE plus a leg stretch at Doha made a huge difference to the flight and we were glad we chose Qatar rather than our normal non-stop flight with Thai.

Qatar Airways - by Bob Carlson

11 December 2006

Business Class : Manchester - Doha. Quick, seamless check in and on time departure on Airbus A330 - 200. Requests for after take off drinks taken prior to taxing. Excellent flight with attentive crew and good food and wine as usual. A nice 5 star product. Doha- Bangkok : Had time to visit new lounge as flight delayed by 1 hour 15 minutes. Very impressive and a big improvement over previous small lounge. Slight down side is that gold card holders cannot use the 1st class lounge as previously. Boarded A330- 200 and disappointed to find different seats compared to the same model of plane from Manchester. Most noticeable difference was very hard uncomfortable seating although this still had the 160 degree recline so was able to get some sleep. Screen not working in 3k so was changed to a different seat on boarding but decided to stick to original seat as cabin virtually full and it would have meant sitting apart from my wife. No after take off drink orders taken and in fact it was almost 1 hour after take off that we were offered drinks. However in this time passengers in 3A/C seemed to get preferential treatment as they had had drinks service twice before we were even offered a drink. Generally poor service throughout from cabin crew on right hand side who did not appear to be interested in looking after the passengers. Food again up to Qatar high standards but the hard seats and almost lack of service let down what is normally a superb product from Qatar and only warrants 2/3 star. Come on Qatar ensure that inflight standards are not slipping

Qatar Airways - by Ingrid Hoffmann

11 December 2006

Cape Town-Doha-Frankfurt return in Business Class. Although a long trip both ways, the most comfortable flights I have had. Cabin staff very friendly and attentive. Very good food, drinks and onboard entertainment. Reclining seats can be turned into nearly flat beds quite comfortable for sleeping. Doha First Class/Business Class Terminal spotless and very comfortable but the service of refreshments is slow. A real bonus is that in Cape Town Business Class passengers are collected and returned to their homes free of charge. Very good value for money. The only complaint is that most times the cabins were overheated.

Qatar Airways - by Chris Matthews

7 December 2006

London-Trivandrum return - a very pleasurable experience. Plenty of leg room for me at 6'4. Attentive staff and reasonable food- in fact I enjoyed the main course chicken so much that FA bought me another! The only downside was the couldn't care less attitude of Servisair check in staff at LGW. Return to LHR on the new A340-600 which was really comfortable and again with plenty of legroom. As good if not better than Singapore and Emirates.

Qatar Airways - by Christine Sprott

7 December 2006

Gatwick-Doha-Bangkok in Economy class. Outbound flight was good, bit of a rush in Doha, no staff at the information desk, the flight wasnt up on the departure board but found the gate eventually. We were advised the night before we left home that the return flight was changed and we had a 10 hour stop in Doha and we would be given a hotel room. Check in Bangkok a shambles, most passengers unaware of flight changes. Arrived Doha and told there was no hotel rooms available, argued with staff and after 2 hours we were handed a voucher and told to go outside and there would be a bus - eventually found the bus. Some passengers did not know the flight had changed and were not given a hotel, some of these passengers had children. Overall staff on plane were good, though they had no idea what the meals were or what kind of fish there was, entertainment system was good and we were able to prebook seats. The staff in Doha were very rude and unhelpful, one just walked away when I tried to explain the situation and they seemed to think if they told you to go and sit down and wait an hour you would just give up. Thought the facilities in the airport were average, it was extremely busy.

Qatar Airways - by Ann Mace

7 December 2006

Return trip London - Doha First Class, Doha- Cebu Business, it was fantastic. In Doha had a nine hour wait over, and taken to Marriott Hotel, all meals included. Food superb on all legs of flight. Business class to Cebu, managed to get into first class lounge in airport, so very comfortable. On return Cebu - Doha Business, the flight was great no delays, arrived at Doha airport to the new First/Business dedicated terminal, only opened a week earlier. What can I say, must now be the best airport lounges in the world. We had 7 hour wait, so were given a bedroom in the first class lounge. Shower room with jacuzzi and sauna. Awoke afresh to complete first class to London. The new A340 was in operation between Doha and London so a wonder experience, champagne all the way. It is now my best airlines by far. Will certainly being travelling with them again.

Qatar Airways - by Kar-Binh Ong

7 December 2006

London - Doha vv segments in First Class withthe Doha - Maldives segment in Business Class. All I can say is that Qatar Airways deserves their Five Star ranking. The First Class flights were amazing. On the outbound London- Doha segment, we were in a brand new A340-600 with an onboard lounge for First Class passengers. The onboard lounge is a great idea with nice cream leather sofas , a bar area and beautiful lighting effects on the ceiling (resembling a starry night). Service onboard was professional with some of the best food and wine we have tasted in First Class. Fully flat seats were extremely comfortable and the 1-2-1 arrangement gave a great sense of privacy. On arrival in Doha, transfer to the terminal was in a 7 series BMW as Doha airport does not have any airbridges. Business Class sectors to the Maldives were excellent with attentive service and personal DVD players available to all passengers. We were also lucky enough to experience the new Premium Class Terminal in Doha on our return journey. This is a large separate terminal for First and Business Class passengers with large lounge area for both and even dining facilities. Drinks were served personally in the First Class lounge and there was even a spa area with bedrooms and a jacuzzi. The jacuzzi was not open on our visit as the terminal had only been officially open for a day. The return Doha - London sector in First Class was memorable for the service that we received from the cabin crew. Although this flight was in an A330 (no onboard lounge - alas!) , this was more than made up for by the wonderful cabin crew that was in a league above that on all the other segments. In particular, we had a wonderful Malaysian stewardess serving our side of the cabin who addressed us personally by name all the way throughout the flight and was faultless in anticipating our every request. As this was an overnight service, there was also a turndown service and we managed to sleep for several hours on this flight. Ground services on all sectors were efficient with no delays to any of our flights.

Qatar Airways - by Cecilia Wee

3 December 2006

London-Cape Town, Economy class, with a stopover in Doha on the way back. Despite the fact that all four flights of my journey were slightly delayed (up to 45 mins) and the spartan nature of Doha airport, Qatar Airways has an awful lot going for it, in addition to its competitive prices. The In-flight entertainment selection provides excellent choice catering to a wide spectrum of tastes, is clearly picked by knowledgeable people (music sections in particular) and is easy to use. The economy pitch on the A330 is ample and uses the 2-4-2 formation. Food was tasty and on a par with other carriers known for high standards of cuisine. Staff were almost always helpful, friendly and efficient. The Doha airport experience is slightly off-set by free wireless access throughout the terminal.

Qatar Airways - by Julie Hankinson

3 December 2006

Manchester - Doha - Bangkok - Economy. Check in staff wonderful, flight was not full on the first leg so he booked a whole row out for my husband and I. Then booked us an emergency exit with extra leg room from Doha to Bangkok. Flights attendants very attentive and friendly. No problems at Doha airport so maybe they have improved the problems people were experiencing. I'm a terrible flyer but my in flight entertainment system kept my mind busy, great movies and excellent games. Food was the best we had experienced on an airline before and most of the time I couldn't eat everything that was served!

Qatar Airways - by Jack Whiteley

15 November 2006

Travelled to Shanghai via Doha Business Class from Gatwick and had to return to Heathrow due to lack of seats on the return to Gatwick. The service was good and food was more like a good restaurant. The aircraft were new on all legs and I have to say that I was impressed. Nice people, old fashioned service and a cut above the rest. Only one negative - the business class lounge at Doha airport is very poor. Small complaint as I know they are opening a new lounge in 2 weeks.

Qatar Airways - by Tim Woods

15 November 2006

Manchester to Cochin via Doha. Economy. Check in at Manchester was a little off-hand but no worse than BA. In flight service was great-very impressed with the new IFE- except they had no white wine as they only provision in Doha! I had heard horror stories regarding the state of Doha airport but can report that things have moved on a great deal and there are plenty of seats, toilets (European!) etc. The food outlets are limited and oversubscribed and some of the duty free expensive. I would advise anyone with a long stopover at the airport to book the Oryx lounge (through Qatar Airways before you go, it cannot be done on arrival) very good value at £13.00. Upgraded to business class on the flight to Cochin - second to none service with food and wine to match. Economy return with a stop over in Doha. Good service throughout in the air but check in staff at Doha let the airline down. Overall however extremely good. We will use them again without doubt.

Qatar Airways - by Gary King

5 November 2006

London-Doha-Osaka-Doha London in business class, with a stop over in Doha on the return. The first flight was outstanding. The aircraft was a new A330 with almost lie flat seats, and lots of space. The cabin crew could not do enough and the food was top quality. However both overnight flights to and from Japan were disappointing. Qatar use older configuration A330's and the business class seats were cramped, with not enough leg room. The recline was limited and I kept slipping down the seat. Service was OK but food remained good. The last leg back to London (a day flight) was on a brand new A340-600, and the business class cabin and seating were impressive. The flight was full and the cabin crew struggled. Drinks and Lunch service took almost 3 hours to complete. However a crew member did apologise. Qatar airways were very good, and all the crew members were charming, but the airline needs to schedule their better configured aircraft for their long overnight flights, rather than for example, the shorter day time London flights. Doha airport and the business lounge was quite poor, but I understand a new airport is under construction.

Qatar Airways - by James Dover

5 November 2006

Gatwick - Bangkok ( Business ) - I had never heard of this airline until we booked our honeymoon, and they were fantastic . We have never flown business class before so our experiences are limited, but I would have no hesitation advising others to travel with them . We hadn't even considered travelling in business and only asked for a quote out of interest but were shocked by how cheap it was compared to the other more well known airlines . The seats were very comfortable, although we did get an older aircraft between Qatar and Bangkok, where the quality was not as high, however on the return journey we did not have that problem. The entertainment system was extremely user friendly and I was especially impressed with the films on demand, and the ability to pause/rewind etc, so you never missed anything. The food was excellent, I have never been full on an aircraft before. The staff were very friendly and the overall experience started and finished the honeymoon as I would have hoped. The only negative was the lounge at Gatwick . Qatar share a lounge owned by Continental Airlines. Having travelled with Continental before I find their level of customer service poor and the facilities/ food and drink on offer in the lounge reflected this, however both in Qatar and Bangkok no complaints whatsoever. As one who can't generally afford to travel Business, Qatar have got my business again.

Qatar Airways - by Martyn Davies

2 November 2006

Manchester-Doha-Male in Business. Very quick check in process and priority fast track security a bonus as the line snaked around the terminal. Could not fault the excellent service, and staff most attentive. Best flight to date. Unfortunately followed by one of the worst on the Doha - Male leg. Old Airbus 300, long wait for a glass of warm Champagne, no amenity kit. Drinks order taken before take off but only delivered with the meal tray quite a long time after take off. Picked a wine off wine list but was told that as I was the only passenger ordering Shiraz they didn't want to open a bottle and could I choose a different wine. Lamb main course over cooked and very fatty. Sweet course and after dinner liqueur not offered, but provided on request. Woken up prior to landing at Male but not so much as a coffee or orange juice offered and certainly no sign of any breakfast. Asked for some water which eventually arrived. Overall service poorer than that experienced in economy on the same leg 18 months previous. It amazing how service can vary so much from one flight to another with the same operator. Returned from Male to Manchester on 30th October. Service on both legs excellent as was the standard of catering. Could not fault it in any way.