As a US-based flyer, after I consider the large Center Jap airways I consider epic long-haul flights on 777s, A380s, and different large planes. However can these airways ship an excellent expertise on smaller single-aisle plane?
We bought to seek out out on an A320 flight from Doha to Zanzibar on Qatar Airways, Skytrax’s finest airline on this planet for 2024. Over the course of the six-hour flight we bought an in depth have a look at the airline’s narrowbody enterprise class seat and “medium-haul” service type.
So what must you anticipate onboard a Qatar A320 in contrast with their 777s, 787s, A350s, or A380s? Learn on to seek out out. And as ordinary we now have some window seat views so that you can get pleasure from alongside the way in which.
Premium cabin passengers get entry to a devoted check-in space and safety checkpoint.
We needed to take a second to understand the well-known lampshade bear sculpture. Is it cool? Is it bizarre? Is it each? You be the decide.
There’s a ton of excellent meals and helpful facilities on the airline’s Al Mourjan lounges. We’ll have a separate story about Qatar’s lounges and the bottom expertise at their Doha mega-hub.
Despite the fact that the terminal at Hamad Worldwide is large, Qatar Airways has grown a lot lately that a number of the airline’s operations are at distant stands as a substitute of jetways. That does add a little bit of trouble. However from an AvGeek perspective it means nice views of the motion on the ramp:
Meet the Seat
We rolled as much as the Airbus A320 that may be taking us on our six-hour journey to Zanzibar.
Qatar has two totally different enterprise class seat configurations on their A320 fleet. One has recliner seats such as you’d discover on most airways’ A320 or 737 enterprise lessons. However the different configuration, designed for longer flights like ours, options twelve lie-flat seats up entrance.
The Collins Diamond seat design has two seats per row on all sides of the aisle. It’s a nicer seat design if you happen to’re touring as a pair, since in any other case there isn’t a lot privateness out of your neighbor.
General it’s an excellent seat for an A320 enterprise class cabin. Not fairly nearly as good as another single-aisle enterprise class seats that provide unobstructed aisle entry for each seat, like JetBlue Mint for instance. However nonetheless effectively above common.
Service bought began with a whats up from the flight attendant, a pre-departure drink in actual glassware, and an intro to the airline’s dine-on-demand service. Should you’re flying Qatar enterprise keep in mind to have a look at the menu early since they take your full meal and drink order earlier than takeoff.
Even at night time it’s straightforward to understand the superb scale of Doha’s Hamad Worldwide Airport. Take a look at the view as we took off:
Because the Doha metropolis lights light behind us the double-chimes went off and the flight attendants kicked into excessive gear.
Beginning the service
We have been invited to have meals at any time and any order, as is the same old for Qatar flights. Right here’s a have a look at the menu for the flight:
And right here’s a have a look at the drink record:
Pasta could be boring as an inflight meal. This dish wasn’t. It tasted nice and I appreciated the recent greens.
A fast dessert rounded out the meal.
Our flight attendant crew was superb. Nonetheless, we might inform that the labor-intensive dine-on-demand service type had them engaged on overdrive.
Settling in for the lengthy(ish)-haul
Inflight leisure methods differ throughout Qatar’s fleet. On this A320 the display screen was giant, and the library of flicks and TV was a lot for this flight although not as expansive as Emirates’ system, for instance. The inflight map design took me again to the 2000s.
These seats go totally flat if you’re able to sleep.
It was a smooth and cozy mattress, and the airline’s bedding is great. I bought a couple of hours of high quality sleep earlier than waking up in time for a pre-landing view and breakfast.
Similar to dinner, breakfast was plated superbly.
For a breakfast on the finish of a medium-haul flight this felt method above common.
The views on descent into Zanzibar have been lovely:
The decision
All in all, this was a comfortable trip for a medium-haul narrowbody flight. Certain, all else being equal its a nicer trip on Qatar’s longer-haul widebodies. Particularly if you happen to’re flying solo, because the A320 seat doesn’t supply the identical common direct aisle entry or privateness that Qsuite and Qatar’s different widebody enterprise class seats do. However you continue to get the advantages of a cushty lie-flat seat with good finishes. In the long run it’s a ok platform to permit the airline’s service to shine and to land effectively rested.
Simply keep in mind that a part of the airline’s A320 fleet has normal recliner-type seats. So that you’ll need to take note of the seat map if you ebook.
We’ll be again with extra tales about our time flying Qatar Airways, together with a long-haul expertise with their QSuites seat. Within the meantime, tell us your ideas within the feedback part beneath.
