As a passenger living in the United States, when I think of large Middle Eastern airlines, I think of epic long-haul flights on 777s, A380s, and other large aircraft. But can these airlines deliver a great experience on a small, single-aisle aircraft?
We found out on a Qatar Airways A320 flight from Doha to Zanzibar, Skytrax The World’s Best Airline 2024. During the six-hour flight, we took a closer look at the airline’s narrow-body business class seats and “mid-haul” service style.
So, what can you expect from the Qatar A320 compared to Qatar’s 777, 787, A350 or A380? Read on to find out. As always, we have some window seats for you to enjoy the scenery along the way.
Premium cabin passengers have access to dedicated check-in areas and security checkpoints.
We had to take a moment to admire the famous lampshaded bear sculpture. Cool? Is it weird? Is it both? You be the judge.
The airline’s Al Mourjan lounge offers plenty of delicious food and practical amenities. We will have a separate story about the Qatar Lounge and Doha Mega Hub ground experience.
Although Hamad International Airport’s terminals are large, Qatar Airways has grown so much in recent years that much of the airline’s operations are conducted from remote parking bays rather than on aerobridges. This does add some hassle. But from an AvGeek perspective, it means a great view of the action on the ramp:
Know your seat
We boarded the Airbus A320 that would take us on the 6-hour journey to Zanzibar.
Qatar’s A320 fleet has two different business class seat configurations. One has recliners, like most airlines’ A320 or 737 business class cabins. But the other configuration is designed for long haul flights like ours, with 12 lie-flat seats in front.
Collins Diamond seating is designed to seat two in each row on either side of the aisle. This is a better seating design if you are traveling as a couple, otherwise there won’t be much privacy from your neighbours.
Overall, it’s a great seat in the A320 business class. Not as good as some other single-aisle business class seats that offer wheelchair accessibility to every seat, such as JetBlue Mint. But still well above average.
Service begins with a greeting from the flight attendant, a drink in real glassware before departure, and an introduction to the airline’s ordering service. If you are flying with Qatar Business, remember to check the menu early as they will take your food and drink order before departure.
Even at night, it’s easy to appreciate the stunning size of Doha’s Hamad International Airport. Check out the view as we take off:
As the city lights of Doha faded behind us, the twin bells rang and the flight attendants started running into high gear.
Start service
We were invited to dine to order at any time, as is customary on Qatar flights. Here is the menu for that flight:
Here is the drink list:
Pasta can be boring as an in-flight meal. This dish is not. It tastes great and I love fresh vegetables.
A quick dessert completes the meal.
Our flight attendants were great. Still, we could see that the labor-intensive ordering service was overloading them.
Adaptable to long distance travel
In-flight entertainment systems vary across Qatar’s fleet. The A320’s screen is large and the movie and TV library is large enough for this flight, but not as extensive as Emirates’ system. The design of the flight map takes me back to the 2000s.
These seats fold completely flat when you’re ready to sleep.
The bed was soft and comfortable and the airline bedding was great. I got a few hours of quality sleep and woke up in time to enjoy the pre-landing views and have breakfast.
Just like the dinner, the breakfast was beautifully presented.
For a breakfast at the end of a medium-haul flight, it felt well above average.
The scenery descending into Zanzibar is beautiful:
Judgment
All in all, it was a comfortable ride for a mid-range narrowbody aircraft. Of course, other things being equal, you’re better off flying Qatar’s long-haul wide-body aircraft. Especially if you’re flying alone, as A320 seats don’t offer the same universal direct aisle access or privacy as Qsuite and other wide-body business class seats in Qatar. But you still get the benefits of a comfortable and beautifully finished lie-flat seat. Ultimately, it’s a good enough platform for airline service to shine and for passengers to be well-rested.
Keep in mind that some of the airline’s A320 fleet has standard recliner seats. Therefore, you need to pay attention to the seat map when booking.
We will share more about our experience flying with Qatar Airways when we get back, including our long haul experience flying in QSuites seats. In the meantime, let us know what you think in the comments section below.
Source link
