Life is sweet in Qatar’s Q Suite
Q Suite’s privacy feels like submerging into one’s own world 36,000 feet above the Indian Ocean.
Life’s sweet in a Q Suite but what’s it like to fly ‘backwards’?
Flight Number QR904
Route Departing Doha Hamad International Airport 7.35pm, arriving Melbourne 4.10pm
Aircraft Boeing 777-300ER
Seat number Business class 3K(Q Suite) – rear-facing window seat
Flight time Scheduled 13 hours, 35 minutes
All about the seat This flight has Qatar’s Q Suites which, in a 1-2-1 format, uniquely provide sliding-door privacy to individual pods. Centre pods can be linked for couples (including a double bed) or as quads for families or groups. Alternate rows face backwards, and in single-row suites it’s rear-facing passengers who sit right by the windows, of which I have three. The doors come to chest height, so you’re not totally enclosed, but the privacy is considerable. The seats point dead-straight, not angled like in some business cabins. There’s a deep storage bin under one height-adjustable armrest, a shelf for bulky items and a ledge underneath for phone, glasses etc. Buttons set the seat for everything including takeoff (upright), dining (bolt upright), reclining and lie-flat, plus micro-tweaks for angle, height, tilt and reach. A movable spotlight over my shoulder has four brightness levels. Alas, there’s no drawer for shoes.
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Tech talk A panel has a universal powerpoint plus USB charger, another USB port, an HDMI slot and an NFC reader that links your mobile device if you’ve already downloaded the airline’s app (I haven’t). Qatar’s noise-cancelling headphones eliminate much of the loud hum that arises from business residing forward of the engines. The 21.5-inch entertainment touchscreen is augmented by a touchscreen handset. All passengers get an hour’s free wi-fi, which takes several minutes to subscribe to; for the entire flight it’s just $US10 ($14).
On the menu Catering is on demand, but with a possible five-course dinner, I order as soon as we level out. Flatbread comes with three mezze selections, including a top-notch tabbouleh, followed by a scrumptious coconut herb soup. For the main, I choose an unexciting but perfectly cooked chicken and rice dish. The welcome drink of Charles Heidsieck Millesime 2005 rose is so good, I have another, plus a crisp Chilean sauvignon blanc with the chicken, although there are pedigreed European and Australian wines available. After a five-hour sleep, I summon a rich, flourless chocolate cake with creme Anglaise. Breakfast, available a few hours out of Melbourne, is nice granola and a smoothie, and although omelette or oats are available, I spy an absolute treat: a Nutella-filled doughnut with blueberries and red currants, which I grandly dissect with knife and fork.
That’s entertainment The selection is diverse, with movies broken into Hollywood, Arabic, Bollywood, African and World selections. You can binge on Harry Potter, while the classics include ET, Notting Hill and On the Waterfront. TV offers the latest series of Succession, and a lot of soccer, no surprise given Qatar is hosting the World Cup from November 21.
At your service From the faultless fizz to a parting gift of exquisite Laderach chocolate truffles, service delivery is seamless. Food and drink arrive within minutes of ordering, and at sleep time the bed is made, with mattress, sheet and pillow, as if by magic, and I’m given luxe pyjamas from The White Company. If your door is closed, you’re not disturbed.
The new normal Qatar’s tracing app Ehteraz is supposedly required to enter Hamad airport, but it never works on my phone, and at check-in only Australia’s Digital Passenger Declaration is requested. In the suite, a Travel With Confidence pack contains mask, gloves and sanitiser. The cabin crew, when asked, advise that masks need be worn only when not in one’s suite.
The verdict It’s the first time I’ve flown “backwards”, and takeoff in particular feels exhilarating. Little touches, such as a gift pack of four small Diptyque lotions, are unexpected. I wish I could stay awake to make more of the experience, but the Q Suite’s privacy inevitably provokes submerging into one’s own world 36,000 feet above the Indian Ocean.
Jeremy Bourke was a guest of Qatar Airways.