A few years ago, I remember telling Julie boldly: “I’m not flying long haul economy ever again!” And while I meant it at the time, the reality is that the cost of business class flights has meant I’ve been unable to keep that promise. Wherever the cost difference is reasonable, we’ll opt for business, but sometimes the gap is too big to justify. Where that happens, we usually book Premium economy, but in this case we booked a package to Doha which included economy flights, and at the time, Qatar didn’t offer a premium service, so we settled for economy, pre booking seats on their daily Heathrow to Doha service.
I should point out that we were lucky enough not to have another passenger in our row for this flight.
Qatar has a reputation for being one of the world’s best airlines, and if you don’t have time to read the whole review below, then here’s the short version: “Qatar economy is as good as any Premium economy service I’ve flown, especially if you can choose seats in a pair.!
Boarding
Boarding was straightforward, with the ground staff organising the process properly, so we were all able to board in sequence and in an orderly manner.
The Seats
We flew on an Boeing 777, and the seats are really comfortable, with plenty of legroom and nicely wide across the hips. The headrest’s edges can be folded in, allowing for a snooze, and every seat has a fold out footrest.
The fold down table is sturdy and spacious, with enough room for both meals and drinks, so you’re not juggling to avoid ending up with wine in your lap.
The in flight entertainment system is award winning, and there’s a huge choice of films, TV Shows, movies and games, as well as excellent flight information and the ability to switch to views from cameras on the tail, the nose and the underbelly of the aircraft.
Our flight was only 6.5 hours, but we were both perfectly comfortable for all of it.
The Service
Qatar has one of the most international crews in the air, and each wears a badge telling you which languages they speak – most can speak several, and all, English.
We were greeted cordially, the food services were very well organised, the washrooms were kept clean, and they checked regularly if we needed anything. All of these add up to very good service.
But, I’d describe the service as just a little “cold.” There wasn’t really any interaction with passengers beyond the minimum needed to get the job done.
The Food
The food was just spectacularly good, and that isn’t an exaggeration. Both the main meal and the snack meal were perfectly seasoned and piping hot, with a decent choice to suit all tastes.
The drinks choice is also vast, all available free of charge and including several premium brands.
Qatar Economy Summary
The Qatar economy service is the best I’ve experienced, and I’d go so far as to say it beats BA’s Premium Economy, especially given we didn’t have another passenger next to us.
And to illustrate the point, we’ve booked a package for the Qatar Grand Prix this year, with Qatar flights, and I haven’t even looked at the upgrade to business…….
…Mind you, those Q Suites look good!
