THE FLIGHT: I flew in the Business Class cabin on flight QR32 operated by a Boeing 787-8 aircraft from Edinburgh to Doha, departing from Gate 19, flying time 6hrs 30mins and then a Business Class Q Suite on flight QR942 operated by an Airbus 350-900 aircraft from Doha to Singapore, departing Gate C24, flying time 7hrs 10mins. Scheduled transit time in Doha was 2hrs 50mins.

THE CHECK IN: Edinburgh Airport was quiet when I arrived just before 05:00 on a Saturday morning and there were no queues at Qatar Airways check-in desk. I wasn’t travelling with any check-in baggage even though my Business Class ticket came with a 40kg hold allowance. I was duly issued with a cabin bag tag to put on my carry-on bag along with my boarding cards for seats 4K for the first leg of journey and 9F for the second, along with the necessary access card for the shared British Airways Business Class lounge airside. As a British Passport holder, I was required to complete a Singapore Arrival Card online no more than three days prior to my arrival in Singapore, very simple to navigate the application and instant approval arrived in my inbox.

THE SEATS: Edinburgh to Doha. Business Class seating is five rows in a 1-2-1 herringbone layout, plus another two seats positioned in the middle of the aircraft just before accessing the economy cabin. The window areas on each bulkhead is occupied by washroom facilities.

My seat 4K was next to the window. It was roomy with plenty of storage space, a table to one side and a footrest with more storage space underneath and a drawer for storing shoes. The seat control symbols were self-explanatory, offering a wide variety of configurations including that all-important flat bed. In place were a luxurious pillow with matching blanket in the corporate colours and a lovely male amenity kit, neatly presented in a branded cardboard box with a green ribbon holding it closed. For the ladies it was a red ribbon making it easily identifiable to the crew when preparing the cabin.

The amenity kits are supplied by the luxurious French brand Diptyque exclusively for Qatar Airways. It contained fresh lotion, nourishing lip balm, essential face cream, eau de toilette, socks, eye mask and ear plugs. Toothbrush, toothpaste, shaving cream and shaver kits were all readily available in the dedicated business class washrooms. In addition, there was an extra pillow branded with destinations in the Qatar Airways network. Mine was Singapore, but I spotted others for Berlin and Los Angeles in the cabin.

The in-flight entertainment was very comprehensive and consisted of over 4,000 options (yes that’s right it’s not a typo!). The entertainment was easily navigated via either touch screen or handheld remote control. The IFE menu started with choosing your preferred user language followed by the menu options of ‘Your Trip’; ‘Entertainment’; ‘Kids’ and the ‘Holy Qu’ran’. Each option then has further sub menu options including Movies, TV, Audio and Games, which then guided you to further levels of well-considered entertainment choices for each category.

Doha to Singapore. Business Class seating is the Q Suite. There are nine rows of four Q Suites totalling 36, with the odd row numbers with the suite seats facing the rear of the aircraft and the even rows the direction of travel. My suite 9F was in the middle. The seat itself faced the rear of the aircraft, creating an unusual sensation certainly during take-off and landing.

Again, the Q Suite was very roomy with a bit more storage space than the previous flight, including a storage cupboard under a small seat which doubled up as an arm rest. The seat controls were again very descriptive providing the same variety of seating configurations as on the 787-8 aircraft. An additional feature was the accessible charging sockets. The standout feature with the Q Suite is the sliding door, providing more privacy, just like a little room of your own onboard.

All the same in-flight products were present in the suite as per the Edinburgh to Doha leg, except the male amenity kit. This was presented as a lovely leather wash bag with the same contents. The Q Suites IFE had a few additional choices, including the option to pair a device, the Qatar Airways story, connection to the onboard Wi-Fi and camera views of the journey and the handheld remote control doubled up as a gaming console. With both seat types the noise cancelling headphones were very good.

THE SERVICE: Edinburgh to Doha. Once seated I was warmly welcomed by Jirapat, the cabin attendant responsible for looking after me during the flight, who was closely followed by the lovely cabin supervisor Rajat. Captain Alessandro Angelo also made himself known providing clear details about the flight and conditions at destination over the Tanoy. As it was an early morning departure the menu, available in both English and Arabic, was à la carte breakfast from which I chose for my starters seasonal fresh fruit (alternatives were yoghurt and cereals), hand-rolled omelette with cheese and roasted tomato with a selection of bakery (alternatives were traditional Arabic breakfast, porridge and pancakes), all washed down with a mixed berry and banana smoothie and a flat white coffee. There was also an extensive choice from the All-Day Dining menu to include soup, mezze, tiger prawn, Angus Beef, risotto, Reuben sandwich, cheese board and chocolate brownie. The drinks menu ranged from mocktails to spirits to Champagne, all nicely detailed in the Cellar menu card designed in the Qatar corporate colours incorporating the Arabian Oryx symbol. Once settled, Jirapat was back providing me with a sleep suite consisting of long trousers, long sleeved shirt and slippers courtesy of The White Company, again exclusively for Qatar Airways. Sizes ranged from small to medium to large. Unfortunately, the large sized top wasn’t quite big enough for me. During the flight, in and out of wonderful slumber land on the desired flatbed, I made full use of the in-flight entertainment, including watching two very entertaining movies, Twisters and Fly me to the Moon.

Doha to Singapore. It was time for my Q Suite experience, my seat facing the rear of the aircraft. Once again, a warm welcome from Mingkhwan, the cabin attendant on this leg of the journey who was quick to offer me refreshments before take-off. Then the Cabin Supervisor Erika popped along to introduce herself personally and to say that if there was anything I needed just to ask. This time the Captain was Jorge Manjarrez who again offered a warm welcome to passengers over the Tanoy while providing details of the journey ahead.

Due to time difference, it was early evening leaving Doha, an à la carte all-day dining and breakfast menu was offered. For my dinner I chose Baeri caviar with Balik style salmon for starters, grilled black Angus beef entrecote for main course, the selection of finest international cheese and bakery to finish. Other menu choices included soup, mezze, salmon, chicken, cod fillet, pasta and cherry clafoutis with vanilla ice cream. The drinks range was the same as on the Edinburgh to Doha flight. This time I went with an Apple Cooler and Orangeade from the mocktails range. My choice of entertainment from the wide and wonderful range of suitable in-flight options this time was the film Little Bone Lodge, a 2023 movie.

In time for an early morning landing in Singapore breakfast was served. I opted for the seasonal fresh fruit, hand rolled omelette and butter croissant, accompanied by fresh orange juice and a flat white coffee. Other options included smoothie, evergreen organics, yoghurt, cereals and prawn congee.

My only negative is that about an hour before arriving in Singapore, my Q Suite seat developed a fault and got stuck in the flat bed position. The crew were quick to attend, turned off the hydraulics and repositioned the seat into the correct landing position with a manual override.

Throughout both flights snacks were readily available including fresh fruit,an  assortment of cereal bars, flavoured crisps from Hunter Foods, popcorn from supplier Popcorn Shed, a selection of chocolates including Läderach, and biscuits. 500ml plastic bottles of Alkaline water produced by Lusail Factory Mineral Water, a Qatar based supplier, were also on tap. I spotted that Narumi was the chosen supplier for their culturally inspired crockery service. The safety video was very engaging using real life scenarios to explain actions.

THE VERDICT: I would not hesitate to recommend Qatar Airways for an unforgettable business class experience. The crew, from ground to air, were smart, attentive, helpful, and always welcoming. Food and drink were delicious and onboard entertainment functionality and choices superb. My only advice would be to take the courtesy transfer upon arrival at Hamad International Airport as the walk from one gate to the other for this routing can be long, compounded with a mandatory security check.

THE DETAILS: Return Business Class fares between Edinburgh to Singapore via Doha start at around £3,725, including taxes/surcharges. Qatar Airways operates two services a day from Edinburgh to Doha.

qatarairways.com

Craig McQuinn