Mr. O and I had the pleasure of flying business class on Qatar Airways on our last leg of our South African trip to Paris. I was super excited because their business class is better than most airline’s first-class flights. When flying on Qatar, where ever your destination is, you’ll most likely have a layover in Doha, Qatar.
Booking
From two Citi Bank American Airlines credit cards, I used the sign-up offers to book our Qatar flight. To book a Qatar flight with American Airlines miles, simply log into AA.com. Put your city, date, and click on “Redeem Miles”. You want to sort for Qatar Airline flights.
The miles will vary for each destination. Our flight was from Johannesburg, South Africa to Paris, France with a long layover in Doha, Qatar. We paid 55,000 American Airlines miles and $44.00 in taxes. This is a great deal for a 13-hour business class flight. I’d also suggest booking an overnight layover if time permits. Qatar Airways will provide a free hotel room at a top hotel. This allows you to explore Qatar city for free. We booked a Qatar City Tour during our layover and it was very informative and safe.
The most common question is, “do I transfer my American Airlines miles to Qatar Airways”. No, you don’t. That’s the best part about partner alliances. You can accumulate only American Airlines miles and fly Qatar Airways and other Oneworld Alliance airlines.
Lounge 5 ⭐
The Al Mourjan business class lounge is right behind the 35,000 pounds, world largest yellow bear in the world. It is rumored that a member of the Qatar royal family purchased the bear for 6.8 million dollars. They are using the airport as a storage unit.
The Al Mourjan business class lounge is massive. There are 2 restaurants, a sleeping room, a luggage storage room, a game room, and plenty of work stations.
There are also showers in the bathroom to freshen up after a long flight. You can only access this lounge if you are flying Qatar business class. If you have Oneworld status or flying First class, there are separate lounges. If I have any Royal readers, no worries, you have a completely different airport. Also if you are flying on an economy flight, they have a paid lounge you can access.
Comfort 5 ⭐
After our long layover and exploring the city of Qatar, it was finally time for us to board our QR 39 flight to Paris. Please note, for flights over 8 hours, you are offered bedding for your seat and pajamas on Qsuite flights. On all flights, you are offered a his and her Brics amenity kit.
The Qsuite is only on the QR 39 planes. This unique suite has doors that offer privacy. The 180-degree seats allow for a comfortable lay flatbed with plenty of legroom.
The private suites had plenty of storage space for your personal items and working space for your laptop. A unique feature of this seat is the first row is reversed. The only time it feels as if you are flying backward and during take-off and landing. If you have four please flying together, book the 4 middle seats. The TV dividers can slide out so the 2 rows face each other throughout the flight. These are great for families.
Service 4 ⭐
This area I felt could use a little improvement. I expected the flight attendants to be more attentive. Once you get settled onto your flight, you are given a hot towel, the dinner menu, and a beverage of your choice. This could be an alcoholic or nonalcoholic of your choice. The dinner service was amazing They turn your tray table into a fine dining restaurant with white table cloth and cutlery. They even gave us a LED candle that offered a little romance. I’m sure Mr. O will say he planned that date for us.
Food 5 ⭐
After our welcome glass of Rosé, we were presented with a food and wine menu for the flight. Qatar has a dine on-demand menu. You order whatever you want when you want it. Since we had a nice dinner in the lounge, we decided to order tapas. This included:
Smoked salmon
Spring rolls
Sweet and sour chicken kebab
Seafood tikki
Mushroom poppers
Berry crumble cake
The food was flavorful and even more with the different dipping sauces. If you choose the full dinner experience, you’ll be presented with a salad or soup, appetizer, main course, and dessert or cheese plate. Throughout the courses, they will also refill your assortment of fresh warm bread basket. No worries if you have a dietary restrictions. The main course options include meat, seafood, and a vegetarian option. For dessert, we ordered a malva pudding with anglaise sauce. This dessert was AMAZING! It was warm with sweet pudding flowing out. Mr. O and I ended up ordering 3. Again, in business class, you can order whatever you want, whenever you want it.
If you decide to eat later, I highly recommend putting your order in early. We found out that towards the end of the flight, the flight attendants eat whatever items are remaining and your preferred dish might not be available.
Overall Value 5 ⭐
In summary, I’d give the overall value of 5 stars. The required amount of miles is relatively low for a seat that’s similar to first-class flight. Offering a relaxing business class lounge, his and her Brics leather amenity kits containing skincare products, and fully enclosed suites all while enjoying an amazing dining experience. I’d highly recommend saving your American Airlines miles to book Qatar Airways.
Have you flown Qatar Airways Qsuites or in economy class? I’d love to hear your experience in the comments section below. Also hit the like and subscribe bell on my Doha Qatar Qsuite Youtube video.
