[Anonymous]

[JohnHarper]

LHR-DOH

Qatar Airways operate five flights a day between Heathrow and Doha, three of the flights offer first, business and economy class service and they are operated by A330s or A340s. The remaining two flights, one currently operated by a 773 and the other a 787 offer two class business and economy service. Generally on an Airbus I fly in first but am quite happy to fly in business class if the most convenient service is operated by a Boeing. Both variants of the Boeing have fully flat seats in business class and the 787 has a configuration very similar to the new Cathay arrangement. That said although I’ve been on the 787 I have been avoiding it since all the problems and would like to see it a little more bedded in before I fly on it again. When Qatar takes delivery of the A380 next year it will also have first class and at the moment there are plans for it to operate on the London route.

I arrived at LHR T4 at 19.05 for the 20.30 departure to DOH, it was slightly later than I usually am for this flight but there were road works that I did not expect en-route. Mrs JH kindly dropped me right outside the entrance closest to the Qatar Airways check in. I had already checked in and had my boarding pass on my phone courtesy of their excellent app so I just had my bag to drop. I am a Privilege Club Platinum Member (OW Emerald) and was travelling in first class so check in was completely hassle free as there was no one waiting. People were being checked in at each of the Business Class desks and one person was waiting. As I completed check-in that gentleman was called to the First Class desk so his wait was minimal too. The staff were helpful and friendly and the lady on the First desk greeted me by name as I approached as they tend to know their frequent flyers there.

Off to security. T4 tends to be nothing like as busy as the other terminals during the evening rush; I think this is because there is less long haul traffic from there at that time of day than from the other terminals, particularly T3. The priority lane had six people ahead of me which was a vast improvement on my experience the previous week of T5. It was the usual laptops and kindles out, I had no liquids and as the shoes I was wearing tend to set off the scanners I took them off too. On putting them in the tray the goon on duty snarled at me that he didn’t tell me to take them off, I smiled back and said I was quite aware of that. I moved through the scanner which didn’t go off and on to collect my belongings. My bag was pulled for secondary screening, my laptop, kindle, shoes and jacket all passed. I was told there were liquids in my bag, I expressed surprise and said that there weren’t, my comment was met with a roll of the eyes. The bag was thoroughly searched and of course no liquids were found. I reminded the goon doing the searching that he had told me there were liquids in the bag and asked where they were. He didn’t answer and walked away. This is of course a fairly typical experience of security at LHR. The whole process including the bag search took over fifteen minutes, far too long for fast track.

By now it was almost 19.30 with an hour to go before departure. I had planned to have dinner in the lounge but it was now rather late for that so I decided to wait and eat on board. I made my way to the Qatar Airways Lounge which is available to their own First and Business Class customers. OW status card holders travelling in economy class are accommodated in the Sky Team lounge which is very good and above average for LHR, they also have the option to use the Malaysia Airlines Golden Lounge which again is way above the LHR average.

The lounge staff greeted me by name as I approached; again they recognise their frequent flyers and told me that departure would be on time and that we would board about 20.00. Departures are not announced in the lounge; staff come round discretely about five minutes before you need to leave and ask you to begin to get ready, passengers in first are then if they wish escorted to the final check at the head of the jetty. I wondered again about eating but decided that there was not enough time so I settled for a glass of champagne and a delicious lobster mousse with a little salad while catching up on the day’s news. I do really do enjoy this lounge and usually arrive with more time to spare. The food offerings are extensive with almost everything prepared to order, the bar has almost anything you can imagine to drink and the staff are attentive and helpful. The menu changes regularly and I don’t keep copies of it. All too soon one of the staff approached me and told me it was time to get ready, I noticed that most of the business class passengers had already left which is also the norm. I gathered up my things and one of the staff I know quite well was ready to escort me to the gate. Usually I don’t bother with the escort but as it was someone I enjoy chatting with I was pleased to see her.

Arriving at the gate the area was clear and as is the norm almost all economy and business class passengers were already on board. My boarding pass was checked and I made my way down the jetty to 1L which was open for first class only, everyone else boarding through 2L. I was greeted at the door by name, I was slightly surprised by this as Qatar don’t check boarding passes at this point but it turned out to be a process of elimination, the other three passengers in F on the flight that evening were already aboard. I was shown to my seat and two crew members introduced themselves.

There are eight seats in F arranged 1-2-1, I had 2A my preferred seat and as soon as I was ready my jacket was taken and hung and there was an offer to stow my bag. Everyone flying had chosen a window seat so the centre section was empty. The cabin is furnished in dark red, some may say maroon and grey, I find it relaxing. Drinks were offered and I just asked for orange juice orders were also taken for after take-off. It was brought along with some macadamias and both were topped up regularly as preparations were made for departure, amenity kits were also given out. The usual coffee and dates was also offered but I declined as I wished to get off to sleep quickly as it was a relatively short flight. The doors were closed at 20.20 and the pilot made his customary announcement giving information about the flight and routing which would be to Dover, towards Frankfurt then Salzburg, Zagreb, Thessaloniki, skirting Rhodes, Alexandria and down the Red Sea before turning toward Riyadh and then Doha. It was a more southerly route than they often use but he explained it was due to strong winds. He expected to arrive in Doha on schedule. The usual safety demonstration followed and the crew made their final checks for departure.

Pushback started at 20.24 and we taxied for 27L, very handy from T4 within a minute and take off roll began on the dot of 20.30. We made a fairly sharp turn to the left very quickly after take-off and course was set for Dover. As is my habit, I tend to put on the map display and read, I rarely watch films although there is an extensive range but it doesn’t quite match EK or SQ.

Once released at 10 000ft the crew began service very promptly, drinks were served with an amuse bouche which was pleasant. I decided to stick with orange juice and water as the flying time is only 6:45 but we would land in Doha at 06:15 local time so a very short night and no room for even the slightest headache.
Dinner orders were taken and I opted for the mezze plate which is a great favourite of mine and quite filling in itself. There was an option of a salmon dish which I didn’t see as no one near enough to me chose it. I was tempted by the herb roasted chicken as a main but as I wanted to get to sleep I decided to skip the main and enjoyed a little cheese sadly without the port preferring to stick to orange juice and water.

It was by now 21.45 and I wanted to settle down, I made my way to change and while I did the crew made up my bed. As the load was light and I think I was the only platinum card holder on board they made up one of the middle ones for me assuring me that they would not make up the adjoining seat which had the advantage of me being able to leave everything out in 2A. The seat is very comfortable as a bed and with my usual ear plugs in. Although dinner service was still going on for those who wanted it individual lights were put on and the main cabin lights dimmed. I fell asleep quickly and slept well.

I woke with about ninety minutes to go, we were flying over Saudi Arabia which as most readers will know is just mile after mile of sand. Immediately I sat up a crew member was to hand with a hot towel and she offered me a choice of drinks. I swapped to tomato juice this time having had enough orange to last me a while. I was offered the breakfast menu and chose a fruit plate with some yoghurt and a cheese omelette that was accompanied by mushrooms and roasted tomatoes. I had a pot of coffee to wash it down. It was then time to get changed and tidy up my belongings for landing at Doha and with about thirty minutes to go I settled back into 2A to watch the approach which I always enjoy. Having flown for miles over nothing but sand the city suddenly appears on the coast, it is of course extremely modern and set against the sea looks exciting.

The crew began their final clear around and checks and with ten minutes to go were in their seats. The approach took us out over the sea before making an approach to runway 33 which in my experience is the usual runway in use. Landing was smooth and we taxied pulling on to the stand fifteen minutes early at 06.30. Until the new terminal opens there are lots of bus transfers or if you are in first BMW transfers at Doha. Steps were in position within a couple of minutes of the engines stopping and my driver was waiting. Again I thought I was the only platinum member on board as I was driven off quickly on my own. Doha was on this occasion my destination. Clearing immigration took only a couple of minutes and my bag was on the carousel when I got there. I cleared customs and was in my taxi on the way to the office by 06.55.

Qatar offer an excellent standard of service on this route and their offering is unmatched. Although I ate little of the food on this occasion what I had was excellent in line with my normal experience. The premium lounge at LHR is on a par with the LH F terminal at FRA in terms of offering and service though perhaps it is a little more personal as it is smaller, the staff at LHR know their frequent flyers and always greet them by name and with a smile. On board service was faultless and the crew seem to have the same intuition that SIA crews have about when to offer you something, when to chat and when to leave you alone. Arrival at Doha was smooth and again you are treated very well as a premium passenger. Once the new terminal opens and the need for so much busing is over I’m sure it was be an excellent experience for all.

[FormerlyDoS]

Great review, John. I’ve only done longhaul J on QR and it sounds as if F is quite clearly differentiated over business.

[CXDiamond]

A great review thanks John. You are right about the intuition of the crews, I believe their head of cabin crew training used to work for SIA and was head hunted on a deal that SIA would not match to retain.

DoS, you are right, for all both First and Business on QR are exceptional there is still a clear marker between F & C. I find though if you are on a service with no F then it is a little more blurred and C almost becomes C+ or F-. I’m longing to see what they will put on the A380, I’m sure it will again be innovative.

[WillieWelsh]

Thanks John, I’ve never been in Qatar F but I must say I would like to try it. Their business class is far better than most so their F must be amazing.

[PatJordan]

Excellent review John.

It’s a pity your departure was spoiled by a goon in security. Lest there be any doubt, I have the utmost respect for all who work in the service industry. But respect is a two way street, and the behaviour of the individual you encountered justifies the title “goon”.

But how long before Heathrow management tackle this behaviour.

Passengers in premium cabins pay LHR a stiff fee for the privilege of using the airport. In any other service industry this behaviour would not be tolerated. Why should airport security be any different?

[esselle]

I have read comments about a new terminal at DOH. The reality is that, sometime in 2014, an entirely new airport, very far from the existing site, will open, and operations at the current airport will cease. It will be a very far cry from what exists today, even if the current premium terminal is pretty,special.

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