Qatar Airlines

Has anyone flown Qatar Airlines? I would appreciate your impression.

Thank, Kathy

One of the very best airlines in the world.

Spectacular in First Class, outstanding on Business Class. Economy Class is pretty good as well.

A lot of difference in service style and what you get on different routes. Overall QR will beat any US and most European carriers easily

Flew Bus. class with them this March. Mumbai / Doha / Amman.

Made US carriersall feel like " Spirt Airlines ". The lounge in Doha is about the size of a football field.

Qatar is an excellent airline all the way around, especially if traveling in Business:). As previously posted, their lounge in the new Doha airport is top notch. Easy for all to connect to free wifi as well. It is also a short flight from Doha to Dubai or Abu Dhabi so don't let that one stop put you off if the fare is better.

If you care about how your airline does business, Qatar Airways seems to attract more stories of the following kind than its two main competitors: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/16/qatar-airways-scrap-policy-sack-pregnant-cabin-crew (see also http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/19/glass-ceiling-in-the-sky-qatar-airways-pregnant-employees and http://www.theguardian.com/money/2015/aug/27/qatar-airways-will-no-longer-sack-cabin-crew-who-become-pregnant-or-marry).

Has anyone flown Qatar Airlines? I would appreciate your impression. Thank, Kathy

YES, Kathy, we had four flights with Qatar within the last couple of months. Were we happy? Very much!! Why? As detailed on live/blog below for doing our early 2016 "Africa Adventure", they got us from Chicago to Cape Town and back from Johannesburg to O'Hare . . . in style and comfort. Between Chicago and Doha, it was on their Boeing 777 planes, a 2-2-2 configuration in business class. Between South Africa and Doha, it was on the 787 Dreamliner, 1-2-1 configuration in business class. Fortunately we were able to work out these flights with American Airline Frequent Flyer miles, making things even better. Priced just right!!

MORE SPECIFICS?!!?: Their planes are nice and new, not the 20+ years age for some equipment used (or over-used) by certain other airlines. Great food options and selection. They will serve you either dinner and/or breakfast and as to when you want and need it, plus allowing for any another extras, etc. Need it? Just ask!! Yes, the food was very good. Below is just one dinner picture as my "evidence/proof". The 787's are especially nice with the larger windows, LED lighting, etc. Lots of video options, electric plug-ins, etc. Their terminal in Doha (also pictured below) is less than a year old, nicely designed, many comfortable touches, etc. Their premium class lounge has wonderful food options, nice places to relax, good wi-fi connections, etc. Nothing to complain about.

There are some "battles" as the established airline biggies do not like the competition coming from Qatar, Emirates, etc. Maybe, the rich oil countries are subsidizing them. Maybe not? Not sure if certain other countries do some subsidizing of their flag airlines. Clearly as detailed by the one liberal UK newspaper cited, certain labor unions are not totally happy with all of these competitor airline employee policies, not getting union dues, etc., from Qatar, etc.

Overall, we were very happy. Yes, all of our flights were on-time, baggage handled perfectly, their staff/pilots being very professional, etc. Questions and reactions??

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

AFRICA?!!?: Lots of interesting and dramatic pictures can be seen from my latest live/blog at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

Now at 12,819 views for this reporting and visual sharing that includes Cape Town, all along the South Africa coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Delta area.

Here are some visuals relating to Qatar and our experiences with them. First, is the Qatar airline symbol (Arabian oryx) on the tail of their 777 plane at Chicago O'Hare as we were getting ready to board as the evening sun is setting. The next three visuals are samples in Doha from the premium lounge areas where drinks and food were plentiful and nice, plus having lots of classy areas for sitting and relaxing.:

On our flight to Cape Town from Doha, here is how things looked in the business class seating of the 787 Dreamliner with the large windows in the background, the lighting giving a gentle pink look, plenty of space to park your "stuff", etc. Second is one of our meals served to us. Plus, lots of wine and beverages, etc.:

There are some "battles" as the established airline biggies do not like the competition coming from Qatar, Emirates, etc. Maybe, the rich oil countries are subsidizing them. Maybe not? Not sure if certain other countries do some subsidizing of their flag airlines. Clearly as detailed by the one liberal UK newspaper cited, certain labor unions are not totally happy with all of these competitor airline employee policies, not getting union dues, etc., from Qatar, etc.

And Qatar Airways has had to make some equally high-profile adjustments in response.

As I say, all of this only matters if you care about how your chosen airline does business. If all that you care about is whether the cabin crew were pretty and the champagne was tasty (as the saying goes), then you will no doubt choose to ignore all of this.

And as I also said, it's notable that the other two airlines in this group do not appear to attract such stories in quite the same way.

As a travel forum, I think most responses to the OP were based on our traveling experiences on Qatar in answer to her query. Articles shining light on discrimination and other bad practices will hopefully lead to changes. Historically, I'm sure we could all find "employee" oppression in the West for which we are not proud. Qatar and Emirates provide a positive travel experience and competitive engagement will hopefully enhance all our travel and work experiences.

Thanks for posting great pics Terry, as always:)

If I was to fly Qatar airlines to Doha and then continue on to Singapore-- how long could I stay in Doha? What would I want to do.

If I was to fly Emirates to Dubai or Ethiad to Abu Dhabi and continue on to Singapore -- how long should I stay and what should I see. April /May 2017. Starting is Washington DC and the cruise is from Singapore to Abu Dhabi (1 day in port for Dubai) Since I doubt we will be back in this area give me your opinions on what I should do with our time and opportunity to see this area.

Pricing is good for all 3 airlines and I am hoping for some good prices to come around. Still too far out to book the actual flights but dummy bookings have brought up fares of less than $1000 pp roundtrip IAD-middle eas - SIN gapore then middle east to IAD. We will travel economy or possibly economy plus. If you have great strategies for points that would be helpful too. Have most United points and credit card eraser points.

If I was to fly Qatar airlines to Doha and then continue on to Singapore-- how long could I stay in Doha? What would I want to do.

 

If I was to fly Emirates to Dubai or Ethiad to Abu Dhabi and continue on to Singapore -- how long should I stay and what should I see. April /May 2017. Starting is Washington DC and the cruise is from Singapore to Abu Dhabi (1 day in port for Dubai) Since I doubt we will be back in this area give me your opinions on what I should do with our time and opportunity to see this area.

 

Pricing is good for all 3 airlines and I am hoping for some good prices to come around. Still too far out to book the actual flights but dummy bookings have brought up fares of less than $1000 pp roundtrip IAD-middle eas - SIN gapore then middle east to IAD. We will travel economy or possibly economy plus. If you have great strategies for points that would be helpful too. Have most United points and credit card eraser points.

If you fly Etihad to Abu Dhabi either pre or post cruise I would not miss

Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque. By the time you are there, the Louvre Abu Dhabi should be open. A splurge stay but definitely worth it is Emirates Palace or at least stop by for coffee or tea and some pics:)

https://www.kempinski.com/en/abudhabi/emirates-palace/

If you had a day or two to add on, I would stay in the desert at Qasr al Sarab

http://qasralsarab.anantara.com/

Also worth visiting and within an hour is the small city of Al Ain, the Falcon Hospital or the Eastern Mangroves in Abu Dhabi

http://www.easternmangrovesmarina.com/

Dubai needs more than a one day port visit, probably three days. If you fly Emirates through Dubai on your way to Singapore you could visit a couple of areas before you return on your port stop. The new Opera House should be opening soon so check to see their schedule in a few months. It is located in front of Burj Khalifa. I would recommend staying in the downtown area and the range of hotels is wide. You also want to visit the creek area as well as Madinat Jumeirah.

If you fly through Doha, the must see is the Museum of Islamic Art Probably an overnight or one day visit. If you were to choose an area in the region to visit in addition to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, I would consider Muscat in Oman. I think there is more to do in Muscat than Doha as well.

Happy to answer further questions.....I'm sure planning is half the fun!

Oh thank you Lillibob. At this point in the planning all is possible! Later decisions rule some things out. This trip literally can go around the world so many possibilities to consider. UAE/Qatar/and region we have never been to and culture is very different from other areas so really looking forward to a new adventure.

Oh thank you Lillibob. At this point in the planning all is possible! Later decisions rule some things out. This trip literally can go around the world so many possibilities to consider. UAE/Qatar/and region we have never been to and culture is very different from other areas so really looking forward to a new adventure.

I just looked at your sailing....what a great itinerary! I haven't been to Myanmar but that should be fascinating. Lots to see in India but I haven't checked to see if you posted on the Asia forum. If you are still exploring options and decide to visit Oman here is a great hotel to stay at

http://www.lhw.com/hotel/The-Chedi-Muscat-Muscat-Oman

If you fly Emirates or Etihad for your long haul, an hour or so flight on Oman Air from Dubai would get you to Muscat.

To visit the Musandam Peninsula, you could rent a car and drive from Dubai in around 2.5 hours. Excellent roads.

I think most of the responses are business and first class.

If flying economy Qatar is no better than Flying European or American carriers.

Seats are cramped and comfort is limited. Emirates has probably one of the tightest configs in seating. I for one would not fly Emirates in economy on a Long haul flight unless it is a price only decision.

Of the three, best guess for economy? We usually buy E+ on American airlines but with European have not tried it.

It's true, the wow factor for Qatar, Emirates, and Etihad is Business. Especially their pick-up and drop-off car service within certain mileage limits. They don't offer a Premium Economy that I can see. For E+ I would fly BA/AA (they code share,) or Virgin Atlantic. For Economy, they are probably comparable, though Emirates has a great entertainment system and possibly newer planes. I would try to snag two seats in an exit row for leg room or sometimes toward the back where the plane narrows you may find a few rows of 2-4-2 configuration.

It's true, the wow factor for Qatar, Emirates, and Etihad is Business. Especially their pick-up and drop-off car service within certain mileage limits. They don't offer a Premium Economy that I can see. For E+ I would fly BA/AA (they code share,) or Virgin Atlantic. For Economy, they are probably comparable, though Emirates has a great entertainment system and possibly newer planes. I would try to snag two seats in an exit row for leg room or sometimes toward the back where the plane narrows you may find a few rows of 2-4-2 configuration.

Appreciate the above and other comments on this thread, plus the other insights that reflect that Qatar and others gain high marks for their Business class, etc., set-ups, service, etc. That's what we enjoyed and it was wonderful. As noted earlier, we were not in coach, but from what we saw, things were more "normal" (i.e. crowded). We used our American Airlines Frequent Flyer miles to do this tickets to South Africa and back. Worked well at the "right/best" pricing!!

From the London/UK Telegraph yesterday, they have this headline: "Qatar strengthens ties to British Airways with flight sharing deal " with these highlights: "Qatar Airways has strengthened its ties to British Airways owner International Airlines Group (IAG) with a pact to co-operate on scheduling and pricing of flights. The deal comes weeks after state-owned Qatar Airways increased its stake in IAG from 15.67pc to a fifth, becoming the company's largest shareholder. Under the new deal the airlines will be able to offer customers more flexible options by 'code-sharing', so both airlines can sell tickets for the same flight, on all non-stop flights between the UK and Doha. The deal will also include connecting services to destinations in the UK, continental Europe, Middle East, Asia and Africa."

Full story at:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/09/28/qatar-tightens-ties-to-british-airways-with-flight-sharing-deal/

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 156,687 views for this posting.

Hello everyone. We are flying in Economy class with Qatar when we leave the cruise in Dubai in December. We fly from Dubai to Doha and then connecting flight to London. We got a good deal so couldn't pass on it. It will be our first time with Qatar, so i'll post my thoughts when we come back. Happy Cruising. :)

Just returned from Dubai to USA on Qatar economy. Yes, the wow factor is definitely their Business, but we were happy with our flight! Seats are basically a bit larger than other airlines economy seats, and definitely more space for knees to seat-back-in-front-of-you ratio. Food was decent, and provided good variety for GF needs. We switched our seats from 3rd row front, tho, to last row because it was 151/2 flight, and last row has only 2 seats. The 2 seats provided us much more mobility, and no "climb-overs". Seats reclined and no one was behind us that way either. I would fly them again.

Just returned from Dubai to USA on Qatar economy. Yes, the wow factor is definitely their Business, but we were happy with our flight! Seats are basically a bit larger than other airlines economy seats, and definitely more space for knees to seat-back-in-front-of-you ratio. Food was decent, and provided good variety for GF needs. We switched our seats from 3rd row front, tho, to last row because it was 151/2 flight, and last row has only 2 seats. The 2 seats provided us much more mobility, and no "climb-overs". Seats reclined and no one was behind us that way either. I would fly them again.

Appreciate these good insights and sharing from our "neighbor" to the north in Michigan about your Qatar experience flying economy/coach. Glad that things worked out reasonably well. Good luck in future travels.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

AFRICA?!!?: Lots of interesting and dramatic pictures can be seen from my latest live/blog at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

Now at 23,801 views for this reporting and visual sharing that includes Cape Town, all along the South Africa coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta area.

Appreciate these good insights and sharing from our "neighbor" to the north in Michigan about your Qatar experience flying economy/coach. Glad that things worked out reasonably well. Good luck in future travels.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Thanks for the comments, Terry! I don't always know if the info I pass on is helpful or of interest to others, so it is nice to get the feedback! Mongolia is next for us, so hope we have as good a flight! Safe travels to you too:-) Connie in MI

Thanks for the comments, Terry! I don't always know if the info I pass on is helpful or of interest to others, so it is nice to get the feedback! Mongolia is next for us, so hope we have as good a flight! Safe travels to you too:-) Connie in MI

Appreciate this added follow-up from our Michigan neighbor to the north. But, MONGOLIA???!!! First time I have ever heard of anyone planning to visit there. I am sure, however, that there could be some interesting "things" there. Tell us more!! Does Qatar connect there? Or, do you fly west through California or Japan to get there? Clearly no cruising in Mongolia!

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 206,403 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

Appreciate this added follow-up from our Michigan neighbor to the north. But, MONGOLIA???!!! First time I have ever heard of anyone planning to visit there. I am sure, however, that there could be some interesting "things" there. Tell us more!! Does Qatar connect there? Or, do you fly west through California or Japan to get there? Clearly no cruising in Mongolia!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

LOL! You're right Terry...no cruising there:-) We have not booked our flight yet, as we are still looking for the best routing. Mongolia has unique and interesting "things", as you say:-) Among them are the untouched landscapes and nomadic people whose way of life has changed very little from the days of Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire! The capital is in contrast to the country-side by having a population of about 1.3 million people in condos or "gers". We'll see monasteries, temples, tribal ceremonies and chantings. Gobi Desert is one of largest in world, with glaciers, canyons, dramatic rocky cliffs and petroglyphs are part of its beauty. We stay in Ger camps and travel "The Silk Road". We are going during their National Festival, Nadaam, so we'll also see events involving archery, camels, Mongolian horses, unique wrestling-type events, etc. This may be TMI, but we decided to see this part of the world before we are no longer able!!;) We'll still keep cruising, though! Thanx for asking and letting me share.

LOL! You're right Terry...no cruising there:-) We have not booked our flight yet, as we are still looking for the best routing. Mongolia has unique and interesting "things", as you say:-) Among them are the untouched landscapes and nomadic people whose way of life has changed very little from the days of Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire! The capital is in contrast to the country-side by having a population of about 1.3 million people in condos or "gers". We'll see monasteries, temples, tribal ceremonies and chantings. Gobi Desert is one of largest in world, with glaciers, canyons, dramatic rocky cliffs and petroglyphs are part of its beauty. We stay in Ger camps and travel "The Silk Road". We are going during their National Festival, Nadaam, so we'll also see events involving archery, camels, Mongolian horses, unique wrestling-type events, etc. This may be TMI, but we decided to see this part of the world before we are no longer able!!;) We'll still keep cruising, though! Thanx for asking and letting me share.

Appreciate this follow-up and the wonderful background about Mongolia and why you have this location on your to-do priority listing. Great info and history!!

Kind of related to Qatar was the story this month that Emirates Airlines has started flying from Fort Lauderdale to Dubai. They also go into Orlando and other key U.S. cities. It takes fourteen hours and 20 minutes for this transatlantic voyage from Dubai to the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. More at:

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article121124363.html#storylink=cpy

Clearly Emirates, Qatar, etc., keep growing and expanding!!

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

If Venice is one of your future desires or past favorites, look at this earlier posting for many options and visual samples this city that is so great for "walking around", personally seeing its great history and architecture. This posting is now at 64,511 views.

Venice: Loving It & Why??!!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226