This long-haul economy class actually feels luxurious (well, almost)

The airline: Qatar Airways

• Route Melbourne (MEL) to Doha (DOH), flight QR989. (Final destination Athens)
• Frequency Twice daily from Melbourne (14 flights a week)
• Aircraft Boeing 777-300ER
• Class Economy; seat 29C
• Flight time 14 hours, 16 minutes

Regulations mean foreign airlines face limits on flying to Western Sydney Airport.Credit: iStock

Checking in

“Never fly in school holidays,” says the woman at the Qatar check-in counter, as Melbourne Airport heaves and roars on a Sunday afternoon. She’s preaching to the converted, but sometimes, it’s unavoidable. I’ve already checked in online and need simply to drop my luggage, but it’s a 45-minute wait in a very short queue thanks to several groups ahead of me with incomprehensibly vast amounts of luggage. In contrast, the check-in queue is longer than the bag drop, but motors through at three times the speed.

Baggage

The checked allowance on my two economy classic flights to Athens is 25kg, though on my way home, on a different routing from Sofia (Bulgaria) through Doha to Melbourne, I’m on an “economy convenience” fare, and gain an extra 5kg to 30kg total. My cabin allowance on all flights is a single piece of luggage weighing 7kg.

Loyalty scheme

Joining Qatar’s Privilege Club lets you collect Avios points, and at its lowest level, gives you an hour’s free Wi-Fi onboard and discounts the cost of seat selection. I blow some of my expiring Avios points – instead of using cash – to pay for a gift at the duty-free shops on my layover in Doha. Members of Virgin Australia’s Velocity program can also earn points on Qatar Airways flights.

The seat

A comfortable seat, despite a neighbouring manspreader.

I didn’t pay to select my seat at time of booking, so it’s a matter of snatching the best I can when the online check-in opens 48 hours earlier. This being school holidays, it’s a full flight out of Melbourne, but I’m lucky enough to grab an aisle seat. Window is always my first choice, but at least I’m saved from having to eject my fellow passengers to get up and stretch. The long-legged guy in the middle seat is manspreading, but a few strategic shifts in my seat, and we come to the unspoken understanding that I won’t relinquish my precious space, nor are we going to sit thigh-to-thigh for the next 14 hours.

Entertainment + tech

I normally sleep like a babe on long flights, but I’m unnaturally awake this time. A rip through the movies yields Catherine Deneuve playing former French first lady Bernadette Chirac, and Kate Winslet’s bizarre six-part series The Regime. I make the rookie error of wading in to The Regime, thinking I’ll finish the series on the way home, but forget I’ll return in the next month, when the movie selection is refreshed and it disappears. Not to worry, the Oryx One entertainment system has 8000 other options to while away the time.

Service

We take off 15 minutes after schedule and it seems to take forever to leave Australia; after a movie and dinner, we’re still only over Kalgoorlie. Service is efficient and polite, with staff on hand when required.

Food

It’s a long flight, and Qatar caters for it, with two full meal services and snacks in between. With a mid-afternoon departure, the first meal is a solid dinner, with roasted chicken and veggies, a grain salad and passionfruit dessert, a roll and water before the cabin lights dim for the night, with breakfast at the other end. A little pack of party pie and sausage roll comes around in between – what to do but eat it? Chocs, chips and fresh fruit are left in baskets in the galleys for those who wake with the midnight munchies.

Sustainability

Qatar offers a carbon offset calculator giving passengers the chance to contribute to its offset program to reduce emissions and invest in clean and renewable energy projects. The airline also states it is minimising single-use plastics and reducing food waste.*

One more thing

Qatar has won Skytrax’s World’s Best Airline award eight times, including the most recent awards in 2024, and recently signed US comedian Kevin Hart to star in its new, long and rather dreary safety video (watch below).

The price

From $2025 return for economy class to Athens.**

The verdict

Flying economy long-haul is rarely a luxury experience, but Qatar consistently offers a top economy service.

Our rating out of five

★★★★

The writer flew as a guest of Eurail. See eurail.com

*For more information about air travel and sustainability, see iata.org

**Fares are based on those available for travel three months from the time of publication and subject to change.

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