Each day Qatar Airways operates three flights between Manchester Airport and Doha, carrying hundreds of passengers across the globe. Often these passengers will go on to connect to destinations in the Far East and beyond.
Some of the passengers on board will be lucky enough to fly business and while that’s a luxurious experience on any airline, Qatar Airways’ business product is considered the best. The airline was recently named ‘World’s Best Business Class’ award at the Skytrax World Airline Awards, held in London on September 18.
The airline is no stranger to this title, in fact it’s the thirteenth time it’s received the award. Qatar Airways was also named the Best Airline in the Middle East, the World’s Best Business Class Lounge and the World’s Best Onboard Wi-Fi, alongside retaining its 5-Star Airline rating. It only just missed out on being named World’s Best Airline, beaten by Singapore Airlines.
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But as business class products go, Qatar Airways’ has set the gold standard. It’s home to the Qsuite, a cleverly designed business class seat with sliding wall panels and doors.
This enables passengers to either enjoy total privacy, or connect seats together to either create a double bed or a private four-person meeting and dining space. To see what makes the Qsuite so special, the Manchester Evening News was given a tour inside an Airbus A350-1000 at Manchester Airport, prior to its departure to Doha.
The A350-1000 aircraft has a total of 293 seats. Unlike the majority of mid and long-haul airlines, Qatar Airways doesn’t offer a Premium Economy class from Manchester, only Economy and Business. For the First Class experience you’ll need to fly from London Heathrow on the A380.
There may not be a First Class option for Manchester Airport passengers flying with Qatar Airways, but they can still enjoy a luxurious experience with the Qsuite. In the business class cabin you’ll find 46 seats set out in a 1-2-1 configuration.
Each seat is 21.5inches in width, and can be extended into a 79-inch long fully flat bed, ensuring you arrive at your destination fully refreshed. The individual Qsuites all offer ample storage, USB charging and ambient mood lighting.
Every business class passenger receives an exclusive Diptyque amenity kit, which come in a chic leather washbag and contain lip balm, body lotion, face cream and a fragrance spray, as well as socks, earplugs and an eye mask. The Qsuite comes with a blanket and two cushions, to ensure maximum comfort.
But what makes the Qsuite so special is that it has a sliding, closing door with a ‘Do Not Disturb’ indicator, to ensure complete privacy. This is what sets it apart from other business class products and it means passengers can sleep without any disturbance from aisle activity.
For seats in the centre of the cabin, wall panels can be adjusted so two seats can be made into a ‘double bed’, while quads can be turned into a private space for up to four people. This is possible due to the layout of the cabin, as some seats are rear-facing rather than forward-facing.
It’s an impressive set up and a clever logistical feat, yet Qatar Airways doesn’t compromise on style, either. The cabin features the airline’s signature burgundy colour scheme and the seats have a modern, luxury finish with rose-gold accents and leather headrests.
When it comes to in-flight dining, guests can choose when they want to eat and cabin crew will set the Qsuite tables with a white tablecloth and LED tealight candle to set the ambience.
Guests in business can enjoy a selection of dishes from the a la carte menu. Starters include Qatari mezze with pita bread or butter-poached lobster, while the main course features a range of mouth-watering dishes including slow-cooked beef brisket, chicken biryani and honey-glazed butternut squash cannelloni.
The menu includes a cheese selection and dessert, while passengers with smaller appetites can choose a lighter meal, such as truffle and wild mushroom arancini or Bircher muesli.
Of course, entertainment is a key part of any flight and all seats regardless of cabin can access more than 4,000 inflight entertainment options via in-seat touch screens. The inflight entertainment is the same for both cabins.
This year Qatar Airways received the Skytrax Award for the World’s Best Onboard Wi-Fi, the first airline to receive this award. It’s thanks to the ultra-fast Starlink Wi-Fi that all passengers can access for free for 45 minutes, or the entire flight for Qatar Airways Privilege Club members. Speeds can reach up to 500Mpbs, allowing for messaging and streaming, and the Wi-Fi is available from the gate at many airports.
Moving on to the Economy Cabin, there are a total of 247 seats, configured in a 3-3-3 layout. Each one is up to 17.7 inches wide, with up to a 32-inch seat pitch. The seats have adjustable headrests, with pillows and blankets provided.
Each passenger receives an amenity kit on select overnight flights with the essentials provided such as an eye mask and toothbrush. When it comes to dining, passengers in economy can enjoy dishes such as Quinoa salad with crumbled feta, tomato basil chicken with herbed potatoes, and toffee and chocolate chip cheesecake.
While the Qatar Airways Economy Cabin didn’t win the title of World’s Best Economy Class at this year’s Skytrax Awards – which was claimed by Singapore Airlines – it did rank third in the list, pipped to second place by Cathay Pacific, which we had a look at back in August. All three airlines fly from Manchester Airport, so you can try them out for yourself to decide which is best.
