Trip Report: Qatar Airways (A350-900) Business DOH-HND

The Details

Flight: QR812
Aircraft: A350-900
Class: Business
Seat: 4A
Route: Doha Hammad International (DOH)-Tokyo-Haneda International (HND)
Distance: 5,135 miles
Duration: 9hr 11min
Departure: 7:16AM
Arrival: 10:06PM

The Preflight

After spending two days exploring Doha, I was ready for the next leg of my journey to Tokyo. I took a short cab ride from the hotel and arrived at the dedicated check in area within the terminal for First and Business Class passengers three hours before the scheduled departure time. I wanted to be able to fully explore the Qatar Airways business class airport experience.

It was a beautiful and elegantly designed area with seating and individual desks for check-in. I was the only passenger at 4AM in the morning.

Once checked-in I made my way to the Al Mourjan Business Lounge. This lounge is only accessible to passengers flying Qatar Airways business class.

Immediately to the right of the entrance was a water fountain area and stairs to the buffet dining area.

Upstairs was the buffet dining area. Breakfast was served during my time there.

There was also a staffed bar in the buffet dining area.

Going back down the stairs and to the left of the main entrance was a large seating area. The middle was filled with lounge chairs and some greenery.

Continuing further to the left of the entrance on the other side of the lounge was another dining room with made-to-order sandwiches.

Large private cubicles were available as well for sleeping in.

I decided to have a quick shower before my flight. Qatar Airways offers separate shower rooms for men and women. Each individual room was modern and had excellent water presser.

I managed to snag a few pictures of the long-haul Qatar Airways fleet during my time in the lounge. I would be flying on an A350 for the flight to Tokyo.

Our A350, registration A7-ALE, was delivered to Qatar in October 2015. Boarding began promptly at 6:15AM.

The Flight

Qatar Airways features one of my favorite business class seats aboard their A350-900s, the Super Diamond reverse herringbone seat. Each seat had 80 inches of sleep space and 22 inches of width. The seats were incredibly stylish with the trimmed wood design and dark red color.

There are a total of 36 business class seats split between a large cabin between doors 1 and 2 and a mini cabin extending past door 2. Economy featured 247 seats in a 3-3-3 configuration.

The seats had multiple adjustable options and had a built-in massage function. Below the seat controls were a 110V outlet and USB port.

Next to the power outlets was a storage bin. It was deep enough to store my phone and passport.

To the right of the seat was a small storage bin where the headphones were stored.

The IFE screen was massive, modern, and very responsive to touch. Qatar Airways also installed a tail cam.

The foot well was moderately sized but felt more constrained compared to the other reverse herringbone seats such as those aboard Cathay Pacific’s A330s or American Airline’s A330s. Below the IFE screen was the stowed tray table. The tray table was a massive and heavy double-fold table.

Qatar Airways also elected to remove storage bins from the middle of the aircraft which gave the cabin an airy feel.

At each seat was a Bric’s amenity kit, comfy pillow, and thick blanket.

An Evian water bottle was also at the seat in a dedicated cup holder.

The amenity was well provisioned. There was lip balm, facial mist, hand lotion, socks, and an eye mask.

A very comfortable set of pajamas was also handed out.

Having heard rave reviews about Qatar Airways’ excellent on-board service I had high expectations coming into this flight. I was not disappointed. I was greeted at the door by two friendly Japanese flight attendants who bowed and welcomed me aboard. When I responded in English, they immediately switched from Japanese to English.

Upon taking my seat I was offered a hot towel and beverage of choice. I decided to have an Americano which was nicely presented. Afterwards, I switched to a rose.

Menus were also distributed. Qatar Airways offers dine-on-demand, meaning I could have anything from the menu at any time. Breakfast was the main course on this flight.

There was also an extensive cocktail and beverage menu.

As well as a detailed wine list.

The business cabin was entirely full for this flight. We pushed back on time at 7AM and had a very smooth take off.

I watched the tail cam as we cruised over the Persian Gulf.

Another round of beverages were offered once we reached cruising altitude over Iran.

For breakfast I decided to have the Japanese Kaiseki set breakfast. It was beautifully presented and very tasty. The grilled flounder was excellent with a crispy skin and the various pickled vegetables refreshing. Dare I say better than the one I had aboard ANA First Class?

I also had a selection of nigiri and sushi. The quality was incredible and the best fish I’ve had in the air. Akin to quality I’d expect in a restaurant on the ground.

I concluded the meal with another glass of champagne (my fourth…) and a ramekin of cold nuts. Each passenger was also given a box of Godiva chocolates.

I settled into the seat and watched a couple movies. Since this flight left in the morning from Doha I was wide awake the entire trip.

Qatar Airways also decided to install window blinds instead of shades on most of their new A350s which gave the cabin a fancier vibe.

Midway through the flight I checked out the bar in between the forward and small business class cabins. Flight attendants had set up a self-serve food area. Options included fresh fruit, chocolates, and bags of chips.

Just another view of the forward business cabin giving a sense of how open and airy it felt.

I cannot say enough good things about this flight crew. Every 10 minutes or so a flight attendant would pass through the cabin and check on all of the passengers. I was proactively offered multiple refills of my champagne which I had to start turning down. Water was also offered proactively.

As the sun set over the East China Sea I decided to have dinner. Having loved the Japanese options, I continued down the Japanese menu and had the grilled fillet of beef with Teriyaki sauce.

Again the catering was amazing. The beef was medium-rare and not a second overcooked. The side of grilled salmon was also tasty.

As we began the approach into HND, I switched over to the tail camera.

We landed about 15 minutes ahead of schedule and had a very quick taxi to the gate. I was through customs and immigration in no time and quickly on my way to the AirBnb where I would be meeting my family.

Qatar Airways hands down offered on of the best business class experiences I have had the privilege of experiencing. The lounge was amazing, seat comfortable, flight attendants attentive, and food phenomenal. I cannot say enough good things about Qatar Airways and look forward to flying them again!