This flight was a true bucket list experience and pinch me moment. Qatar QSuite, Qatar Airways’ Business Class product has won World’s Best Business Class at the Skytrax Awards 12 times. Today was my first chance to experience it.
To make sure I got the full Qatar Airways experience, I stopped over for the night in Doha, and checked out the Museum of Islamic Art and Souq Waqif. In the morning, I took a taxi to the airport, a full four hours before my flight as I wanted to explore both the Al Mourjan and Al Mourjan Garden lounges.
Today’s afternoon flight was only about 6 and a half hours and during daylight hours, arriving into Frankfurt around quarter past 7.
This is Forward of the Wing’s review of the incredible Qatar QSuite onboard the 787-9 from Doha to Frankfurt.
Qatar Airways Doha Premium Check-in
The very first thing you notice when you arrive at the airport is that Qatar Airways has a dedicated Business and First Class Premium Check In Area on the departure forecourt with it’s own entrance.
From the outset, there is a luggage porter to bring your luggage inside to the check in counter. There is also a staff member to escort you to an available check in desk.
Inside, the foyer splits into two, with the Business Class check in on one side and the First Class check in on the other side. There are plenty of counters available, no waiting, lots of available staff.
Exceptional service, nowhere else quite like it in the world.
They were happy to check me in early, four hours ahead of my flight. I’m not sure what the earliest time you can check in is, but this is the one airport in the world I don’t mind getting to the airport early for.
Security and Immigration
Located just after the private check in area, Business Class and First Class passengers have a dedicated security and immigration area.
There are no queues and plenty of lanes, meaning that you are straight through in a matter of minutes.
Once through security and immigration, you head down a private escalator to the main departures area of the terminal.
Which Lounge to Visit – Al Mourjan South or Al Mourjan The Garden?
Qatar Airways is pretty picky about its business class lounge access. If you are travelling on a Business Class Lite ticket, no lounge access is included, but you can opt to pay for lounge access. You can also pay for lounge access if you are flying Economy. Access to either Al Mourjan lounge is just 350 QAR (£70). If you upgrade with Avios or QCredits from an Economy ticket, or pay to upgrade at check-in or online before the flight, no lounge access is included either. If you are flying Business, you can also opt to pay to access the First Class Al Safwa Lounge for 500 QAR (£105). Something to consider as upgrading with cash and paying for lounge access might be cheaper than booking Business Class outright, but you’ll need to pray to the load factor gods for Qatar Qsuite availability.
In summary, only if you are flying Qatar Airways Business Class on a cash-paid fare or you booked a Business Class ticket with Avios, is lounge access included.
Even frequent fliers with oneworld Sapphire or Emerald can’t access these two fantastic airport lounges. They can visit the Platinum and Gold Lounges instead.
If you do have access to both, which one do you choose? First, I would head to the Al Mourjan South lounge, right in the main departures hall, then I would head to the Al Mourjan The Garden for the majority of your pre-departure time. It’s worth visiting both if you can – they couldn’t be more different to each other. I do prefer the Al Mourjan The Garden lounge, if I only had time to visit one.
Priority Boarding
Business Class, Silver, Gold and Platinum Privilege Club passengers, as well as oneworld Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald passengers get priority boarding before all other Economy passengers. There is no first class on the 787-9, just Business Class and Economy. There were dual airbridges for this 787-9 – one for business class, and one for all Economy passengers.
Qatar Qsuite Cabin Layout
Qatar Airways Business Class, Qsuite, on the 787-9 is set out in a 1-2-1 herringbone configuration. All seats have direct aisle access. Middle seats angle away from each other, and window seats face towards the window. All seats have sliding mid-height doors (48-inch height), giving some privacy. Unfortunately for this flight, the sliding doors were broken and locked open for the duration of the flight.
For my flight today, I was sat in seat 2A, a window seat on the left side of the aircraft. I was absolutely treated to stunning views over West Bay when we departed Doha.
787-9 Qatar Qsuite Seat
This 787-9 version of Qatar Qsuite is similar to British Airways Club Suite, however I still found it quite narrow, especially because of the footwell. At 6’1”, I was touching the end (when you include a pillow), not making for the most enjoyable nap. Note with this style of seat, the monitor is fixed in place and the angle towards the window is quite steep, meaning that you only get one window, with one window permanently obscured by the monitor. In comparison, Cathay Pacific Business Class have foldaway screens, meaning you can fold away your screen and get 2 or 3 windows per Business Class seat. Also to note, all 787 windows have electronically dimmable windows instead of window shades.
The side console is well designed (and much better than Club Suite). The tray table slides out from the side for a start, rather than Club Suite’s tray table folding out from under the monitor. On the side console, there is a large flat surface for storage during the flight, a good spot to place your laptop while food arrives. Below the main table surface is also a small split-level area, ideal for holding drinks. There are seat controls on a control pad located next to the seat. You will also find a remote for the Onyx Entertainment System, a headphone jack that works with normal headphones too, an international power point with USB-C, a reading light, a wireless charging holder for your phone (great touch), a vanity cabinet with a mirror, and a lovely decorative side light too.
Pre-Departure
Qatar Airways’ Qsuite pre-departure service includes a Diptyque Refreshing Towel, and the signature Qatar Lemon and Mint mocktail. White Company Pyjamas and both a food menu and wine and beverage menu are also handed out.
Bedding and Turndown Service
Waiting at my seat upon departure was a small back pillow with a city that Qatar flies to on the cover and a thick fleece blanket. The crew also provided mattress pads and normal pillows on request. Mattress pads I find can be very hit or miss on most airlines as they tend to be on the thin side to not take up too much volume. The Qatar Airways ones were fine, but I still found the seat quite hard in bed mode.
You can request turndown at any stage and the crew will make your bed up for you.
Qatar Qsuite Food
A true highlight of any business class experience should be the food. Qatar Airways operates dine on demand, so you can pick and choose what you want to eat when from the entire menu. I was rather full from the Al Mourjan lounge, so opted to eat later after most of the other passengers had been served. I pre-ordered a vegan meal (VGML) for this Qatar Qsuite flight, so my meals were different to the main menu. The standard menu consisted of two meals as this was an afternoon flight – lunch and a light meal, with snacks available too in between. Every table is laid with a tablecloth, decorative LED candle and metal cutlery before service. A pre-lunch drink from the bar and warmed mixed nuts are provided too.
Here was the menu on today’s flight:
Qatar Qsuite First Meal – Lunch
Bread
- Sundried tomato focaccia
- Dark sunflower rye
- Spinach cheese roll
- Served with fresh butter, Monte Vibiano EVOO (normal, balsamic, tomato chilli or spicy lemon)
Starters
- Soup of the day
- Classic Arabic mezze with pita bread – pesto hummus, labneh tahini and avocado muhummara
- Sesame seed tuna tataki with Waldorf salad
Main Course
- Black Angus beef tenderloin with mushroom jus, celeriac mousseline and seasonal garden vegetables
- Lobster murabyan, basmati rice, preserved lemon and dried cranberries
- Oven roasted chicken breast with truffle gnocchi, broccolini and thyme jus
- Pumpkin and ricotta mezzlune, parmesan tomato salsa and grilled artichokes
Cheese Course
- Selection of international cheeses with grainex, lavosh and accompaniments
Dessert
- Raspberry and peach gateau with chocolate egg
- Seasonal fresh fruits
- Gourmet ice cream selection
Qatar Qsuite Second Meal – Light Meal
- Braised beef short ribs with truffle gnocchi, parmesan and toasted garlic bread
- Adana lamb kofta pide sandwich with Greek salad, smoky aubergine, onion parsley and lemon vinaigrette
All in all, a fairly solid standard menu with a variety of Western and Arabic options to suit every taste. Also nice to see a choice of four main courses available.
Qatar QSuite VGML First Meal – Lunch
My vegan Qatar QSuite lunch consisted of three courses, served with bread and vegan butter. This was the VGML lunch on today’s flight:
- Starter – Quinoa with Vegetables
- Main – Breaded Vegetable Croquettes with fried rice, peanut satay, roasted carrots and broccolini
- Dessert – Cubed Fruit
Qatar QSuite VGML Second Meal – Light Meal
The second light meal consisted of a Tofu and Spinach Filo Quiche, served with a side salad. For dessert, there was another fruit platter.
Snacks
Up the front of the Qatar Qsuite cabin is a self-service snack bar, with a selection of various items and fresh fruit. The crew also came around with the snack basket throughout the flight. On today’s flight, snacks consisted of Hunter’s Gourmet White Truffle Potato Chips, Himalayan Salted Caramel Popcorn, Olive Tricioli, and Frusli Bars.
My Thoughts
I was quite disappointed in both VGML meals for a business class offering. Serving fruit for both dessert courses isn’t sufficient for a business class meal in 2025. With around 500 daily departures out of Doha Hamad International Airport, there should be plenty of demand for a VGML dessert that isn’t just fruit on a plate. Both mains were great, but I did think lunch starter was fairly basic. The standard menu does look really good though, and I am a big fan of Qatar Airways’ Arabic mezze (when it’s not full of dairy).
To compare Qatar Qsuite food to Economy, on today’s flight, this was the menu for Economy Class:
Qatar QSuite Bar Selection
The Qatar Qsuite Wine and Beverage Selection is where Qatar Airways really excels. In fact, this is the best Business Class wine list I’ve ever seen, with bottles rivalling those you would typically find in First Class.
Here is the Bar List on today’s flight:
Wine
- Laurent-Perrier Grande Cuvée Alexandra Rosé 2007 Champagne
- Duval-Leroy Brut Réserve Champagne
- Carmel Road Monterey Chardonnay 2021, USA
- Saint Clair Family Estate Pioneer Block 6 Oh! Block Sauvignon Blanc 2022, New Zealand
- Dopff & Irion Cuvée René Dopff Riesling 2022, France
- Chateau de Fieuzal Grand Cru Classé de Graves 2015, France
- Yalumba Samuel’s Collection Barossa Shiraz 2022, Australia
- Albert Bichot Moulin-à-Vent Le Roc Domaine de Rochegrès 2021, France
- Chateau De Rayne Vigneau Premier Grand Cru Classé Sauternes 2013, France
- Niepoort 20 Years Old Tawny Port, Portugal
Beer
- Stella Artois
- Leffe
- Budweiser
Spirits
- The Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve Single Malt Scotch Whisky
- Chivas Regal 12 Years Blended Scotch Whisky
- Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- Grey Goose Vodka
- Hendrick’s Gin
- Bacardi Carta Blanca White Rum
- Bacardi Añejo Cuatro
- Aperol
- Martini Extra Dry Vermouth
- Frapin XO VIP Cognac
- Baileys Irish Cream
In addition to this stellar bar list, you can also order a selection of cocktails:
Cocktails
- Champagne Cocktail
- Aperol Royal
- Buck’s Fizz
- Cuba Libre
- Whiskey or Brandy Sour
- Old Fashioned
- Screwdriver
- Pink Gin
- Dry Martini
Truly the best Business Class Bar Selection I’ve ever seen in the sky. Such a good mix of mid and top shelf spirits, beers and incredible wines to suit every taste. It’s also great to see a selection of cocktails available as well. One highlight for me from the wine selection, the Laurent-Perrier Grande Cuvée Alexandra Rosé 2007 Champagne retails for over £300 a bottle, a level you would usually only find in First Class. You can also request a tasting of different wines with your meal in smaller portions. The bar selection alone makes the flight cost worth it.
Non-Alcoholic Beverages
Qatar Airways also has a fantastic selection of non-alcoholic beverages to suit all tastes. Here was the Qatar Qsuite non-alcoholic beverage menu on my flight:
- So Jennie – luxury non-alcoholic pink sparkling
- Pineapple Margarita
- Orangeade
- Pineapple Punch
- Apple Cooler
- Spiced Tomato Juice
- Apple, Cranberry, Mango, Orange, Pineapple and Tomato Juice
- Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Sprite, Sprite Zero Sugar and Fanta
- Fevertree Ginger Ale, Tonic Water, Light Tonic Water and Club Soda
- Still and Sparkling Water
- Iced Tea – Mint, Lemon or Chai Latte
- Arabic Coffee
- Iced Coffee – Americano, Cappuccino, Latte and Macchiato (normal or decaf)
- Coffee – Espresso, Americano, Cappuccino, Latte and Macchiato (normal or decaf)
- TWG Tea – Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Uva Highlands BOP, Black Chai, Moroccan Mint, Grand Jasmine, Vanilla Bourbon, Oolong Prestige, Sencha, Chamomile, Midnight Hour
- Karak Chai – Saffron and Cardamom
- Hot Chocolate
Even if you don’t drink alcohol, there are plenty of interesting beverages to try during your flight. Definitely try the Arabic Coffee, So Jennie, the Karak Chai, one or more of the mocktails and some of the many TWG teas.
Qatar QSuite Amenity Kit
The Qatar Qsuite amenity kit includes flight socks, foam ear plugs, a 10ml travel size Diptyque perfume (I got Tam Dao), Diptyque lip balm, Qatar Airways Eye Mask, Diptyque Body Lotion and Diptyque Face Cream. All of this is housed in a beautiful leather Diptyque pouch. I am a big fan of Diptyque, and I think the contents of the Qatar Airways Qsuite amenity kit are generous. The travel-size perfume is a great touch and lasts a fair while, even with regular use. There are multiple different fragrances in these amenity kits, so if you fly Qatar Qsuite regularly, you’ll acquire a variety of different Diptyque fragrances to try. After takeoff, the crew also handed out White Company pyjamas, which you can take home.
Oryx One Entertainment System
The Qatar Airways in-flight entertainment system is called Oryx One. There is a wide range of movies including new releases, tv shows, games and music from all over the world in a variety of languages. There are a huge selection of South American and Latino, Bollywood, Arabic, and Asian movies and tv shows available to suit passengers from every background.
The entertainment screen in Qsuite on the 787-9 is 18 inches in diameter, which is a noticeable upgrade from the 12-inch screens in Economy. Each screen is a touchscreen, however within each Qsuite is a remote control located next to the seat, which is great because you can change your entertainment without having to lean forward or stand up.
Qatar Qsuite also comes with noise cancelling headphones to use during the flight, but the headphone jack also works with standard headphones too so you can use your own if you prefer.
My favourite part of the Qatar Airways Oryx One entertainment system though is the forward and down cameras, located on the outside of the aircraft. I think there is nothing cooler for an Aviation Geek than watching takeoff and landing from the nose wheel, and ascent and descent looking down at the azure water of the Arabian Gulf.
Wi-Fi
The Qatar Airways 787-9 features free onboard Wi-Fi. Qatar Airways is in the process of rolling out free, superfast Starlink across the Qatar Airways fleet. Unfortunately, my plane hadn’t been upgraded yet.
I did a speed test with the current onboard Wi-Fi service – 7.79 Mbps download speed which is fine for browsing and messaging, but streaming movies or tv shows on Netflix might struggle.
Once Starlink is rolled out, Wi-Fi speeds should be the same or faster than 5G speeds on the ground.
Bathrooms
By airplane bathroom standards, the Qatar Qsuite bathrooms were very spacious, and uniquely include a window. I can’t say I remember the last time going to the toilet with a view of the clouds.
The bathrooms are fully stocked with Diptyque toiletries, including hand wash, hand lotion, and infused facial water. There are also dental kits and shaving kits available in the bathrooms.
Arrival
Flying into Frankfurt was easy, and I opted to watch the forward-facing camera upon final descent. As there is no First Class on the 787-9, Qatar Qsuite passengers are amongst the first off the plane, right at the front. Priority baggage meant that my bags were amongst the first to be offloaded too. This was really helpful as I had a tight self-connection at Frankfurt Airport, so needed to clear immigration and customs, change terminals, and re-check in my bags. Frankfurt Airport is a bit of a maze, but I was very impressed that I managed to get from plane to landside, transfer terminals, check-in and get airside again (through security) in just under an hour.
How to Upgrade to Qatar Qsuite
Buy a Business Class Fare with Cash or Avios
Qatar shows which flights (and segments) have Qsuite on their website. Opt to book Business Class direct if the price is within your budget. This guarantees access for you to both the Al Mojoran and Al Mojoran North lounges at Doha Hamad International Airport if you are transiting through or stopping over (but not for Business Lite fares). You can also redeem Avios through Qatar, British Airways or another oneworld partner when there is availability, and still have the full Qsuite experience including the Al Mourjan Lounges at Doha Hamad International Airport.
Avios Upgrade
If you are already booked in Economy and have a balance of Avios hanging around, you can opt to upgrade your flight in Economy (or from Business to First) if there is award availability showing. You can also upgrade at the airport at check-in. The Avios must be in you Qatar Airways account and you must have your Qatar Airways account attached to the booking. If your Avios are with Iberia, British Airways or Finnair, use the Combine My Avios tool on Avios.com to instantly transfer Avios to and from Qatar Privilege Club. Note, if there is award flight availability in the class above for your flight, its cheaper to upgrade online prior to your flight instead of at the airport as the number of Avios required is less. No lounge access is included but you can opt to pay.
QCredits Upgrade
If you hold Qatar Privilege Club Gold or Platinum elite status, you get 40 or 60 QCredits, respectively, when you upgrade to Gold/Platinum or renew your elite status. You can use these QCredits for seat selection, additional bags, lounge access and most importantly, cabin upgrades. Prices vary depending on original fare class and individual or all/return flight bookings, but you can request these through the Qatar website if there is Saver award flight availability for your exact flight bookings in the cabin above. Use the My Calculator tool (Upgrade & Extra Baggage) to find out how many QCredits are required. Click through the “Upgrade” button and follow the prompts to book. Like other upgrade options, no lounge access is included, but you can also use QCredits, Avios or cash to pay for lounge access separately.
Cash Upgrade
If you are lucky, you can request to upgrade at the check-in desk at the airport for a nominal fee, or you can pay to upgrade online in advance. This is usually a couple hundred up to a thousand dollars depending on the length of the flight segment. Unfortunately, if you do decide to upgrade this way, no lounge access is available (you can pay for lounge access) and special meals are not available either within 24 hours of flight departure. If you are transiting Doha and have a decent amount of time between flights, I would highly recommend paying for the Al Mourjan or Al Safwa Lounge so factor that into your total upgrade cost but wouldn’t necessarily bother paying for lounge access at other airports. In all, it should still cost significantly less than if you booked Business Class outright at the time of booking.
Conclusion: Is Qatar QSuite really the best Business Class?
I absolutely loved my Qatar Qsuite experience. Unfortunately, Qatar Airways flies different versions of Business Class on each aircraft type, and it’s a real mixed bag. They are also known to frequently change plane types, so you might be on a different aircraft to the one displayed at time of booking.
In terms of the 787-9 Qatar Qsuite, my highlights were the service throughout, the ground experience at Doha Hamad International Airport, the Al Mourjan lounges, the fully stuffed amenity kit and the stellar bar selection onboard. My VGML vegan meal was disappointing, and I found the seat was narrow and had a small footwell. The mattress pad could also be thicker for additional comfort. But all in all, there are a lot of positives about Qatar Qsuite. Qsuite is an absolute treat, and if you do get the chance, just book it. You won’t regret it.
I look forward to flying the 777 Qatar Qsuite soon, which is generally regarded as the best Qsuite version. The seat faces forward (or sometimes back) rather than in a herringbone configuration, so the seat is wider and longer, and just have more space overall.
Check out my review of Qatar Airways Economy Class here.