Qatar Airways

I flew Johannesburg to Dubai via Doha return with Qatar Airways. Simply the best airline and deserving of 5 Stars. The Boeing 787 is really a great aircraft in and out of Johannesburg . Being used to flying on bigger jets for long haul, I prefer the smaller long haul jets. Onboard service and amenity kit was impressive for an economy class ticket. Great all round.

Perth to Edinburgh via Doha. Planes modern and spacious, I could see the Boeing 787 could be cramped if full but the large windows and lower cabin pressure make experience better. Very little jet lag on my arrival. Very pleasant flights helped by being able to have three seats to myself on both flights. Staff pleasant if not overly friendly. Food okay on Perth to Doha segment. Breakfast on leaving Doha much better but pastry and savoury snack before landing in Edinburgh not great. Doha Airport good on quiet midweek morning but quite expensive for food and drinks. Onward connection from Edinburgh to Belfast straightforward as bags checked all the way through and just needed to pick up boarding pass from flybe staff. Overall a very easy way to connect to Northern Ireland from Australia.

Oslo to Bangkok via Doha. The business class product is still excellent, and the crew was friendly and attentive as usual. Small things are cut back, the amuse bouche from Oslo, drink after takeoff, amenity kit. Still value for money. One thing that annoys is the IFE remote which is sluggish and unresponsive, unless you by chance touch it with your elbow - not very smart placement in the seat. DOH to BKK they do a full dinner menu, very slow on a flight that leaves after midnight. I gave up and went to sleep. Tried the on board lounge for canapés, but they only had nuts.

Heathrow to Abu Dhabi via Doha in Economy with Qatar Airways. We are Oneworld Ruby card holders so from the time of booking got access to reserving seats which was great. Our first flight was on the A380 so we got seats reserved in the small cabin at the back of the upper deck (only 7 or 8 rows). When we checked our bags we were able to use Business class check in (Oneworld benefit was honoured! However the seats we had chosen months ago were changed when we tried online check in and I could not change them. Frustrating that the agent at the desk could not change this back and we were referred to another desk to the flight supervisor who to be fair despite arguing with me about "accepting" those seats when I checked in online, did change them to our original preference. I was grateful for this and thanked her. Onboard the seat on the A380 is really good. Thin seat, but comfortable and plenty of personal space including legroom. The recline is very good, but thankfully for me no one in front other wise it would have been in my face. There's a decent sized IFE screen and a reasonable choice of movies. Despite this cabin only being half full it took about 90 mins before we were offered any service which was lunch. Nice enough, but the entree portion was small, and drinks were offered with the meal almost like an afterthought. Throughout the flight the crew were friendly and responsive if you asked for more drinks, but not proactive. Close to arrival we were served a wrap and muffin which were nice. Transferring at Hamad international was a breeze, you literally walk through a supervised glass door straight back into the departure lounge (it is different on your return). Really nice modern and relatively quiet airport at 7pm local time. For westerners there is nice French themed bar and restaurant that serves alcohol in the departure lounge. The second leg to Abu Dhabi was less than an hour in duration. The seat comfort was fine on the Boeing 777-300 and it had IFE if you wanted it. The crew served a savoury pastry and cake with a cuplet of orange juice. Overall the experience felt good value for money, albeit I wasn't bowled over given the 5 star experience I was expecting. I just think they could have made a massive impact if they'd provided a more proactive service on the upper deck economy section of the A380

Flew home from Abu Dhabi to London Heathrow via Doha. First flight on Al Maha branded A320. Check in was fine and like our outbound flights our Oneworld ruby status was honoured and despite travelling in economy we checked in at the business class desk. On board this aircraft the legroom was really tight and I'm glad we only had less than a one hour flight. This Al Maha configuration has no seat back IFE, but this was not a problem as the flight was so short. We were served a savoury pastry and cake and a cuplet of orange juice. We arrived at Hamad International a few minutes early and the transfer process was quick and slick. Handbaggage X-Ray and personal metal detector screening. Relaxing time back in the departure lounge. Boarding was stress free as they do it by seating zone for economy. The seat was comfortable on the Boeing 777-300 and legroom more than adequate for a 7 hour flight. In common with my outbound flight the service was slow, over an hour before any service (we were in the third row of economy cabin). Dinner was nice, but entree portions are small. Drinks only served with dinner. After this you could get more drinks if you asked but the crew were not proactive offering anything other than occasional glasses of water or orange juice. Close to arrival a savoury pastry and cake accompanied by orange juice were served. I'd fly Qatar Airways again at the right price point, but I'm struggling to see why they are rated 5-star.

London Heathrow to Bangkok via Doha with Qatar Airways. First flight on Boeing 777, Doha to Bangkok on the A380. Both flights with excellent service and food. Seating on Boeing 777 okay, terrible on A380. My review concerns the latter part of the trip. We were late arriving at DOH - no explanation or apology. So we were then late at the departure gate, where our boarding passes were checked 4 times - with the staff standing in sight of each other - crazy. The seats on the A380 lower deck were cramped and legroom was short. At least one person had their dinner tipped in their lap from inconsiderate 'seat recliners' in front. When the pax in front of me reclined their seat, I couldn't watch my screen. I wear glasses, and with the screen so close to my face I couldn't focus. Sleeping was not comfortable, with my knees jammed against the seat in front (I'm average build, 5'10 height). When are airlines in cramped economy class, going to restrict the amount seats recline?

Heathrow to Colombo via Doha. The Qatar Airways lounge at Terminal 4 Heathrow is excellent. We were able to eat a tasty three course meal before take off and then able to bed down as soon as we took off. The small business class only jet to Doha was spacious and comfortable. The airline staff were courteous and attentive. Upon arrival at Doha we whisked into the Lovely Business class lounge and had enough time for a cup of Dilmah tea (Ceylon) before boarding the A340 to Colombo. This second plane was spacious and very comfortable. The new configuration and seats are excellent with lovely flat beds and plenty of room. Staff were outstanding as was service, food and beverages. Our return to London was on another A340 followed by an A380. Both flights also had excellent, attentive staff. Qatar Airways were extremely helpful, polite and accessible at all times. Thanks for making our holiday so enjoyable.

Manchester to Bangkok via Doha return, and a superb trip with Qatar Airways. Check in at Manchester business desk took only a few minutes then on to the Escape lounge which was quite full, perhaps one day Qatar will have their own lounge in Manchester and maybe a complimentary Chauffeur service. Boarded and a member of cabin crew asked about drinks while others introduced themselves, always a nice touch, took off virtually on time. A330 is a nice aircraft, small business class section with comfortable seats, decent selection of movies, food very good as usual on Qatar. Arrived Hamad International a few minutes ahead of time and disembarked into airport, no bus. As I had a few hours to spare went to the Al Mourjan lounge until gate for Bangkok advised. Bangkok flight on the A380, some of the departure gates designed with this aircraft in mind as separate business class gate and upstairs lounge to board direct to upper section. Much bigger business section with 48 seats, very comfortable but strange seats no arm rest of the left hand side until you reclined the seat. Good flight, again managed to sleep for a short time before arriving at Bangkok. Return flights just as good despite an 8 hours transit in Doha (more about that in the lounge review) I always get messed up with the different Airbus A330 models but the one from Doha to Manchester was different from the first flight, looked a little older and smaller. I can’t praise the Qatar crews on all four flights enough, brilliant service with maybe the best food on any airline. The only thing that spoilt a perfect trip was that between Bangkok and Manchester my case was damaged in three different areas, it looked like to main damage was done by the wheels of another case.

Stockholm to Melbourne via Doha. The first time flying with Qatar Airways and it won´t be the last, it was as good as it gets when flying economy class. The Boeing 787 from Stockholm to Doha was quiet and smooth and with great service of crew and inflight entertainment. The leg room was ok but the seat width is a little tight, but overall a great flying experience. Doha to Melbourne on the Boeing 777-300 with more space - both legroom and seat width. The crew gave just as good service, made the 13,5hour flight as good as it can possibly get, even my 85year old father didn´t have any complaints. The return trip was just as good, well done Qatar keep up the good work.

For the first time in my life I enjoyed a trip by plane of more than 12 hours, this was flying Qatar Airways from Rome to Bangkok via Doha in Economy class. That's all I have to say and recommend!