Disclaimer: I have not been paid by anyone to write this review on Qatar Airways. I just found this airline to provide fantastic service and wanted to break it all down in a review for you all.
When it comes to booking flights, to a budget traveller, the cheaper the better. That’s when you are taking a 2hour flight perhaps. But when we are talking about being sat in a metal tube for the better part of 24 hours, I always try and research my airline as much as possible. I may never be able to afford business class, but I have always believed that a real 5 star airline, should accommodate for absolutely everybody of all budgets. Qatar Airways certainly went above and beyond.
First impressions
So, my flight departed Perth, Australia to London Heathrow with a 2 hour layover in Doha, Qatar. Let’s start from the check in desk at Perth. If there is one thing which annoys me most of all about the whole airport experience, it’s queuing at the check in desk. Shuffling along at a speed which a turtle would be ashamed of. Granted, I arrived early due to my previous flight from Melbourne landing me at Perth five hours early. However, there were plenty of check in desks open and I have never moved so fast towards the front of the que. Once there, I was greeted with a genuine smile. I also managed to nab myself an exit seat on the second leg of my journey. I don’t have abnormally long legs, but who can pass up that much leg room?
The aircraft: Boeing 777 & Airbus A380
When you spend $50 on a flight with a budget airline, you can’t expect much comfort. Or great food. Or any space whatsoever to breath. But there is one thing which excites the traveller inside of me and that is BIG AIRCRAFTS. The first leg was on a Boeing 777. You could swing multiple cats and still have room to spare. Yet, the fact that you always have to pass through business class first upsets me. It is like a huge slap in the face. It is like the airline saying “Look at what you couldn’t afford! The people who shall sit here, can also lie down. Why? BECAUSE THE SEATS FOLD OUT INTO A BED. Now, if you will excuse me Miss, this champagne isn’t for you. Please leave this area.”
OK, no one ever actually says that, but they may as well. One day. One day, I swear I shall travel business class.
Back to economy, I couldn’t have asked for more. You approach your spacious seat where your pillow, blanket and cute little toiletry bag filled with essentials are waiting for you. Best of all, you can bend your knees! Better than that!? You can go for a stroll to stretch your legs because you are not confined to the cabin space relatable only to that of a shoebox. You can walk and walk and walk. Lovely.
The slightly shorter second leg was onboard an A380, the Burj Al Arab of aircrafts. With two floors and an incredible amount of space to roam and stretch your legs, I was super excited to board. The highlight had to have been not having to pass through business class when you first enter the aircraft. First class, business class and probably pots of gold handed to each passenger is reserved upstairs. Us common folk cannot explore this area. All we can do is stand at the bottom of the stair case behind the red rope and only imagine the luxuries above.
Airline food
With long haul flights, you are normally provided with more meals than you can imagine. Plus loads of snacks. Unlimited ALCOHOL. Yes. You heard me. Shame I never drink when I fly, but if I did, I can guarantee I would drink them dry of Shiraz. Even though the food is… OK. The one thing which normally lets it down is plastic cutlery. So when my chicken breast dinner was placed in front of me and I uncover METAL CUTLERY, I started to have palpitations. Oh, sweet Lord I can cut things. I would score the food 7/10 in Airplane standards. Still, not too shabby.
Inflight entertainment
Even though I can’t seem to delve into back to back movies on a long haul flight like most people can, I did get a few under my belt! Perhaps because of the large range of both newly released films such as Taken 3 (Do NOT recommend) and the old classics like The Devil Wears Prada (My guilty pleasure film). With that and plenty of TV shows, you find the time literally fly’s by!
Cabin Crew
If there is one thing you want when spending 4 figures on a plane ticket, is above average customer service. As I mentioned at the beginning, the ground staff were more than pleasant, the cabin crew onboard my first leg however went above and beyond their line of duty. I was in awe. As I took my seat and got comfortable, I noticed a toddler a few rows in front of me getting a little agitated… ALREADY. Oh joy. Before you knew it, a beautiful crew member was right there with a big smile making the small boy laugh. They then passed the parents some sort of Spongebob Square Pants kids pack which soon quietened the boy down.
It felt like they actually cared and there were more crew members than you could shake a stick at. Meaning everyone got a higher level of attention throughout the flight. Nothing was too much of a problem for them. When I pressed my overhead button to order a drink and the stewardess addressed the gentleman next to me, she couldn’t be more apologetic when she discovered it was actually me who needed the attention. Big smiles all round, even once we passed the 10 hour mark!
Final Verdict:
Overall, I can say with some confidence that Qatar Airways is by far the best airline I have ever travelled with. It was really the customer service and and great facilities which will make me recommend this airline to, well, everyone. Granted, flights come with a higher price tag. You could find cheaper for the same flight path. However, you will notice where those extra few dollars are going with this airline.
Have you flown with this airline? What was your experience? Let me know in the comments below!
This post does include affiliate links to products or companies which I have personally used and would highly recommend! If you click on an ad, at no extra cost to you, I make a small commission from the sale. All of which goes straight back into my travels and my YouTube channel to bring you even more PsychoTraveller goodness!
