Flight Review - Qatar Airlines 787 Business Class Dublin to Doha

[@macktravels68]

One of the best channels. Love your videos, Matt!! Great sense of humor as well.

[@MattsPlanet]

Thanks! Congrats on the 1k yourself

[@macktravels68]

@@MattsPlanet Thank you!

[@charlescampion9898]

Thanks Matt. Having learnt your trick of re-positioning, we are heading from LHR to Stockholm, to get on a Qatar 787 to Doha, and then on to Adelaide. Cannot wait !

[@MattsPlanet]

That's great to hear. Glad I could help! You say "we" so it sounds like you convinced your plus one to come too, which doesn't always happen!!!

[@charlescampion9898]

Indeed. We are actually then heading on to Auckland and Palmerston North. Leave LHR on Tuesday morning and arrive Friday night. But it is cheaper. All good fun !@@MattsPlanet

[@tonytony3895]

Your presentation is highly interesting to watch. Thank you very much and take care

[@MattsPlanet]

Thanks Tony

[@alexmcwhirter6611]

Another fascinating video Matt and a routing which few (if any) have reported on so far. Delighted you took advantage of sixth-freedom aviation ! Looking forward to sector # 2.

[@MattsPlanet]

Thanks Alex. My A330 ordeal will be along next week!

[@alexmcwhirter6611]

@@MattsPlanet I had hoped it would not be an "ordeal" ! Last flew QR in the early part of the 2000s when it operated A300s on the London route. Was impressed with the premium cabin service. Interviewed some management in Doha but unfortunately at that time the big boss was out of town.

[@ployaerials1033]

Another excellent video Matt. Look forward to your next leg.

[@MattsPlanet]

Thanks - next leg will be along 3pm Sunday...

[@IndochineUK]

I have no idea how you manage to be so witty (and charming) at 5 BWAAAAH in the morning, an intro that made me chuckle several times Trevor! I also wish crew weren’t able to override the window tints on a Dreamliner, I’m sure we’ve all eaten a few meals in dismal lighting. Another Classic Matt video. 😊 Lyny x

[@MattsPlanet]

Did you spot the fox? Runs past me almost exactly a minute in.... Didn't spot it during any of the editing! The windows do annoy me but I can understand the rationale - I think it allows the windows to be bigger than they would be with shades...

[@JB_Stitch]

Another great video Matt. I flew on the Qatar 787-8 between Gothenburg and Doha as part of a GOT-DOH-SYD itinerary back in February 2020 and I think it's a great seat, obviously not as good as Q-Suite but very comfortable and plenty of storage as you point out. It does lack privacy, but that wasn't an issue on my flights as I was one of only three passengers travelling in the cabin. I've heard the A330s are not great so I'm looking forward to seeing/hearing your thoughts in the next video. I'm not certain, but I think the lack of alcohol on the ground at Dublin is down to a tax/excise issue.

[@MattsPlanet]

Thanks - if the QSuite didn't exist I think people would still be raving about how good the 787 is! The A330 is a step down! It sounded like a PDB champagne was normal for DUB but you can never really tell unless you fly it every week!

[@colinrenfrew48]

Another great video!

[@MattsPlanet]

Thanks Colin

[@visions1970]

Off to Dublin again tomorrow but from LBA this time. There is something about DUB though that I really like., other than trying to return the hire car... I am flying Qatar for the first time in October so looking forward to trying their offering. Great video, thanks!

[@MattsPlanet]

Thanks - DUB is my preferred ex-eu stating point these days.... 3 times in the last year now! Can get busy in the terminal but the place does work...

[@GLAFly]

Found this very useful, as i'm expecting the same aircraft type on my flight from DOH-DUB at the end of the month. I'll be connecting off of an LAX-DOH Qsuites (hopefully) flight, so will be interesting to see the difference between the two - but this has given me a really good idea of what to expect onboard. Great job as usual!

[@MattsPlanet]

Thanks mate. Just saw Qatar is reopening the BUE route but not yet... So I think lax-doh remains the longest q suite flight .. despite what nonstop Dan claimed in his video - that's the longest route but not the longest flight!!

[@CallumElsdon]

Enjoyed the video Matt and fair analysis of the older seat - though bad news...Airbus are making the dimmable windows an option on the A350 too!

[@MattsPlanet]

Grrrrrrr..... If they work and the crew can't override them then I'd be OK with it!

[@Joe-lb8qn]

Nice and also useful as ill be flying a 2 leg to doha later this year so looking forward to part 2, ive no idea what plane ill be on at several months away that wont be fixed anyway. Re the shambles at Doha and surly staff for transfers you mentioned, friends of mine last year were not transiting but doha was their destination and after being told to go the wrong way they ended up landside without going through immigration! Im not sure how they got their luggage.

[@MattsPlanet]

Wow! It's a great airport but you do see some horror stories of things going wrong there. And you can never be certain which Qatar aircraft you're going to get until you're actually on it!

[@peterbrown6224]

I've flown QR ex-EU a few times, and that security check at DOH really does interrupt the transfer. I cannot recall if they offered a J lane, just that it was always a scrimmage. The quality of the flight and the lounge usually made up for it, I've only had one bad sector with them.

[@MattsPlanet]

Thanks Peter. Last time I arrived up the other end on a delayed flight which arrived between the daily peaks and I was straight through.... There is usually a premium lane and one was signed up the Orchard end but it had been subsumed into the general scrum....

[@thecosmicyak1370]

I'm booked Dub-Doh in May in Economy and tried using my avios to upgrade to business for myself and my partner for our honeymoon but although there are seats available to purchase with money they had none available as award tickets/avios upgrades... absolutely gutted as that's the only reason I transferred my Amex points into Avios otherwise I would've put them into Turkish which I already have status with.... ah well!

[@MattsPlanet]

My advice would be to keep trying... Availability is always being tweaked....

[@VisualApproach]

The secondary boarding pass scan is a very big thing on QR. Not sure if it's for "security" reasons or what.

[@MattsPlanet]

It's no big deal... When someone does something no-one else does there's usually a very clever reason or a very stupid one!

[@rogerbird380]

I haven't managed to find am excuse to fly Qatar as yet... but hopefully I will one day. 🙂 I've read that equipment swaps are fairly regular though.

[@MattsPlanet]

They are known for changing equipment... Hopefully it'll get better now they're barney with Airbus is over.... But then again, perhaps not!

[@jonnylons1]

Hi Matt, just a quick suggestion for a trip/video …Madrid to LHR on Iberia business, from terminal 4S at barajas airport, you could check out both the priority pass lounge (up all of the escalators) AND the one world/Iberia lounge (accessed via T 4S duty free). I do it about once a month and for me the Iberia lounge is just about as good as a lounge gets overall. Worst case scenario, Madrid is not a bad place to visit!

[@MattsPlanet]

Hi Jonathan. Been through 4S in MAD a few times, but not since I started the channel. And I agree - its a bit of a gem, even though its in a weird place!!! Not done the PP one... I am looking at burning a two-fer on an Iberia trip so would be there for that and would look to cover it then... And MAD is really nice too!

[@orionbaden-powell1496]

He'd better wear a decent pair of shoes. It's a stupid airport full of impracticalities.

[@bulletcruise]

Hope you managed to get to the sushi and sit down dinner part of the Doha lounge. I remember last time you missed it. From the little video clip of your gnt it looked like you did.

[@MattsPlanet]

It was a much better experience this time through.... Although annoyingly I wasn't even remotely hungry! But if I had been - no worries!

[@bulletcruise]

@@MattsPlanet haha.. carry a doggy bag for plane snacks next time

[@irishinusa1615]

Great information Matt. Any advice on using Avios and linking BA status to this airline?

[@MattsPlanet]

Qatar is in OneWorld so BA status carries over... And Qatar uses Avios so you can move them across for redemptions.... Although BA claims everything you can book on Qatar's site can also be booked through BA.

[@markwebster3205]

Matt, I'm probably being very dense but how did you book this? I have around 150k in avios and would like fly to BKK and back with my partner. Probably only enough for part of it but do you have a video on how to actually book it?

[@MattsPlanet]

I booked this one through BA - I could also have done it through Qatar's website. I have accounts with both and can move avios back and forth instantly. Everything available on Qatar should be visible on the BA site, although having a (free) Qatar account is probably a handy backup....

[@redcomusic]

Any Qatar Airways flight is a superb flight as long as it's narrated by the NEW Robin Leach! 🤩

[@MattsPlanet]

I'll take that comparison! More like Lifestyles of the Thrifty and Value Conscious....

[@RockfordFiles74]

Keep debating to myself whether US pre-clearance at Dublin airport is worth overnighting at an airport hotel like you did, or even risking a Ryanair connection? Last couple experiences at US entry were 50min+ of awful queuing

[@MattsPlanet]

There's a lot to be said for clearing on the ground, although the one time I did it in Dublin (pre-mu KZbin channel) there were staff shortages and it took forever - it took so long that the flights were delayed for an hour or two as the pax caught up... Best of all is Global Entry - I made a video about that a few weeks back!

[@lifelessordinaryxyz]

I find the media system on Qatar lets it down - its a bit clunky to navigate and some of the UI choices are just odd.. Flew the 787 DOH -HKT and have to say it is a decent consolation to Q-Suite. Good to know that there is still a risk of it being switched out for the 2-2-2 config though on that route.

[@MattsPlanet]

Thanks - it was a 787 when I booked DOH-HKT! Hopefully the equipment changes die down now the dispute with Airbus is over... Although it seems to be a Qatar thing to shift planes around....

[@philsam123]

I've always had Qatar on my list Business is a bit tough to find for cheap, I might look at using DUB instead of LHR.

[@MattsPlanet]

Oslo used to be a sweetspot and other scandi cities are worth a look too... Prices do seem to be inching back down slowly so there may be interesting options out there.

[@philsam123]

@@MattsPlanet I’ve heard HEL can sometimes have a great deal with oneworld airlines.

[@nafeekarim1234]

❤ Qatar airways Me and my mom got upgraded from economy to busniess class long haul flight Boston To Doha very comfortable flight.

[@MattsPlanet]

That's a fantastic upgrade! I hope you really enjoyed it!

[@peterhastings703]

Interesting route, Matt - I'll check it out. I've got a voucher with Qatar to use this year (from an OSL-DOH-SIN QSuite trip booked just before the you know what in Jan 2020). They have been generous with extensions and I'm working on a similar trip to SE Asia and maybe combining a hop across to NZ, but I've been looking more at starting in Scandiavia. Have you ever used the cheap Doha stopover hotel deals that QR (or Discover Qatar) offer? I had one booked on my original trip, but would be interested to hear any experiences?

[@MattsPlanet]

Thanks Peter. I did include a stopover on one occasion - a far nicer hotel than I'd ordinarily have stayed in for next to nothing... Not a brand I recognised (or remember!) but a Middle Eastern brand trying to be first class. I quite like Doha and would recommend it for a couple of nights if you have the chance - quite a lot to see and in some ways its still got some authenticity that Dubai has long since lost...

[@williamavery5322]

Useful vid. Noticed you did an overnight. Thinking of an LHR morning flight to align with the 13:50 flight. Is 4hr transfer time sufficient or would you recommend the overnight?

[@MattsPlanet]

First flights of the day are less likely to be delayed than last flights, so 4 hours should be enough. There will always be a risk whenever you travel which can only be fully mitigated with an overnight but a 4 hour morning transfer is a very low risk.... A 13:50 flight would give you plenty of time to get back from the city if you went the day before and a night in Dublin is never a bad thing if you ask me! This flight was a pre-8am departure so I went for an airport hotel.

[@williamavery5322]

Ah. Decisions. It is also contingent on work schedule as I’d end up in Doha either late evening with a whole day there before onward to CPT or evening in DOH. Neither are bad options in my book.

[@williamavery5322]

Also thinking there is another comfortably timed BA after the one I would get as a contingency?

[@MattsPlanet]

@@williamavery5322 Indeed - Doha is often overlooked as a stopover... I actually quite like the place....

[@MattsPlanet]

@@williamavery5322 I'd certainly have some contingencies in mind.... If the first flight gets cancelled BA may well put you on the later one anyway...

[@johnathankain8033]

A fully cold option lounge is really annoying to me. BA's Club Lounge in Aberdeen is one such place that rarely if ever features hot food. And i don't understand what the challenge really is.

[@MattsPlanet]

Particularly as airline breakfasts can be a little underwhelming...

[@aidankerr1125]

The UK outstation lounges now have got filled breakfast rolls in addition to the porridge. Post-breakfast there are hot meat pies and a hot soup.

[@jon-ie4li]

A380 business on Qatar the best way to travel, Steak and eggs for breakfast and coffee in the bar, why do you need a door, just angle the seat to the window, Flown 787 in business on Vietnam Airlines lhr sgn a few times , far better seat.

[@MattsPlanet]

Thanks Jon. Did the A380 before the channel and that bar is fun...

[@rtb5365]

Ah, grumpy ground security staff...I thought LAX had a monopoly on them? :) Still, it does make the transit experience less arduous if the staff are friendly. Regarding the 787 windows and crew preference - not sure about how Qatar staff are trained to handle such requests, but I know on other airlines (thinking AA here) that if the shades are locked they can be unlocked after takeoff if you ask the crew. Depends on how much you're bothered. The thing I like about this config is that you can easily exit the seat with the table deployed. Regarding Dublin airport - like yourself, I think it really works well as an ex-EU starting point. Have used the Clayton airport hotel, which is approximately 7-10 minutes away by shuttle bus. Looking forward to the next one.

[@MattsPlanet]

Thanks RTB. I have stayed further afield before but with a 07:25 flight the extra 15 minutes sleep possible from staying within the airport was worth it!

[@adriver4471]

I definitely agree with being somewhat exposed in the 787 business class seat especially when trying to sleep, it just feels like a door should be there Disagree on the window blinds = there’s normally always someone with their window blind open letting a lot of light into the cabin when most people are trying to sleep Economy seats on Qatar’s 787’s are really narrow and the width of the seat just doesn’t seem enough Going from Qatar’s A380 economy class seat to their 787 economy class seat is a huge difference Business class seats and the service with Qatar is always very good 👍

[@MattsPlanet]

Thanks... I think I disagree with your disagree... Yes it can be annoying if someone opens a blind when you're trying to sleep, but there are eyemasks provided for that eventuality... I do want to do an economy flight but I am 6'4" (ish) and I can't bring myself to do it as long as I have avios to spend on business seats!

[@jonnylons1]

I would 100% expect Champagne before take off, 7am or not. Very annoying they didn’t provide that.

[@MattsPlanet]

Some have said its a Irish tax thing, they said at the time that it was a ground restriction imposed on the day. Who knows! It was annoying, but it ended up being a long day so I did catch up on my champagne intake!

[@well-blazeredman6187]

My heart tends to sink when I see another Qatar Business-class review - but you get points for the unusual route and more for getting the aircraft-type downgrade! Good review, with lots of points of interest. Qatar stands 4th in the spreadsheet, well behind the Singapore/Emirates bitchfight for 2nd place. The airline doesn't seem to have a good customer support function.

[@MattsPlanet]

Afternoon WBM - I feel we should be on first name terms after all these interactions! Qatar has indeed been well covered - I tried to be different... I'm lucky that I've never had anything go wrong with a Qatar flight so haven't had to test the service, but I've heard its not brilliant... And as you'll see in next week's video, the ground experience is not perfect by any means... Also flew on Singapore on this trip and I think you'll find that review to be interesting in a few weeks... Who is number 1 on the spreadsheet?

[@well-blazeredman6187]

@@MattsPlanet Jet2 - with an substantial lead! And they've done that without either a 'book the cook' service or putting their stewardesses into sarong kebayas. I'll look forward to that Singapore review. Hoping to fly with them this year. P.S. Please excuse my anonymity. I say some pretty forthright things about some of the more evil world leaders, so take care with my cyber-security - but I'll stop for a chat if we pass in an airport.

[@alexmcwhirter6611]

I wouldn't say it's am "unusual route." Matt is using sixth-freedom aviation to maximum advantage ... it offers Dublin-Phuket with only one change. He may also have secured a better fare deal flying from Dublin rather than London and would have saved having to pay APD (which is costly for a premium class ticket).

[@MattsPlanet]

@@well-blazeredman6187 Thanks WBM. Flew Jet2 last week as it happens and they were really rather good! Not sure I'd pick them over Singapore but I can see how they would score well! And no worries with the anonymity - I already have an eye open for stylish blazer wearers when I'm in airports!

[@IWTBF]

12:01 can’t go wrong with good old plastic window shutter

[@MattsPlanet]

I tend to agree!

[@NeesyPlaysGuitar]

I'll be taking this flight with the plebs in economy in a couple of weeks.. it didn't look TOO awful, although I am aclimated to budget flights from dublin to skavsta in a ryanair tin can, so I'm an easy sell!

[@MattsPlanet]

I did a few Qatar economy flights before the channel - including DOH-MEL which was a bit of a monster - and they were all decent. Nothing exceptional but much better than a ryanair experience!

[@kevindonnelly6007]

Wow, those seats suuuuuuck from a privacy perspective. If I'm paying for a business class seat, I want to feel cocooned.

[@MattsPlanet]

You feel cocooned in a window seat of the A330 in the next video!!!

[@brianc-i2i]

Is that a fox at 1:01 ?! (next to the bench)

[@MattsPlanet]

Great eyes Brian!!! I must have seen that clip 5 time during editing and never spotted it! Right in the middle of an airport too!

[@IWTBF]

Lots of aircraft changes recently it seems

[@MattsPlanet]

I think Qatar's always been guilty of this...

[@OneEyeBobbyJoe]

Recently i took LAX>DOH>CRK on Qatar, there service has been very lackluster. Not enough menu items on hand, poor attitude etc. Imo they dont need to get the attention they have been. Singapore and Emirates are still hands down much better overall

[@MattsPlanet]

That's a really long way round! Must have been excited to get off at the end of that trip... DOH to CRK probably a leisure route so not as focussed a service?

[@IWTBF]

9:53 strange seats there

[@MattsPlanet]

There's something quite appealing about their separation from the rest of the cabin. Until you remember the toilets 3 feet away...

[@peetbothma6982]

Thanks Matt. Really don't like the foot cubby's🥵. Flew Qatar's 787 in economy from Doha to Antalya in economy and it was very good. The 350 to from and to SA was a lot beter to my mind👍🇿🇦. They a very good airline

[@MattsPlanet]

Doha to Antalya's not a long flight - probably managable in economy! A330 next flight... The A350 is better!

[@nuckymcnuck]

DUB Terminal 1 is where the promise of a better future goes to die

[@MattsPlanet]

A wise man once said...

[@rossvlogs3617]

Who spotted the fox ? 😂

[@MattsPlanet]

I hadn't!!!! I must have watched that clip 5 times when editing and never noticed!!!