The Achilles heel of the experience with Qatar Airways is the Doha Airport, especially for travellers arriving into Doha and not transiting. This airport suffers from being ambitiously big and the immigration into Qatar being overly time taking. At the end of my particular flight in which my travel was ending in Doha, the plane parked at a very remote terminal, from where it took me 30 minutes to arrive just at the immigration counter, with fast paced walking and the time on a train inside the airport. Then, at the immigration counter it takes up to a minute or more to process each tourist visitor,due to time taking face and finger scanning processes and langugage barriers if there are questions or information to be exchanged verbally with the officers. If several planes have landed at the same time, it is not unusual that one has to wait 45 to 60 minutes in the immigration queue. In short, the frustration of arriving at Doha takes away all positive vibe of the airline, as the airline and the airport are heavily intertwined and are marketed together.
I recently travelled with Qatar Airways from Doha to Dulles in the QSuite, and the experience was nothing short of exceptional. The QSuite truly feels like a First-Class experience, with its luxurious design, privacy, and comfort. The cabin crew, especially the lady in charge of the cabin, was remarkable—professional, attentive, and genuinely kind. The food was excellent, and the comfort of the seat was absolutely first-class, making the journey smooth and enjoyable. While the in-flight experience was outstanding, I have a few points of feedback. Firstly, the content available in the in-flight entertainment system could be expanded and upgraded to include a more diverse and updated collection. This would elevate the entertainment experience to match the premium standards of the QSuite. Secondly, regarding the Wi-Fi service: while QSuite passengers receive one hour of complimentary Wi-Fi, any additional usage requires a fee of USD 10. Considering the premium pricing of QSuite, it would be more fitting to include unlimited Wi-Fi as part of the experience, further enhancing the luxury offered to passengers. Lastly, I must highlight an issue with luggage handling. Unfortunately, my luggage did not make it through the transit, which was disappointing. While the ground crew assured me that it would be delivered to my home on the same day as it was arriving on the next flight, this promise was not fulfilled, and the delay added unnecessary inconvenience to an otherwise excellent experience. Overall, the QSuite experience was exceptional, but addressing these areas would further solidify Qatar Airways’ position as a leader in luxury air travel.
Seating is terrible, having seats so crammed is unacceptable for a 15-hour journey. I cannot stress enough how uncomfortable it is to sit in such an aircraft. Leg space is roomier in a domestic aircraft. I have not experienced this kind of crammy seating in domestic flights either in the US or other international airlines overseas.
Our male flight attendant was top notch - wish I could remember his name. Boarding is never fun when I have to ride the shuttle to the middle of the tarmac and pull my carry on bags up the stairs to my seat. My knees are banged up and my shoulders give me pain, so the flight started off poorly. The seat leg rests don’t recline completely so that makes is difficult if not dangerous to get in and out of the middle seats. The entertainment system touch screens prevented one from seeing the options. They are old and the software needs to be updated. I was on six planes in the last two weeks and able to see the flight progress without any stress. Couldn’t watch anything else. I do like Qatar Airways, just not a fan of a few things.
Seat experience average as they use old 777 for must flights despite full load. Qr fares are higher than other airlines for same routes so they should at least upgrade the planes . Food is average and same dishes for months on most routes I travelled at least - the Arabian rice dish “Maqboos” on every flight for months - I am sure there are other food Arabian dishes ?? It’s become boring ! Crew is always good which makes up for these things but hey confirm us what we need
Boston to Doha was great but Doha to Dhaka was the worst experience.
Do not overbook flights and kick out confirmed ticketed passengers :-(
Wasn’t allowed to continue with the purchased tickets because I hadn’t been able to go on the first scheduled leg.
Overall experience was OK. Seats were truly uncomfortable for such a long flight. Food quality was mediocre at best. The staff was great though!
Good staff, good intent, decent entertainment. More seat space would always be of benefit
