Review: Qatar Airways B787 Business Class, Doha-Manila

 

Qatar Airways B787 business class, Doha to Manila


Trip to Dubai, Abu Dhabi & Cebu Flying Qatar Airways & Turkish Airlines Business Class

Flight: QR928
Departure time in Doha (DOH): 8:20
Arrival time in Manila (MNL): 22:45
Aircraft: Boeing 787 (A7-BCA)
Seat: 3A
Duration: 9h 25m
Date of flight: April 3, 2022
*This is an award ticket, Business Class flight #225

Video on YouTube



Qatar Airways Al Safwa Lounge

Although we were only flying in business class, our Platinum status with Qatar Airways gave us access to the coveted Al Safwa Lounge, exclusively for Qatar Airways first class passengers.
 
We were lucky as there was an available twin room where we could take a nap for 4 hours.

Then, it was time for a healthy breakfast. Unlike the Emirates First Class Lounge in Dubai, I find the food offering of Qatar Airways sub par.

Doha Hamad Airport

If you are transferring in Doha, it is hard to miss the famous "Lamp Bear" in the center of the Terminal.

Harrods 👍

Boarding, Gate E21

To get to our gates, we took the shuttle to E gates.

Art in Gates C, D, E

Boarding started around 7:12am beginning with those needing assistance, then regular economy class passengers.

Since the aircraft was parked in a remote stand, there was no priority boarding. Instead, business class passengers boarded last, (or took the bus to the aircraft last).

Fortunately, there was a separate bus for business class passengers.

The seats were also business class 👍

Aircraft, Boeing 787

Our ride to Manila

Business Class Cabin

The business class cabin has a total of 22 seats in a 1-2-1 configuration giving aisle access to all passengers. The flight was full as expected.

Business class cabin, B787

Cockpit

View of cockpit from my seat

Seat 3A

Welcome to my seat, 3A

Seat 3A

This blanket is probably the best blanket in business class.

The personal screen is average size.

IFE controller, seat controls

Literature rack, protective kit, bottle of water, amenity kit

Safety card, air-sickness bag, menu card and wine list

Under the right armrest is the storage for the headphones.

The headphones were mediocre.

Sadly, it was also damaged so I had to ask for a new one.

From the movie selection, I ended up watching the film Free Guy.

Amenity Kit

The amenity kit consisted of a Brics bag containing socks, eyeshades and products from Monte Vibiano Vecchio.

Pre-departure Beverage, Towel

Around 8:15am, the captain came on the PA to welcome us onboard and give us some flight information, among others our flight time to Manila being 8 hours and 15 minutes.

The crew working in the business class cabin were all Filipinos so I felt "at home". Moments after settling in, I was offered something to drink and chose a glass of apple juice which was served with a hot towel.

Dining

Menu card and wine list

Menu card

Menu card

Menu card

Wine list

Wine list

Wine list

Wine list

The flight attendant took my order and I decided to have the lobster cocktail for brunch and then for my dinner before landing, I ordered the Jumbo Prawns.

The safety video was played at 8:27am, push back was at 8:31am and 15 minutes later, we were airborne. Minutes after the seat belt sign was turned off, drinks and mixed nuts were served.

The Madras Lobster cocktail open faced sandwich was very good 😋

I ordered a cup of green tea and then went to sleep. I actually slept for a few hours which was very much needed. About 2 hours before landing, I decided to ask the crew to serve my dinner.

The soup was very good according to Mike.

For my appetizer, I chose the lobster cocktail which was again very good. It was served with some artisan bread.

For my drinks, I had the Chai Latte which was fantastic.

Unfortunately, the flight attendant miscalculated the number of jumbo prawns and when it was time to serve it, nothing was left. I was given the option to have the chicken or the pasta and ended up ordering the latter.

For my dessert, I had the lovely Pandan and tapioca pudding 😋

The meal service ended with some pralines. It seems that Läderach has replaced the Godiva chocolates.

A hot towel was also offered.

Complimentary Wifi

There was free wifi connection up to 8MB which was mainly for messaging.

Lavatory

The lavatory was always kept clean, which is a big plus.

There were also dental kits and shaving kits. It seems like Diptyque has replaced Rituals in providing the lavatory amenities.

Airshow

Airshow enroute to Manila

Landing in Manila

Around 9:10pm, the captain was back on the PA to give us some update, we would start our descend in 10-15 minutes and will land in 45-50 minutes. Moments later, the crew collected the menu card. At 9:33pm, they started spraying the cabin.

We landed in Manila 9:53pm, way ahead of schedule.

We reached our gate seven minutes later.

As business class passengers, we were among the first ones to disembark.

A jeepney, the most common form of public transportation in the Philippines.

We got our baggage from belt 2 and were soon on the way to Terminal 2 to take our domestic flight to Cebu.

CONCLUSION

It has been awhile since I last flew on Qatar Airways. Nothing much had changed, the service is still top notch and the seats were one of the best there is, as well as the food offering. Although there had been a couple of issues (the damaged headphones and my main course not being served despite pre-ordering it), the flight was still great overall. To all the crew on this flight, Shukran!

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