The first leg of our long journey to India was also the most anticipated. I’ve tried for years to fly Qatar Airways’ QSuites, but something kept derailing my plans. Finally, a golden opportunity presented itself heading to India. Even over the busy summer season, I managed to find three award seats in Qatar Airways A350-1000 QSuites Business Class. Even better, I found single stop availability via the ultra long-haul segment from Dallas to Doha. While not cheap, QSuites did deliver an excellent premium cabin experience. I paid 170,000 Qatar Privilege Club points per ticket on a “Classic” award. Thanks to a 20% Amex transfer bonus, though, the net cost amounted to 136,000 points per ticket, plus $315.70 in taxes/fees.
Note: this post is part of my trip report series covering our family’s trip to India and Korea in July, 2025. Click here for the trip report index and introductory post.
Qatar Airways (QR) Flight 730
- Saturday, July 5, 2025
- Depart: DFW International Airport (DFW), Terminal D, Gate D11, 18:18, 23m late
- Arrive: Doha – Hamad International Airport (DOH), Gate E5, 16:14 (+1), 6m early
- Duration: 13 hours 56 minutes
- Equipment: Airbus A350-1000
- Seats: 3E, 3F, 4D
Check-In and Boarding
With 8 people in tow, we booked a shuttle to the airport. Thanks to light traffic, we reached the airport a good 3 1/2 hours before departure. That meant we arrived even before check-in opened, so we had to wait for a bit. Once in line, I realized I made a big mistake. I printed copies of our Indian e-visas at the office earlier in the week. And then I promptly forgot them at home before heading to the airport. The agent gave me a rather rude lecture about the importance of having hard copies. Of course, both cell service and WiFi picked that moment to slow to a crawl. So off to the penalty box I headed to download PDFs from the cloud. Anyway, after returning to the desk, a different agent checked me in quickly, and had us on our way to the DFW Flagship Lounge.
We returned to the gate about 20 minutes before scheduled boarding time. And then proceeded to wait, and wait, and wait some more. The inbound aircraft arrived about 25 minutes late, and cleaning/servicing took quite some time. At least in the meantime, I had time to take my son to admire the beautiful A350 waiting for us.
Boarding started about 40 minutes late, and we headed left to our trio of QSuites.
Qatar Airways A350-1000 QSuites Business Class – Seating and Interior
Qatar’s A35Ks come in two configurations, one with 46 QSuites, and another with 24. This variant featured the 46-seat J cabin, in a 1-2-1 configuration. Though broadly based on a Collins Aerospace design, the QSuites cabin features alternative forward and rear-facing seats. Each pair of two rear-facing and two forward-facing seats in the middle can form a single “quad” with the partitions removed. What’s the gimmick behind the quad? You can arrange it as a single double bed with all four seats in flat bed mode. Initially, I intended to buy seat 4G for my mom so we could enjoy the full quad experience. That was, of course, until a certain family member ruined the surprise and mom banned me from doing so…
Anyway, QSuites are loosely based on standard Collins Aerospace “Super Diamond” seats. These seats are 21.5″ wide and fold into a 79″ flat bed. And, of course, come with the now ubiquitous door. I must say, I greatly prefer the look of Qatar’s premium cabins to the blingy Emirates. The burgundy and grey interior looks elegant without being in-your-face. (If only the lounges in Doha weren’t so garishly minimalist…)
In the center seats, there is a small ottoman on the wall side. If traveling with your kids, you can perhaps use it as a buddy seat for them.
The A35Ks feature an “open cabin” layout with no overhead bins in the center section. As spacious as the cabin already is, this leads to an even more spacious feel.
What I like about QSuites is the variety of options the cabin offers. If you value privacy, alternating rows resemble standard reverse herringbone seats, far apart from each other. You can see that setup in the photo above. But if traveling with the family or a close companion, the other rows feature seats close together. Of course, if you really want privacy,, select a window seat in an odd-numbered row. But the bottom line is, it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach, and you can pick the seat that’s best for your needs.
In any case, my son approved of both the seat, and getting to easily bug his mom while seated.
In the center seats, the walls are pretty high, so if traveling solo, you won’t have to look at your neighbor if you don’t want to.
If desired, you can lower both that partition, and the one in front, to create the “quad”. You could say we created a 3/4 quad. After take-off, the FA dropped the front divider, allowing me to converse with my wife and son.
And I just have to say, the mood lighting on the A35K is truly gorgeous.
If I found one deficiency with the QSuite, it’s a lack of storage space, at least in the center seats. While the seat has a decently sized tray table, there’s really only two other spots for storage. One is a cubby that reveals when you flip up the ottoman. This also contains a small bottle of water pre-loaded prior to boarding.
The other is a short but fairly deep shelf between the tray table and seat controls. Store things here at your own risk, though, lest you enjoy watching them slide off during a change in altitude.
That brings me to my other minor complaint about the seat – too many buttons for the seat controls. While I appreciate the desire to make the seat infinitely customizable, sometimes, less is more. I ended up using the preset positions most of the time.
Meanwhile, waiting at each seat was a “Diptyque” amenity kit. The bag is small but sturdy, and comes equipped with socks, lotion, face cream, lip balm, eau de toilette, and a cold towel.
Also provided are pajamas and slippers.
At the back of the seat is a small desk lamp for additional lighting. I do appreciate the design which points the light down and towards the back of the seat. That gives you sufficient back lighting if you need it, without getting a bright flash right in your face.
The intricate patterns along the back wall of the seat certainly are unique, and add to the air of sophistication in the cabin.
With the door closed, the QSuite does provide a pretty good illusion of privacy, at least when in lie-flat mode.
However, it is more of an illusion than anything else. Unlike First Class suites, the QSuite doors just don’t go up all that far. When walking by, you can see right in to the suites. It’s why I still largely find doors in Business Class an unnecessary gimmick.
Speaking of bed mode, when you’re ready to sleep, the FA will add a mattress pad and proper bedding. The bedding amenities make for a comfortable space, and I ended up sleeping for almost exactly 8 hours. I actually could have slept even longer, but forced myself awake to try and fight jet lag.
If you’re a side sleeper, the ottoman really enhances the available space. I had plenty of extra room to stretch my arms out without crimping.
Speaking of bedding, the White Company pillow and comforter are high quality, and promote a good sleep. While the footwell appears narrow at first glance, it provided adequate foot and leg space in flat bed mode.
My verdict – this remains an excellent hard product, even though it’s hardly “new” at this stage. The variety of seating choices remains one of its leading features, one I certainly appreciate as someone who travels both solo and with the family.
In-Flight Entertainment
QSuites on the A350 features a top-of-the-line entertainment system, with a 21.5″ HD display. While theoretically a touchscreen, it’s difficult to actually use as a touchscreen unless seated upright. Resolution is quite good, regardless of lighting, or whether in seated or bed mode.
That’s some pretty remarkable clarity and detail on these tigers while watching a documentary.
The handheld control unit is just below the tray table. Even the controller features excellent resolution, similar to a newer model smartphone. Like many modern handheld controllers, you can configure it to show two different programs on the main screen and the controller.
Meanwhile, next to the controller is an integrated 110V and USB-A port. I found the location under the tray table reasonably convenient. Your plug or cable stays at eye level, and you can tuck your laptop or phone away in the storage area when up or eating to avoid a tripping hazard.
In addition, there is an additional USB-A port and HDMI port underneath the TV screen.
Waiting at each seat is a pair of generic noise-canceling headphones. No, they don’t compare to top-line branded products, but they were of acceptable quality.
As for the IFE system itself, I recently discussed the contents in my review of Qatar’s B777-300ER Business Class. Therefore, I won’t spend a ton of time going over the options. It’s the same Oryx ONE system you find on all QR aircraft. Suffice to say, there’s plenty to entertain you, especially if you like world cinema.
There is, of course, a robust moving map available as well. It’s a superior offering to the more basic one on the older “Qatar Pacific” 777, with multiple views and zooms at your disposal.
The moving map not enough avgeek goodness for you? There’s also two live cameras, one at the back of the tail, and another near the nose gear. Without a window seat on this leg, I confess to spending way too much time looking at these on departure.
Eventually, after a typically long DFW taxi, we reached runway 17R, and I enjoyed watching our takeoff up close and personal.
Finally, Qatar Airways offers WiFi service on most of its long-haul fleet. Qatar is progressively rolling out free Starlink WiFi on its 777 and A350 aircraft, with completion expected in 2026. However, until that’s complete, non-Starlink equipped aircraft offer the old-style service. All Privilege Club members receive free WiFi, even without Starlink. For everyone else, though, a full-flight pass costs $10. In theory, you can make it $8 if you purchase in advance, and I received an upsell offer when checking in.
So I ended up buying passes for my wife, son, and mom to use. It’s an easy enough process; just pay for the passes, and you receive promo codes to use via email. There’s only one problem – none of the codes actually worked, despite trying multiple times on multiple devices. I eventually gave up and just purchased access again on board. Buyer beware, though the point becomes moot once Starlink rolls out fleetwide. Anyway, I found Qatar’s standard WiFi decent enough. There were some occasional dead spots, but speeds overall were good enough for basic web browsing and social media.
Qatar Airways A350-1000 QSuites Business Class – Food, Beverage, and Service
Upon boarding, the FAs handed out separate food/soft drink and alcoholic beverage menus for our long flight to Doha. Even the menu covers are nicely done, with the floral design and oryx up top.
Meanwhile, I found the wine list a bit interesting. Qatar serves Duval-Leroy Brut Réserve and Alfred Gratien Brut Rosé in Business Class. These are perfectly fine champagnes, about on par with the Piper-Heidsieck in the DFW Flagship Lounge. The wine selections, meanwhile, mostly retail for $10-20 a bottle. Even just 2 1/2 years ago, Live and Let’s Fly reported you could get a pricey Bollinger 2006 on board. Now, price does not always equate to quality in the wine and spirits world. But given the arms race amongst the ME3 in the premium cabins, I’m a little surprised Qatar decided to go with the value selections.
Qatar also offers a good selection of cocktails (and mocktails on the soft drink menu), spirits, and beer. Again, like the wine menu, the liquors are decidedly mid-shelf, apart from the Frapin XO cognac (north of $200/bottle).
Shortly after boarding, the FA introduced herself, asked if we needed a “tour” of the suite, and offered a pre-departure beverage. I went with the usual champagne for the also usual champagne selfie.
Qatar Airways offers fully a la carte, dine on demand service in Business Class. You can customize your meal to order what you want, when you want it. I decided to stick with a standard meal service right after takeoff. I pre-ordered the “chicken machboos” online, and the FA reconfirmed that I still wanted it, along with taking my breakfast order.
Approximately 25 minutes after takeoff, the FAs brought mixed nuts, along with another choice of beverage. This time, I went with an old fashioned (forgot to take a photo), which was…fine.
About 35 minutes later, the FA came by again to set the table, and bring a basket of assorted bread. You have to give Qatar credit for the effort they put into presentation, right down to the faux candle.
She also brought by an amuse bouche, I believe a stewed sweet potato, which was quite good.
Shortly thereafter, the FA served the appetizer; I ordered the mezze platter. While both types of hummus especially were delicious, geez, that’s a skimpy serving of pita bread. (I’m sure she would have brought more if asked.)
Approximately 30 minutes later, the main course was served. As mentioned, I pre-ordered the “chicken machboos”. The dish itself was decent, reminiscent of a chicken biryani. It’s remarkably similar, though, to the “chicken mandi” in the Al Safwa First Lounge, and as I’ll report later, they serve the exact same dish in the Al Mourjan Lounge. A little variety would be nice.
I decided to pass on cheese or desert, after eating way too much between the lounge and onboard. All told, meal service took about an hour and 40 minutes from start to finish. That’s maybe a little slow, but given the length of the flight, it was fine. I still had plenty of time for a full 8 hours of sleep.
Later, I requested breakfast about 2 hours before arrival. This time, I went with the Western option of the omelette with smoked salmon. Accompanying the omelette were hash browns, creamed spinach, and stewed tomatoes.
I found this meal rather unsuccessful. The salmon was decent, but the omelette and spinach were runny, the tomatoes overcooked, and the hash browns limp and soggy. The meal did gain back some points with the karak chai, which I enjoyed. It’s a stronger version of Indian chai made with condensed milk.
Overall, I give meal service mixed reviews. It certainly was better than the meal from Hong Kong to Doha on the 777, but still hit or miss overall. Breakfast in particular needed improvement, and there’s just a lot of repetition going on.
When it came to service, I had few complaints. The Business Class FAs were friendly, proactive, and responded to requests quickly. There were a couple of minor issues, such as the FA forgetting my request to open up the front partition after takeoff. I had to remind her, but she was apologetic and took care of it right away. Just bear in mind, the QSuites cabin is large, so meal service can be a little slow.
Arrival in Doha
Without a window seat, I had to forget about flightseeing on his ultra long-haul. Upon arrival, though, I did grab a quick photo of our beautiful A35K before heading into the terminal.
And with some good fortune, we arrived at the E Gates, not far from our onward connection to Chennai at Gate C24. With a 3 1/2 hour layover, I took my family in search of the giant teddy bear. One thing to bear in mind. The high-numbered C Gates, D Gates, and E Gates are close to “The Garden”. It’s a LONG walk from there to the central part of the terminal and the teddy bear. Like 20-25 minutes at least, and that’s walking briskly. You can also take the people mover from the central terminal area to the edge of The Garden. But still, allow plenty of time.
Since we started off close to The Garden, we spent a few minutes checking out the area. It’s nice, and certainly a relaxing break from the busy terminal. But it also strikes me as a rather obvious rip-off of The Jewel at Singapore International Airport.
There was also a sculpture of horses riding a giant bicycle that my son took a liking to.
And finally, after a very long walk, we reached the giant teddy bear. Compared to my last visit at 2 am, the area was a lot quieter. It actually wasn’t that hard to find a spot to pose for a photo.
After everyone got their fill of the big bear, we headed back towards the C Gates. My wife, my son, and I headed over to the Al Mourjan Business Lounge at The Garden to grab some food first. I’ll review the lounge in a future installment.
Final Thoughts
Matthew regarded his flight in QSuites (on the same route incidentally) as “one of the best flights of my life”. I don’t know I agree that it’s that good. I’d still rate EVA Business Class as best in class. But it certainly is a great product, and the seat in particular makes it a top 3-5 product. Together with the convenient schedule, it’ll certainly be my top choice to India if we end up going again.
