The Details

• Flight: QR725
• Aircraft: B777-300ER
• Class: QSuites/Business
• Seat: 3E and 3F
• Route: Doha Hamad International (DOH)-Chicago O’Hare International (ORD)
• Distance: 7,334 miles
• Duration: 14hrs 51min
• Departure: 8:41AM
• Arrival: 1:49PM

The Preflight

After my significant other and I arrived from Colombo, we had a long 18 hour layover in Doha. Since it was my SO’s first time in Doha, we decided to take advantage of the Qatar Airways complimentary tour of Doha. It was a great opportunity for us to see downtown Doha without any out of pocket cost.

We returned to Hamad International around midnight and made our way to the dedicated check-in area for business class passengers.

Clearing security was a breeze with just one other passenger in line with us. We then made our way to the excellent Al Mourjan Business Lounge which is only accesible to passengers flying QR business class.

To the right of the entrance was a waterfall and staircase leading to the dining room.

The dining room upstairs had two open buffet tables as well as a bar.

Below the dining room was an area with comfortable blue sofas. There were also some breakfast pastries and espresso machine.

Behind these large curtains was a great view of the apron.

To the left of the entrance was a open area with a large amount of sofas.

Further into the lounge on the right was another dining area that offered made to order sandwiches.

Past the sandwich dining room was a quiet area with individual open suites that each had a large couch and TV. Unfortunately, all of the suites were taken by the time we tried to get one.

My significant other and I both decided to get a shower before trying to sleep in the lounge. The shower rooms were segregated by sex and each shower suite was very well appointed.

• 

• 

After showing, we managed to find a private area with individual lounge chairs available. We both tried to get some sleep as there was still about six hours until boarding.

We both managed to get some rest and I awoke to my phones vibration telling us we had 30 minutes until boarding. There was a secondary screening required for our flight to Chicago and by the time we got through, boarding had already begun at 7AM.

Our B777-300ER, registration A7-BEN, was delivered brand new to Qatar Airways in December 2017. She had a pair of enormous GE90s and was line number 1523.

The Flight

Qatar Airways features four different layouts aboard their B777-300ERs. Two B77W variants have the old B/E Aerospace MiniPod seat while the other two offer the excellent QSuites in business class. One QSuite B777 variant has 24 business and 388 economy seats while the other QSuite variant has 42 business and 312 economy seats.

Our B77W today was the premium heavy QSuite layout with a total of 42 closed suites in a 1-2-1 configuration in two separate cabins. Our seats 3E and 3F were in the forward business cabin between doors 1 and 2.

This pair was the honeymoon seat combo with a divider that could be lowered completely.

Each seat was 21.5″ wide and had a pitch and bed length of 79″.

When the divider was down completely, the two seats essentially became one as there was no barrier at all.

Each QSuite had an enormous, crisp, high definition, touchscreen IFE screen.

The tray table popped out from below the IFE screen and above the foot well. I really liked the size of the foot well which was big enough for my size 12 feet.

At our seats was a small pillow, a blanket, and the new Qatar amenity kits on the counter top space to the right of the screen. Gone are the old Brics hard-shell kits.

Below the counter top was a small shelf perfect for passport and tablets.

The seat controls, IFE remote , 110V outlet, HDMI port, headphone jack and USB port were below.

Personally, I love when the IFE remote screen can double as a second screen for streaming entertainment.

Between the aisle and the side of the seat was a small storage bin where there was a bottle of Evian water, headphones, and literature magazines. The storage bin was large enough for our amenity kit and a small purse.

The fully enclosed suite had a sliding door. I may have moved it back and forth a few times…. With the doors closed there was a distinct private feel to the suite.

To the right of the headrest was a reading light and coat hook.

Each seat had a “Do Not Disturb” function which changed the illuminated seat light to red.

The cabin was beautiful. It felt both classy and minimal.

The contents of the beautiful amenity kit included ear plugs, eye mask, socks, Castello Monte Vibiano Vecchio lip balm, facial moisturizer, and hand cream. I loved the local design on the kit itself with a signature Qatari dhow.

The Oryx One branded headphones were average and I used my own Bose headphones.

Once we were situated, flight attendants came by with The White Company pajamas and slippers. The pajamas were so incredibly lightweight and comfortable, so much so that my significant other occasionally wears them around the house.

There was a nice pillow at the seat.

Additionally, there was a lighter small pillow with the inscription “Beautiful destinations often lead to everlasting memories” .

Shortly after we boarded, our lovely flight attendants came by and asked what we would like to drink. The pre-departure beverage was open bar and we could have anything from the menu. I had a flute of excellent Atair Etoile Rose. There was a also choice of hot or cold scented towel and I opted for the hot towel.

Our flight attendant also explained the concept of dine-on-demand and that we could have anything we wanted, whenever we wanted, during the flight.

• 

• 

The beverage menu was identical to the menu on our previous flight.

While our scheduled departure was supposed to be 7:45AM, we actually pushed back around 8AM. The taxi to the runway was long as we were part of the morning departure bank from DOH. Finally at 8:41AM we were airborne.

Fifteen minutes after take-off flight attendants came through with a beverage service and warmed nuts. I switched to the Lallier Champagne which was poured at the seat.

Refills of both my champagne and ramekin of nuts were pro-actively offered.

We decided to have breakfast immediately after take-off and the cabin crew set up our tables for dining. The electric candle made the dining experience feel intimate, especially once the suite doors were closed. We were given a bread basket and a tumbler of water.

I started off with the assiette of cold cuts. There was sliced turkey, cured beef , and mature cheddar with some boiled egg. This dish was average.

For my main breakfast meal I had the Traditional Arabic Breakfast. It was amazing. The feta cheese was tangy and crumbly, the mint was fresh and aromatic. In the bowl was ful medames, which is a stew of cooked fava beans in cumin and spices. It was topped with fresh tomatoes, parsley, and lemon juice. The pita bread was toasted perfectly and dipping the pita into the ful was simply divine.

My partner had the emmental cheese omelet with chicken herb patties and Lyonnaise potatoes. They enjoyed the omelets and said the patties were flavorful.

One thing I love about the QSuite seat is that even when the tray table is fully deployed, there was enough room for me to get up out of the seat without having to move the table.

To finish, we both had a cup of saffron karak chai (my favorite warm drink aboard Qatar Airways) which was served with a chocolate cookie.

Flight attendants made another pass through the cabin with warmed towels and a mint after the meal service.

Once we finished breakfast, both of us decided it way time to get some sleep. Sleeping in the lounge had been rough the night before and we were ready to take advantage of the QSuite bed.

Qatar Airways offers an amazing turn down service for the QSuite bed which entails adding a mattress pad, padding for in between the seats to even both of them out, and an extra sleeping pillow. The end result was a beautiful and extremely comfortable fully enclosed two bed suite.

They did a fantastic job of making the bed feel welcoming.

I found the bed to feel almost like an actual bed with the cushioning from the pad and the thick velvety blanket. The foot well had ample room for me to stretch out.

I managed to sleep almost six hours on this flight which was a testament to how comfortable it was.

Upon waking up, I was slightly hungry and decided to try a sampling of the snack menu. I had the crispy blue croquettes, white chocolate covered dates, and a chicken shawarma wrap.

Once my significant other woke up, we got the afternoon tea set to share. The scones were warmed perfectly and served with genuine clotted cream. The finger sandwich were smoked salmon, cucumber, and curried chicken. All three of the sandwiches were great. The chocolate cake and fruit tart were excellent as well. She another cup of the excellent karak chai.

With two hours until landing, we opted to have lunch. Our tables were set again with a bread basket. I started with the Signature Arabic Mezze. It featured traditional hummus, fresh tabouleh, and moutabel (eggplant dip) with warmed pita. Delicious.

For my main I had the grilled tenderloin of beef with Béarnaise sauce. Regrettably, the beef was cooked medium-well.

We both shared the cheese plate which was wonderful. I enjoyed the variety of crackers which I feel many other airlines neglect. The cheese selection consisted of an excellent Bleu d’Auvergne, Pont-I’Eveque, and provolone. Accompaniments included date paste cubes, thinly sliced carrots, and fresh grapes.

The highlight of the meal was the dessert. We shared a sticky toffee and date pudding that was warmed to a perfect temperature. It was gooey and over the top decadent. There was a crispy caramel piece a top and garnished Arabic dates. A bed of rich butterscotch sauce brought this dish to another level. This was my favorite airline dessert hands down.

I finished lunch with an Americano.

We had a smooth final into Chicago O’Hare and touched down at 1:49PM local time. The taxi to Terminal 5 was quick by O’Hare standards. Upon deplaning we were big a hearty farewell by the amazing cabin crew.

In my opinion, Qatar Airways is well deserving of their title as the Airline of the Year for 2019 and Worlds Best Business Class. The crew was incredibly warm, friendly, and ever accommodating. They were always passing through the cabin, offering drink refills, and water. The dine on demand service and expansive in-flight menu was exceptional. In addition, the comfortable bedding and the ability to cuddle with my partner made this an incredible experience; one that I will remember for a very long time.