Travelling to Doha with Qatar Airlines is the business
What’s it like to fly business class? Chiara Rinaldi found out on a Qatar Airways flight from Cardiff Airport to Doha
IT was perhaps just a little bit obvious that it was my first time sitting at the front end of a plane.
“Once you fly business class you’ll never go back,” warned the passenger behind me.
I removed my eye mask to nod at him and sprayed on some more hydrating facial mist before taking another selfie.
Shoes off, complimentary socks on, cocktail in hand and my own bowl of nuts to nibble on. All while on the tarmac at Cardiff Airport.
How bizarre that right now I could see Rhoose out of the window.
This is the first long-haul flight I’ve ever taken from Cardiff Airport.
Qatar Airways now provides Wales’ first direct link to the Middle East, with daily flights to Doha operating for the last six months.
The airline has the world’s youngest fleet and its business class seats are consistently ranked among the best – they won Skytrax Best Business Class in the World 2018 and their newest aircraft even offer a double bed.
The first thing I learned is that business class passengers don’t queue.
When you’re a holder of a silver ticket you get the VIP treatment the moment you arrive at the airport.
It was hard not to burst into song like Charlie Bucket as I visited a separate check-in desk, followed by a fast-track lane through security.
And when you’re cleared, there’s no need to wait in line for a latte.
Cardiff ’s departure lounge has had a £4m revamp since I last visited, adding more space, seating and shops.
They’ve also upped their offering for executive flyers, launching the 51° Lounge (named after the airport’s map co-ordinates) with its own bar, snacks and all the Welsh cakes you can eat.
From the window we spotted the Boeing 787 Dreamliner we’d be travelling in, which has 22 business class seats, almost all occupied that day.
For many on board, this was the first leg before flying on from Qatar to another destination. One man I spoke to was heading for South Africa to visit his nephew, another to China for business.
With such long journeys ahead of them you can see why they’d upgrade just for the extra room.
The seats were amazing, roomy, with almost complete privacy.
The controls could lever you in almost every direction, from putting your feet up to a completely flat bed. There was even built-in back massage.
In front, a touch-screen entertainment system offered films, games and TV shows, with WiFi, USB ports and plugs for your gadgets.
There were enough cupboards and table space so I didn’t need to use an overhead locker.
A secret compartment in the armrest opened to reveal a bottle of Evian and headphones.
There were small touches of luxury everywhere to remind us we were special, such as a bag of toiletries with my own eye mask, socks, moisturiser, lip balm and hydrating mist.
Even the seatbelt was fancy, with extra padding for comfort, and a well-stocked loo had a view through a window.
Above all, what was most impressive was the food and service.
Rather than everyone eating together at the same time, they operate a dine-on-demand menu, and there’s even a wine list.
After ordering my three-course meal, my tray was transformed into a dining table with a white tablecloth, salt and pepper mills, proper cutlery, a bread basket and even a lantern for romance.
I was then brought an amusebouche of smoked salmon, as if I was at a fine-dining restaurant.
To start, I had the Arabic mezze, three pots of hummus, tabouleh and moutabel (a spicy aubergine dip) served with Arabic bread. It was perfect plane food, attractive, tasty and refreshing.
So I probably went overboard with the main course, a heartier grilled tenderloin of beef, with crushed new potatoes and vegetables in Béarnaise sauce.
Heaven knows how they prepare it in the small galley.
The dessert of sticky toffee pudding was restaurant quality, so I couldn’t risk leaving any of it.
Our flight time was six hours and 45 minutes, which really passed too quickly.
In that time I was presented with a small box of Godiva chocolates, which I really didn’t need, but ate anyway.
Then best of all, before landing I had a cup of tea in a porcelain mug. Even I had to decline the selection of biscuits by this point.
And the service didn’t end when I left the plane – now I know how celebrities always look so fresh for the airport paps.
I arrived at the huge Hamad International Airport on time just after midnight.
A monorail whisked us through the futuristic hub to Arrivals, where I flashed my silver ticket to bypass the queues and entered the business class lounge.
A porter was sent to retrieve my luggage from the carousel, while I enjoyed the hospitality of even more refreshments.
From there, it took minutes to leave via a queue-free passport control to my taxi waiting outside the door. Amazing!
A few days later I was back at the