I flew the 'world's best' business class on Qatar Airways just before the COVID-19 pandemic rocked the airline industry and changed the world as we know it.
David Slotnick
- In early March, before the coronavirus became a pandemic and health officials had advised everyone to stay inside and keep six feet of space between ourselves outside, my wife and I left for a huge vacation to South Africa, a trip we'd been planning for about a year.
- Unfortunately, we weren't able to finish the trip. The COVID-19 outbreak worsened around the world, and South Africa instituted new travel bans. We had to book an emergency flight back home to New York.
- We used frequent flyer miles to fly on Qatar Airways in its award-winning "QSuite" business class, which has been widely cited as the world's best. After our experience, I'd definitely say it deserves that reputation
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It feels like years ago at this point, but in the days before "social distancing" entered the global lexicon — just over a month ago — I went on vacation.
It was early March, as the coronavirus outbreak was spreading and getting worse, but before we knew anything that we know today. It was before the virus was running rampant through New York and the US at large — or at least, before hospitals began seeing a surge and before testing was available enough to confirm the spread. At the time, we thought nothing of concepts like flattening the curve and social distancing.
My wife and I had been planning a huge vacation to South Africa for more than a year. Even though travel is one of the most important things to both of us, and we're lucky to have traveled a lot, this trip was going to be a special one, and a major item knocked off of our lifetime bucket lists.
So, based on what we knew at the time, we decided to leave for the trip, calculating a relatively low risk to us and others (again, this was before we knew what we know now). Part of our motivation was the fact that we'd invested a lot into the trip, compared to what we normally spend when traveling, it was nonrefundable, and since there were no travel bans and we were both healthy, our travel insurance would not cover anything if we canceled.
As part of the trip — really the impetus for it — we had booked our flights to and from South Africa in Qatar Airways' business class using American Airlines miles. Qatar's groundbreaking "QSuite" product has been widely acclaimed as the world's best business class, and I was incredibly eager to try it.
Ultimately, we weren't able to finish the two-week trip. After five days on the ground, the COVID-19 outbreak had dominated hearts and minds across the globe. The situation had gotten significantly worse in New York and the US, and so many airlines had canceled routes that we weren't sure we'd be able to get home.
Then South African officials announced a new travel ban that included Americans. We had to get back to the states.
We booked an emergency flight home, and while we were disappointed we couldn't finish our vacation, we've been working with our travel agent to get credits to use later for the parts we couldn't enjoy. Now, we have a trip to look forward to once this pandemic is behind us.
I've been torn over filing a flight review while we're all social distancing and none of us — aside from essential workers — can fly, even though the review is from a flight we took before this all began.
However, I decided that even while we stay distant from each other and watch the world as we know it change, possibly forever, it's worth remembering what we have to look forward to when we emerge from this.
I've been incredibly fortunate to fly with a ton of different airlines, in a ton of different seats and cabins, both for my job, and for fun. Based on my own past experiences, I can confidently say that Qatar's business class is, indeed, unique, and deserving of the accolades it has received.
Here's what it was like flying the world's best business class on the Airbus A350-1000 in the days before the coronavirus outbreak reached pandemic proportions.
Read the original article on Business InsiderIt was another business class flight, but on a plane without the QSuite — it was essentially a standard business class seat, though a comfortable one. After another wipe-down, we were on our way to our short-lived vacation.
After my flight in the QSuite, it's easy to understand why Skytrax named it the best business class in the world. The seat is exceptionally comfortable, the product is innovative and interesting, and the food and service was phenomenal.
While I would've liked a place somewhere within the suite to store my bag, I was perfectly happy to do without that in exchange for the door and walls, which made it the most private business class I've ever flown. It even beat the first class seats I've flown in!
It wasn't the most relaxing flight, due to my anxiety over the coronavirus situation, my decision to stay connected to work, and my concerns about the rest of our trip, but in the end, I was still able to sit back and unwind for parts of it.
I still have some miles left, thanks to the fact that we had to change our flight home, and I'm hoping that once the pandemic is contained and we can once again travel safely, I can enjoy QSuites again.
... And made it to Qatar's beautiful, sprawling business class lounge in Doha. After my call, a few cups of coffee, and a brisk walk or two around the lounge to get the blood flowing, we headed to our next gate to board our flight to Cape Town.
We had about three hours until our connection, and I had a work call, so we left the plane quickly, headed through transfer security ...
The flight attendants got the cabin ready — which included locking the suite doors in the open position — and soon enough, we were on the ground and at our gate.
... Followed by "sunrise."
A little while before we started our descent, the mood lighting was brought up to a dusk-emulating blue-purple ...
I appreciated that it came with a pastry-filled bread basket. Remember, those airplane calories don't count.
It was seriously tasty, even if it wasn't crispy like it would be if it were cooked fresh.
I went with the French toast. I figured I hadn't eaten enough carbs, yet, and honestly i just wanted to see how it tasted on an airplane.
We woke up a few hours later to a quiet cabin. We sat up, and after checking email again, I noticed it was only 90 minutes or so before arrival. Since calories don't count when you're flying (right?), we ordered breakfast.
Here's a clearer photo, which I took last year during a press walkthrough of the new cabin at JFK.
Once our dishes were cleared, we set our seats into bed mode. One of the fun things about the close-together center seats is that you can make a "double" bed. It's not a true double, since there's a gap between the two seats where the privacy divider raises, but it's still nice if you're traveling with a significant other.
It came with warm scones, a few mini sandwiches, and a strawberry cheesecake. It was really tasty.
... And had the afternoon tea from the "light options" menu.
It had been a little while since lunch at this point, so we decided to have a snack and take a nap. I started with a delicious old fashioned from the cocktail list ...
There's no doubt about it — it's a comfortable seat. I reclined it so I was leaning back, and lounged with my legs up on the ottoman. The foot cubby looked a bit small in the earlier photos, but there was plenty of room.
There was a decent selection of new and older movies, and I watched a few as I emailed and did some work from my iPad, while keeping an eye on coronavirus developments.
As I sipped my wine, I took out my headphones, and flipped through the entertainment system.
If there's one critical thing I would say about the QSuite, it's that there isn't really anywhere within the suite to store things like a bag, clothes, or your shoes. There are overhead compartments above the two rows on the windows, and you can tuck things in various corners to make room, but it's a bit inelegant if you want to keep a bag or sweatshirt handy.
The forward lavatory in the A350 has a window. It's a bit of a novelty, but I just love it.
After lunch, I had a glass of wine, and went to the lavatory to change into my pajamas.
I decided to skip dessert — I still got a box with two Godiva truffles, though!
For my main, I had the chicken machboos, a Middle Eastern dish that's very similar to the Indian biriyani. It was fantastic, pretty much the perfect flavor profile for an in-flight meal.
For my appetizer, I had the Arabic mezze, a delightful platter of hummus, baba ghanoush, and tabbouleh served with a side of pita.
There was a seared tuna amuse bouche to start.
A few minutes after I finished my champagne, a flight attendant cleared my glass and the dish, and set up my table for lunch. I especially liked the electric "candle," a fun touch.
I logged onto the plane's Wi-Fi around then. Business class passengers got a free hour, but I ended up paying for it for the rest of the flight. Normally I'd try to disconnect, but given the outbreak situation, I wanted to stay on top of developments in case they affected our trip — I was also chatting with a few sources and keeping in touch with work.
A few minutes after that, a different flight attendant brought my first drink — champagne — and a dish of mixed nuts.
The flight attendants were incredible throughout. They were super attentive, and while they made occasional passes through the cabin to see if anyone needed anything, encouraged us to use the call bell if we wanted anything. They came almost immediately if we did, and were just really friendly and helpful throughout — especially when walking us through the features of the suite, like how to open the door in an emergency, or the different ways we could set the seat.
A few minutes after takeoff, as we were climbing, flight attendants came by to release the suite doors. They're latched open for takeoff and landing, but can be freely opened or closed throughout the rest of the flight.
... or just behind the nose.
One feature I love on the A350 is the camera view. There's something so fun about watching takeoff from the tail of the plane ...
After just a few minutes, we made one last turn onto the runway, and moments later, we were in the air.
... And non-boozy drinks.
There were also breakfast options for a pre-landing meal ...
... And a decent lunch menu.
... Spirits and cocktails ...
There was a decent wine list ...
... As well as menus. They also took our first drink and lunch orders, so that they could serve everything as quickly as possible once we took off. Although Qatar offers dine-anytime service, it seemed like most people ordered lunch to start the flight.
As we taxied to the runway, flight attendants came around to hand out pajamas ...
Soon enough, the boarding door closed and we took our seats. As we finished our drinks, we watched the six-minute long soccer (football)-themed safety video, featuring current and former stars from various teams Qatar Airways sponsors.
Once that was finished and we settled into our seats, a flight attendant came by to show us how the suite worked, and to offer a pre-flight drink. We both went with the fresh lime and mint juice. It was quite tasty — possibly even better than Etihad's version of the same thing.
I even gave the tray table a second full wipe down.
We were meticulous; wiping down pretty much every surface we could reach, not just the obvious touch points like the remote.
In the past, I've scoffed at the idea of wiping down my seat a la Naomi Campbell, but given the rapid spread of COVID-19 and all of the uncertainty about the virus, we figured it was prudent.
When we walked on board, a cleaning crew was just walking off after their own pass disinfecting the cabin.
I took most of the previous pictures a bit later in the boarding process. The first thing we did when we got to our seats was wipe down every surface with Clorox disinfecting wipes we brought from home.
... and came filled with in-flight essentials, including a sleep mask, earplugs, and toiletries from Castello Monte Vibiano, like moisturizer and lip balm. Strangely, there was no toothbrush or toothpaste, but it turned out those were available in the lavatory.
It was a Brics-branded amenity kit ...
When we got to our seats, there was a plastic-wrapped blanket, a pillow, and an amenity kit waiting on the side table.
The wall between the two foot cubbies was fixed in place — it didn't lower like the other divider between the seats.
Directly in front of me was a tray table, which slid out toward me and unfolded, and the foot cubby for when the seat was lowered into bed mode.
Just under the table, there was a storage shelf. Under that, there were controls for the seat, the in-flight entertainment remote, power outlets, and the headphone port.
In front of me and to the right, there was a small side table.
There was a reading lamp on the wall of the suite, right next to the door, which could be moved and pointed in different directions.
... and flips up to open. There was a water bottle and a pair of headphones, and plenty of room for your own stuff.
Each seat has one of those side storage areas. The top is padded ...
Window seats alternate between rear-facing right up against the window, and forward facing up against the door, with the side storage area between your seat and the window.
Here's a rendering of what that looks like.
The seats feature large touchscreen entertainment monitors, but if you're traveling with a big group, you can actually slide these out of the way to open a big four person suite with the next row.
There's a privacy divider that can be raised if you're traveling solo. Of course, the fun of these seats is being able to share a suite with a companion, so if you're flying by yourself, it's worth trying to choose a window seat instead.
Here's a rendering, for a sense of what that looks like.
We were in seats 1E and 1F — rear-facing middle seats that are situated next to each other within the suite, instead of farther apart, right up against the outer wall. The middle seats in each row alternate between being close together or farther apart.
Qatar's QSuite business class features enclosed suites, with sliding doors that you can close for privacy. The wall doesn't quite reach the ceiling so it isn't fully enclosed, but it's arguably the most private business class in the sky.
We got to the gate just as boarding was about to start, and walked pretty much right onto the plane.
We stopped by the lounge for a quick breakfast — QSuite passengers can access American's Flagship business class lounge — but we didn't spend too long there. Before boarding, we went by Hudson News to grab water bottles. In a true sign of the times, there were prominent displays of cleaning wipes, vitamin C, and more.
Terminal 8 was almost empty. It was morning, and the terminal usually gets busier in the afternoon and evening, but it was still noticeably quieter than normal.
We got to the airport a little bit closer to the flight time than normal, but there wasn't much of a line at either the coach or the business class check-in.
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