Qatar Airways

Zurich to Doha and Doha to Narita on May 29-30. Was traveling with my wie and children (3 and 5). At the check-in we got the information that we can't access the lounge at the new Doha airport. For this reason we got a voucher which could be changed into vouchers at Doha airport. The flight from Zurich to Doha was one hour delayed. We didn't get any proper information. The departure time was shifted every 15 minutes. Once on board was surprised about the comfort in the cabin. The food and drinks were excellent. The service onboard was average. At Doha airport they were not really ready. Very long queue at the security check. Asked for business class fast track. Was not available. Then had to walk quite a long way for the connecting gate. We were flying from gate B1A. That meant we had to take a bus to the plane but first we had to wait outside for the bus. Once at the plane we had to wait outside again before we could enter. Flight was ok. Food again excellent and the service was better than from Zurich to Doha.

BUD-DOH-SGN on 28-29 May 2014. Aircraft's A321 and A330-200 respectively. All flights on time. No queues in any counters as there were plenty open. Ground staff in BUD were extremely attentive and co-operative and assisted me fully dealing with a luggage problem (my luggage only arrived to Hungary when I was due to depart after a weeks stay). WiFi not available. What was stunning was their excellent co-operation on this with the competing carrier TK. I was from BUD without demands upgraded from the cheapest possible economy ticket to business class to DOH. The cabin was almost full (10 seats of 12 taken) but service was top-notch despite I was initially not expected to be in the business class. Champagne has changed from Jackquart to Lanson. Food very good. Seats not lie flat but no much need to lie down on a day flight? Doha Hamad Airport is still in its infantry but service desks are all over the place to make up for faults. Arrived to be taken to the gates by the busses which was a first disappointment. The lounges are not fully operating: very few and crowded and short of meat-dishes showers and sparkling wine. WiFi is operating. DOH-SGN: Boarding directly from gate to aircraft ! A huge improvement from the old airport. Upgraded at gate despite aircraft was only 30% full. Champagne choice extended to include the Taittinger rose. Good food. Only 4 seats of 24 were occupied. FAs good though could have been a bit more observant/proactive. But they were all professional and comprehending. A pleasure to lie down on the seats.

JFK to DWC via DOH. Managed to get first row economy bulkhead seats for self and wife. Found myself sitting next to some sort of bodybuilder guy whose biceps extended over into my space. When they announced all pax on board we swiftly moved over to the centre three seats and took up aisle positions with the centre seat empty. Flight was decent but the IFE was abysmal. Poor choice of movies and entertainment. We were among the first to transit the new airport in Doha - thank goodness no more buses! Marked improvement over the existing airport. At JFK we got 5K miles extra because the Silver lounge was not ready yet but we used our HSBC Premier cards to get into the Oryx lounge. Decent service clean cabins and bathrooms maintained well. Food could do with an improvement and the IFE needs a complete overhaul.

On 4th May I flew from Melbourne to Manchester via Doha with Qatar Airways. Qatar Airways is affiliated with One World so lounge access is provided at Melbourne Airport by Qantas always a good way to start a long journey. The plane for the first sector was a brand new Boeing 777 and on a full flight I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of room in economy. I am 6ft 3in (189cms) and I could stretch out quite comfortably without touching the seat in front. I was sat in 23K. In flight entertainment was excellent with Premiere release movies and a host of documentaries to help while the hours away (all 14 hrs and 15 minutes for the first sector). Service and inflight catering was excellent with a good choice of food and regular water runs by the cabin crew. Landing in Doha was probably the only negative as the airport was packed and hectic. With a tight transit time of just 60 minutes I was fearing the worst but somehow it all seemed to happen and I made the connection. The second sector of 7hrs and 30 minutes was completed in an Airbus A330 which was notably smaller and older than the Boeing 777. However the service was on par and food and entertainment options again superior. All in all a pleasant experience for what is a gruelling distance to fly. Qatar Airways deserve the recognition and commendations they win on a regular basis. Highly recommended.

Qatar Airways provides commendable in-flight services particularly in their business/first cabins. The flight crews are always focused on service doing their utmost to ensure passenger comfort. Highlights of the airline are the newer aircraft and a strong focus on the aircraft interiors that maximize passenger comfort particularly the large overhead bins on their Boeing aircraft and newer Airbus fleet additions. Food on the flights in business is excellent with choices for breakfast indulgence (snack) and main meals with a broad selection of wines. Equally nice are the sleepwear provided on longer flights with the extra padding in the sleep covers for the business/first seats. While the in-flight experience is excellent the airline is facing challenges with the terminal and transit experience. Outside of Doha lounges were very limited although joining OneWorld has opened up many new lounges suitable for premium customers; unfortunately they face ground staff issues at several airports that frustrate during the boarding and deplaning process. The new airport in Doha their primary hub is open but facing considerable growing pains and still relies on buses for many airport transits. Coupled with insufficient lounge space particularly for their premium customers significantly compromises the overall trip experience and turns their new flagship airport in Doha to a frustrating experience that undermines the excellent in-flight service and value for the money in the competitive market of air travel.

Flew QR252 and QR9. (TBS via GYD - tech stop - via DOH) First leg was on an A320. I was in row 8 so had a nice amount of leg room. IFE was a little unresponsive but since the flights were short it wasn't a problem. Food was up to the usual QR standard and cabin crew were friendly and professional as usual. Second leg was an A333. had an aisle seat so leg space was restricted due to the IFE box under the seat in front. IFE kept sticking but since it was a night flight I slept most of the journey. Crew were friendly and professional as the usual standard. Catering was just OK on this leg. The new airport makes transiting a breeze.

25th April QR 905 MEL-DOH. 28th April QR 904 DOH-MEL. Very boring IFE. Food and staff were good. Value also good. Seats were bad and not comfortable at all.

London to Doha Boeing 787. Qatar Airways sets the standard for luxury business class with this airplane and it was the best experience I've had in many years. First class lounge at Heathrow Terminal was fantastic fabulous good great wines and nice staff. Onboard the airplane brilliant business class cabin and nice color scheme. I had a single window seats and truly private - better than most airlines first class. Meals served individually table style and food was good with a great selection of wines. Staff very efficient they don't smile much though but are courteous. The in flight entertainment had massive choice of movies and tv programs. Downside was arrival into Doha with long bus ride but the new airport is flagged to open this week and that will top this off as the best business class out there.

BOS-HKG via Philadelphia and Doha. When we arrived in Philadelphia we needed new boarding passes so went to the Qatar Airways counter for them. The attendant said that there was something wrong with our ticket boarding passes cannot be issued and only US Airways can fix the problem. She sent us to the US Airways counter without telling us what was the issue. We went over stood in line for 45 minutes waited for someone. Of course nothing was wrong. We went back to Qatar Airways for sure the issue had cleared and we were all set to board. We wasted over 90 minutes for no apparent reason. Philadelphia to Doha was delayed severely due to a bathroom issue. Doha Airport itself was small and messy with the new Hamad Airport opening 27 May it will probably get better. HKG-DOH with Cathay Pacific we were upgraded to Premium Economy free due to overbooking. The seat was very comfortable. The in flight entertainment system was more responsive compared to Qatar Airways. DOH-PHL I slept through most of the flight and my husband most of the flight. I don't recommend this airline unless you are flying business or first class where Qatar Airways actually value you.

JNB-DOH-BCN return. All flights on time early into JNB on return home. All flights on newish aircraft comfortable seats and nice meals. Staff on night flight were not present in the cabin as much as I would expect but the rest was nice and attentive. Doha airport was bearable and quite quick connections both ways but can't wait for their new airport to finally open. Didn't use the IFE myself but my partner was impressed and watched endless choice of movies.