HKT-DOH (Qatar Airways B787-8 Business Class)
A world-class airline with world-class Business Class seats and service, a great start to Part 1 of the journey to Finland!
HKT-DOH (Qatar Airways B787-8 Business Class)
DOH-AMS (Qatar Airways QSuites)
AMS-LHR-HEL (British Airways and Finnair Economy Class)
Hilton Helsinki Strand
GLO Hotel Kluuvi
Helsinki Highlights
HEL-SIN (Finnair New Premium Economy Class)
Boarding
After my visit to the Coral Executive Lounge, I proceeded to the gate which was just below the lounge level and a short walk from the escalator. I was surprised that the boarding had started already, although there was still about 45 mins before takeoff!
Flight Details
Flight No.: QR843
Aircraft: B787-8
Seat
As I entered the plane and turned left, I had my first glimpses of the business class cabin, which had seats in a 1-2-1 configuration.
Qatar Airways has two types of B-787 aircraft, the B787-8 and B787-9. I was on the older version, with Collins Super Diamond Reverse Herringbone seats.
Qatar Airways B787-8 Business Class layout (from Aerolopa)
I was seated in 3K, a window seat towards the right side of the aircraft.
Seat 3K, my seat for this flight
The first impressions of this seat were really positive, I especially liked the wooden finishings of the tray table and the counter tops! I felt that it matched perfectly with the seat colours and Qatar Airways’ signature burgundy shades.
A thickish-like blanket and pillow adorned with Qatar Airways’ 25th Anniversary design was placed on the seat, together with the amenity kit, a care pack and a bottle of water at the adjacent counter top.
The seat controls were located beside the armrest (where the headphones jack were located), and were intuitive to use. The buttons were pretty sensitive too.
There was plenty of legroom below and I barely even touched the footrest, as you can see in the picture below. The tray table was also really large, and I especially like the wooden undertones, which gave a classy feel to the overall dining experience as you will see later on.
Back to the seat counter top, there is also where the reading lights and in-flight menus are located. There were also electrical and USB points near the seat controls, an ergonomic location for convenient charging and using of your electronic devices, an important feature that is surprisingly overlooked in some airlines.
Some individuals would be glad to know that there are individual air vents above your seats, to adjust air circulation.
In terms of storage, I was limited to just below the footrest and a slim cubby beside the seat, where the headphones were also located.
The middle seats will be suitable for couples and close relatives/friends, to be closer to your seatmate, however the seat positions are such that you will be at a slight distance away, as you can observe in the picture below.
Qatar Airways B787-8 Business Class Cabin and Middle Seats
Amenity Kit and Amenities
Once I settled down in my seat, I started to look at the amenity kit, which was supplied by Diptyque, one of my missus’s favourite brands. Though I was surprised that it was given in a gift pack (looked very pretty though) instead of a mini travel bag.
The contents were pretty comprehensive, with a hand lotion, hand cream, lip balm, eau de toilette, earplugs and eye shades provided.
There was also a protective kit provided by Qatar Airlines, which was really appreciated given that some airlines had already stopped providing these during my period of travel.
Noise-cancelling headphones were also provided, which did the job well enough.
Food and Beverages
Upon reaching my seat, service commenced with the crew providing a pre-departure drink and hot towel. I chose the Qatar Airways’ signature lemon mint drink, which is always super refreshing.
While waiting for the flight commencement, I had a look at the in-flight dining and wine menu. The covers were the theme of Qatar Airways’ 25th Anniversary, which looked very sleek.
I decided on my order selection and at just this time, we taxied for take-off and the in-flight safety video was played, again a football theme with huge football stars from past and present. It felt like Cafu never retired?
Qatar Airways In-Flight Safety Video (Cafu still looks as good as ever!)
In terms of champagne, Qatar Airways offers 2 main types: Charles Heidseck Brut Reserve (rating of 4.2/5 from Vivino) and Tattinger Prestige Rose France (rating of 4.1/5 from Vivino). I tried both champagnes, but went with the Tattinger Rose for the pre-starters with my warm nuts.
I also tried the Dow’s 20 Year Old Tawny Port (rating of 4.3/5 from Vivino) and while it has a mostly sweet undertone, I decided that the slightly “medicinal” aftertaste wasn’t really for me.
Pre-starters: Tattinger Rose and Warm Nuts
For the starter, I went with the Phuket blue swimmer crab cake with wasabi aioli. Oh boy, was the portion huge! It was also very delicious.
Starters: Phuket blue swimmer crab cake with wasabi aioli.
For the mains, I had the roasted herb crust snapper fillet. I was about full when I tried the mains, but found the snapper fillet to be really tender and saltiness to be just right. I did not manage to finish the baked potatoes and vegetables, but I tasted a portion and they were all right.
Mains: roasted herb crust snapper fillet
Although I was really full at this point, I still squeezed every ounce of stomach space I could have to try the dessert, a thai tea mousse dome with raspberry macaron. This cleansed my palate and was absolutely delightful, a nice ending to my meal service.
Dessert: thai tea mousse dome with raspberry macaron
Overall, a great meal service, as always with Qatar Airways’ high standards.
Wifi and In-Flight Entertainment
Qatar Airways offers one hour of free Wi-Fi (named Super Wifi by Qatar Airways) to all passengers, including those at Business Class. However if you need more data, Wi-Fi plans can be purchased, although I find it a bit restrictive with data limits. I chose not to buy it and was glad I did not, as I find the 1 hour free Wi-Fi to be not very connected, not even able to log in. In most flights so far, only the Wi-Fi on Singapore Airlines worked for me, so YMMV.
While waiting for the food service, I started to browse the in-flight entertainment. Qatar Airways’ Oryx One Entertainment System is definitely one of the best ones out there, with a wide array of movies and TV selection, including Middle Eastern ones. Sometimes the movies selection is even more updated than Singapore Airlines! I also liked how they categorized certain classics together for easy movie binging, for example the Harry Potter 20th Anniversary and James Bond Collection.
I settled on The King’s Man to complement my meal. You have to admire the versatility of Ralph Fiennes……..
Voldemort look-alike?
Sleeping Experience
After the meal service, I proceeded to set up my flat bed. Apologies again of the bad quality photo, as I only realized it after I disembarked the aircraft and checked through my photos.
I know of reviews mentioning the tight footspace for this seat, but for me there was enough space for me to wriggle around during lie-flat mode (for a 1.7m, back sleeper). However, there could be issues for individuals with a taller build. The flat bed was really comfortable also, and it felt surprisingly private, perhaps due to its outward-facing configuration. Overall, I slept pretty well during this flight.
Pyjamas were also provided, supplied by The White Company (A famous Luxury Clothing and Bedding company from London). Although I did not wear it on this flight, since it was not an overnight flight), I went to try it afterwards and I would have to say that it is one of the most comfortable and classy PJs that I have.
After my restful nap from my champagne overdosing, I ordered a macchiato and cured my hangover for a while……
Macchiato (like the contrasting colours between the coffee and milk)
Bathroom
I paid a visit to the bathroom. Although it was compact (with a window view), the bathroom was functional and had well-stocked amenities like Diptyque-branded body lotion, facial mist and hand wash, together with dental kits.
Service
As usual, Qatar Airways staff always provides great service, with their attentiveness providing a great dining experience, and the meal service was completed at just the right pace. The staff also proactively asked whether I would like something to drink when I woke up from my nap. If there was one thing tat I would nitpick on, it would be that the staff did not offer to set up the bedding when I was setting up the flat bed, however this was not important for me as I was just going to take a nap.
Just before landing, the staff handed out Laderach chocolates as a parting gift, one of my favourite Swiss Chocolate brands, and was a nice gesture as we descended into Doha.
What a breathtaking view of the Doha night sky! My maiden Doha landing experience.
Conclusion
A great start to the trip, with Qatar Airways proving themselves as one of the top Middle Eastern Airlines that is accessible to Singaporeans (through Asiamiles)! Contrary to some opinions, I had no issues with the Reverse Herringbone seats and would not pale in comparison to its more “raved about” counterpart, the QSuites. Will be one of my main options for travelling to Europe in the future.
