Trip Report: Qatar First Class A380 Doha to Sydney
The giant A380 is shuttling once again between Doha, Sydney, and indeed London - really, the routes it was designed for.
Qatar said it would never fly it again as demand for aviation was so suppressed, but a surge post Covid, means the airline hurriedly reactivated the superjumbo fleet as a stop-gap measure when it was clear the airline just didn't have enough aircraft to cope and the double-deckers are out of enforced retirement to cope with the increase in travel. Which for many passengers is great, as they have an amazing lounge on the upper deck.
Now First Class on Qatar is a bit odd: because Qatar is trying hard to eradicate the class as part of it's line up, and indeed it got the chop in 2020. It's back now, but in a half hearted way, as Qatar say there is no point, because in an egalitarian move, the airline argues Business is good enough for everyone.
Alas in Doha the only possible escape from the endless duty free shops selling gold bars is to wave a first class boarding card at the flunky at the bottom of an escalator and ascending to that pillar of aviation in the sky: the famous, glorious Al Safwa First Class Lounge, which will be my home for the next four and a half hours.
Al Safwa First Class Lounge review
The monumental, brutalist architecture is designed to be both awe inspiring, and almost eerily quiet. Even far away, you can still hear the soft trickle of the lounges' signature feature: A floor-to-ceiling fountain, in which water falls down a glass tube into a massive metallic dish. I have written an extensively review of the Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha
As your feet echo along the fifty feet wide corridors, without a single person, there is another water feature, resembling a river flowing down to the depths of the underworld.
The Qatar Airways First Class lounge is one of the best lounges on the planet.
Unbelievably exclusive, very hard to access, huge, awe inspiring, and one of the few places in the world that makes you image you are in a museum, not an airport lounge.
There is of course a great restaurant, but add in the hotel like bedrooms, art gallery, bar with ultra exclusive champagne, and yes, even it's own duty free shop, it is a lounge like no other.
To the side of this spectacle, there's a large seating area - but when I say the other side, you have to walk over an area the size of a football pitch to get to it. Here there is the most typically loungy area of the lounge, looking rather out of place. With a roll of carpet, and some armchairs under decidedly small looking lights.
To one side of this rather open area, there is a more private space with individual pods with high armchairs, tables, and small monitors, behind small screens. Alas here the tables are fairly short, and you can't really dine on them, but it's a great spot for some extra privacy. Every pod comes with its own coat rack, which is an unusual touch.
However, even those seats are a bit odd: in small walled cubicles.
All in all the lounge looks incredible, but dare I say it, doesn't seem to be all that comfortable place to wait for a flight, unless you want to take a seat in the restaurant and have a multi course lunch.
The dining room has a great a la carte menu; there is a QR code on the table, or you can ask the waiters for a special printed menu.
Dinner always starts with a small amuse bouche even if you don't ask for it, which bemused me, but it seemed rude to say no.
However, knowing I would be having a huge dinner on board, I only wanted a small stack, and got some minced meat, on a stick.
Throughout the lounge, wherever you sit, lounge attendants will hurry over from the bar to take drink orders. However they can be a little slow - if you are in a hurry it may be best to just wander over the bar yourself.
After a while I took the internal train to the huge new North Terminal, to look at the new gardens which have opened around, yes, the vast new shopping centre that doubles as the airport terminal here.
Doha Business Class Lounge North Gold and Platinum review
It may not look like it but this is actually a pop up lounge - covering for the much larger Doha Al Mourjan Business Class North which is now open, and this lounge has now become the Gold and Platinum Lounge North just for elite tier frequent flyers.
The Doha Qatar Airways Platinum & Gold Lounge North has two halves which are almost all mirror images of each other. Both sides have a small refectory area, with hot dishes in front, and a small bar on the extreme left and right, while in the middle is the main bar.
On the left is the main snoozing area, with lots of recliner Z frame daybeds. However, since it is under the bright lights and with wall to wall pumping music, it is one of the least relaxing snooze areas at any airport. On the other side are many more comfy chairs, and a few sofas around coffee tables, for larger family groups.
There are two large restaurants, comfortable snooze and TV areas, and flunky who slowly wanted up suggesting that if I cared to board, my aircraft was waiting for me...
Boarding Qatar First Class A380 Doha to Sydney
After a pleasant stroll to walk off many bottles of champagne, as the last and final call was being called and up the dedicated escalators for First Class.
Boarding for first and business class passengers was completed through the front upper deck of the behemoth aircraft. Business has to turn right... First left.
However, the crew were frantically finishing setting up, and were not expecting passengers, much to the flustered-looking cabin manager's dismay.
But I turned left toward the first class cabin, And there we have it. My cosy seat for the next 16 hours.
But the crew almost weren't expecting passengers at all: it was a bit of a jumbled start to my Qatar Airways first class experience.
Qatar Airways First Class A380 seats
The First Class Cabin has just 8 seats in a 1-2-1 configuration, and with deep purple and wood finishes making for a feeling of understated luxury; dated though it is.
The seat could also be put into several fixed positions via a set of easy-to-reach buttons in the armrest.
Next to the seat are three small compartments. One housed touchscreen controls for the seat position control and had enough space for a laptop.
The compartment to my left at the top had a magazine pocket, while below it contained a small water bottle and the remote control for the IFE system
The coveted seat 1A turns into a fully flat position bed measuring 81 inches - that's 6 feet 9 inches - and provides a very generous 23 inches of width. Note the lack of overhead bins: every seat has a wardrobe instead.
Seats in the middle are similar, with a huge privacy divider. At every seat you can dine opposite another passenger if you really want to.
At this kind of elite level of flying, another passenger in hassle indeed.
Some really frequent first flyers would likely find the privacy of this cabin lacking slightly and I can understand why. From my seat, I could see directly across into the seat opposite - if I leant around the huge divider.
Right at the front of the cabin was a vast welcoming light, and a set of stairs that led to the front of the economy section of the lower deck of the A380.
Walking up those stairs while boarding would certainly add to the "wow factor" for first class passengers, but Qatar avoid using it as you walk through the now closed an abandoned first class lounge. These shelves used to have the first class bar and snacks; all gone now as Qatar operate what can only be called 'First Class lite'.
For a retro First Class that was abandoned a few years ago and sent to a junkyard in the desert - it really is one of the best ways to get around the globe. I had a wander into the Qatar A380 First Class bathroom - which is amazing. It's as big as a cabin on any other aircraft. Sadly Qatar haven't fitted showers in First unlike their competitors - but there is more than enough room for a sleep in here, next to the rare orchids, and even a hotel bathroom style tap.
There is a small, wardrobe-like compartment where I could hang my clothes once I'd changed into my Qatar-branded pyjamas. There was enough space for shoes, and a small bag.
Qatar Airways First Class amenity kit
I also finally received the amenity kit after asking for it twice, and the crew forgetting. Alas it's the same as you get in Business Class on Qatar.
Created by French perfume house Diptyque, they feature a range of skin care products including a lip balm, a hydrating facial mist, and Diptyque's essential face cream with a heart of roses, voluptuous notes of prickly pear and the freshness of lemon petitgrain.
The kits include socks, eye shades, and earplugs.
Qatar Airways Business Class A380 seats
Indeed, the airline tries hard to just sell you Business not first Class, so I took a wander through the cheap seats to see what everyone else sitting behind you gets.
There is a very retro looking Qatar A380 Business Class cabin. There are vastly better seats on the latest Qatar 777, with the new QSuite with sliding doors, whereas the A380 seat is a little more conventional, but still pretty good.
The Qatar Airways A380 Business Class cabin is located on the upper deck, and is home to 48 seats set out in a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone layout, which has direct access to the aisles.
It converts into an 80 inch fully flat bed with your feet tucking into the small tunnel ahead of you.
Pretty crammed, the seats have a 17 inch screen. Every window seat is at an angle of about 30 degrees to the window.
There is a side armrest, which is lowered electronically to give more space to the seat, and which has a flip top to open up into a useful side bin, where the headphones are. Controls for this are in the vast array of seat buttons, most of which put the seat into upright, dining or sleeping modes. There is also a massage function.
Behind the single, large, Business Class cabin is the lounge, and behind this is a tiny economy class cabin.
Qatar Airlines First Class IFE
At least there is a huge 26 inch TV screen in Qatar Airways A380 First Class. It's not the most modern screen, and it's not quite as sharp as you might expect, but considering it's age, it's more than up to the job.
There are also noise reducing Headphones. It was a bit of a disappointment to find they were exactly the same as you'd get in Business class, the only exception being they came in a lovely silk bag.
Pretty high quality, with acceptable noise reduction - although at the front of the A380, the cabin was so quiet anyway you really could hear a pin drop.
It was lucky I always have my 2-meter (about 6 feet long) charging cable with me as the closest charging port was located way in front of me, next to the IFE screen.
Before take-off, each first class passenger received a voucher with a code with completely free Wi-Fi for the duration of the flight.
However, the speeds were equivalent to dial up, and only just about acceptable for sending a few messages.
I tried the wifi later in the flight, but the speed remains woeful - compare that to decent wifi I was getting from Paris CDG to Doha on the Qatar Airways Boeing 777 which was fast enough stream from the iplayer and Netflix onto my phone, and plug that into the HDMI port so I could watch streaming films on the big seatback screen.
Qatar Airways First Class service
Pre-flight Champagne was served: alas it was the Laurent-Perrier that's served up in Business. There are some pleasant nibbles too, incase you're famished from the three minute stagger from lounge to plane. In this case I received some olives and cheese squares.
The route out of Doha heads to India, just skimming Sri Lanka, before making landfall in Western Australian near Broome, and onto Sydney in just over 15 hours.
Having left the sunny shores of Doha behind I started to feel in need of sleep so I pressed the buttons for controlling the blinds on the 3 (yes, three) windows, and asked the butler to wake me for dinner when we were nearing something like India.
A few hours later I went straight onto the first volume of the wine list. I was amazed at the quality, and the price, of the fine drops on here.
Only two Champagnes served in Qatar First Class.
There is the Piper-Heidsieck Rare Millesime 2006 - which retails north of 600 dollars or 300 quid. It is a structured, full-bodied and bursting with fruit type of French sparkling, and perfect for quaffing.
Alternatively, there is the Alexandra Laurent-Perrier Rose 2006 - only 250 quid, but produced in very small quantities, this outstanding, subtly powerful wine is rare and much sought-after.
Wine List
Champagne
Millesime 2006
Alexandra Laurent-Perrier Rose 2006
White:
- Domaine William Fevre Chablis Grand Cru 2016
- Sauvignon Blanc Blind River Marlborough 2021
- Keller Hubacker Dalsheim Riesling 2020
Red:
- Australian Shiraz Two Hands Barossa Shiraz 2014
- Tuscany Biondi-Santi Montalcino Docg 2011
- Bordeaux Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou Saint-Julien Grand Cru 2008
Qatar First Class wine list Copyright lux-travellerDessert Wine: Chateau Rieussec Sauternes 2010
Port: 20 year old Tawney Port
Qatar Chateau Rieussec Sauternes 2010 Copyright lux-travellerCocktails
- Cuba Libre
- Aperol Royal
- Bucks Fizz
- Whisky Sour
- Old Fashioned
- Screwdriver - orange and vodka
- Pink Gin
- Dry Martini
Qatar Domaine William Fevre Chablis Grand Cru 2016 Copyright lux-travellerThe white wine was very good. I worked my way through the wine: the Domaine William Fevre Chablis Grand Cru 2016 was a standout - with its juicy citrus fruit and ginger flavours - and retails for a three figure sum.
However the Blind River Sauvignon Blanc was a standard 10 quid at Tescos a bottle.
All redeemed by the Keller Riesling 2020 a bone-dry wine made only from the upper and steeper part of the vineyard. And the priciest white on the list.
Of course having the tenderloin I was forced to check out the red. Purely in the name of research you understand.
Qatar The Tuscany Montalcino 2011 Copyright lux-travellerThe Tuscany Montalcino 2011 was very earthy with notes of leather and mushroom, and 500 dollars down Dan Murphy.
Whereas the Australian Two Hands Shiraz is only about twenty dollars. Good though, hints of plum and black fruit.
An absolute standout is the Bordeaux Saint-Julien 2008 - A Red wine from Madoc, it has a lovely aromatic bouquet, that is enhanced by notes of cedar and spices.
Qatar 20 year old Tawney Port Copyright lux-travellerDessert wine was a pedestrian 20 year old Tawney Port or the thick treakly Chateau Rieussec Sauternes 2010 which was lush, frisky and full bodied.
Qatar A380 onboard Business Class lounge
Qatar A380 onboard Business Class lounge Copyright lux-travellerI visit one on the rare delights at the back of the A380 - the onboard lounge. There is a huge onboard bar, which was available to business and first class passengers, and which only a few passengers visited on most of the flight.
I could also see what nibbles there are back in Business.
Qatar A380 onboard Business Class lounge Canapes Copyright lux-travellerThe Canapes aren't bad, and cocktail list amazing. I started with a classic Gin and Tonic.
Lounge Cocktails
- Pink Gin
- Aperol Spritz
- Apple Blossom
- Diamond Fizz
- Bacardi Daiquiri
- Green tea and mango splash
- Bombay Collins
- Mojito
- Cherry Cobbler
- Pineapple wine cooler
Qatar A380 onboard Business Class lounge cocktail menu Copyright lux-travellerAfter dinner, just to get my circulation going I took another wander through the darkened mysteries of business class back to the lounge again - which was predictably deserted, and the crew immediately offered me some canapes to stave off the hunger on my long trek from the front of the plane - to the back.
Instead the only sane option was an old fashioned cocktail to help my digestion.
Qatar A380 onboard Business Class lounge cocktails Copyright lux-travellerAustralia is 8 hours ahead of Doha and we were due to land in Sydney around 6 pm the following day, I decided I'd try to ease the jetlag a bit by sleeping and eating to Australian time, by heading to the pub again after breakfast.
I waited until I'd eaten breakfast - I mean, tea - and and woken up properly before I ventured through the business class cabin and into the bar which was fully stocked, serving everything from a glass of wine to specialty cocktails to Woodford Reserve Whiskey.
As the 300 quid a bottle Millesime 2006 Champagne was reserved for first class passengers and therefore not served at the bar, I made sure to maximize my first class experience by heading back to the first class cabin for bubbly refills and then walking back to the bar to drink it.
After that point it was only polite to hit the cocktail list.
This ones a Bombay Collins.
Then tried a Cuba Libra - basically coke and rum
And finally I wanted to check out the drinks on the Business Class menu.
Qatar Business Class wine: Chilean Oro Sauvignon Blanc Copyright lux-travellerBack in the cheap seats they serve Chilean Oro Sauvignon Blanc - it's about 7 quid in tescos - but a good one with bright acidity and flavours of citrus, green apple, and honeysuckle.
Qatar Airways First Class Meals
Now, is it common to feel a frisson, or even a full body shake, of anxiety before the inflight meal service? I had been promised full restaurant style dining, and I was determined to enjoy it on pain of death.
Particularly as I'd already ordered my main course in advance, and it was even printed on my boarding card.
I surprised the crew who had just finished clearing up the cabin, and pretty much everyone had gone to sleep - except me, who was wide awake.
A la carte
Soup of the day
Starters
- Caviar with smoked salmon
- Arabic Meze
- Crunchy duck confit croquette and hosin sauce
- Wagyu beef roll with thai lemongrass dressing
Mains
- king prawns in lemon butter sauce
- Seared Wagyu beef tenderloin with massaman curry fried rice and garlic pak choy
- Qatari style chicken mashkhool and daqoos sauce
- Crispy fried noodles with khao soi sauce and panko lofu cake and chilli oil
Cheese plate
Served with grainex, lavosh, and condiments
Desserts
- Pandan sago mousse with mango passion fruit compote, coconut dacquoise and almond crumble
- Filled chocolate lava with sweet potato cream, blueberries and almond crumbs
- Fresh berries with rose water syrup
- Ice cream selection
Breakfast
- Fresh orange juice
- Mixed fruit smoothie
Starters
- Platter of fruit
- Greek yoghurt with with mango coulis and granola
- Breakfast cereals - Corn flakes or fruit and fibre
- Assiette of cold cuts, salmon goats cheese and caper berries
Mains
- Qatari style breakfast with foul, balaleet, egg and tomato
- Create your own breakfast with eggs, omeletter, sausage, mushrooms and asparagus
- Steel cut oats
- Doughnut with Nutella
Light options
- Metabolism booster salad with kale
- Chicken coconut curry with tadka rice and mixed vegetables
- Afternoon tea finger sandwiches, warm scones, clotted cream & pastries
- Lobster sandwich
After blinking - twice - at the request for dinner, they asked if I'd just like the mains, but I was determined to try all the courses, as the menu said there was full dining on demand. At which point the crew said they might need to wake up another crew member, and it might be some time as they'd need to start the entire First class service again. Just for me.
The crew surprised me by offering an Amuse-bouche - the French term for 'mouth amuser' - this bite-sized hors d'oeuvre.
Qatar First Class Amuse-bouche Copyright lux-travellerQatar carried on with French Chef tradition that they are not ordered from a menu but according to the chef's selection alone.
I've absolutely no idea what it was, but it was great. The balls had beetroot in them, and there was something fishy about the cake, but that's as far as I got.
I then moved onto the soup of the day which was lightly curried lentil and pumpkin. Which is very good if you like that kind of thing.
Qatar First Class soup - lentil and punkin Copyright lux-travellerThe next course was the traditional appetiser, with a choice of Caviar , Meze, Wagyu beef, or as I went for Crunchy duck confit croquette and hosin sauce. A Cantonese speciality, I really couldn't fault this.
Qatar First Class - duck croquette appetiser Copyright lux-travellerHowever, everything fell apart at that point - the crew apologised as they'd served my reserved main course to another passenger while I was asleep on what they felt were the quite reasonable grounds that I was snoring, and had rejected dinner.
I was even less impressed that there were only a couple of options left, so I plumped for the Seared Wagyu beef tenderloin with massaman curry fried rice and garlic pak choy.
Qatar First Class dinner, waggu beef massaman curry Copyright lux-travellerIt's kind of a steak, with orange curry dressing, over chunky rice.
It's brilliant. My tongue decided to fall in love with tastebuds, and I quite metaphorically thought I'd died and gone to some aviation heaven.
For the encore I swapped to the Cheese plate to cleanse my palate with four of the best cheeses I've had in a long time, with the bread basked swapped for Grainex, lavosh, and condiments.
Qatar First Class cheese plate Copyright lux-travellerAnd I then had to swap onto a sweet to finish, with a Filled chocolate lava cake, with sweet potato cream, blueberries and almond crumbs.
Eating Dinner on Qatar is something I will never live to regret.
Qatar First Class chocolate lava cake Copyright lux-travellerAlthough after having ploughed through that lot over three hours, I think I conclusively proved that frequent travel broadens more than the mind.
Not surprisingly as we headed towards Australia I was starting to feel a little drained... so drained in fact it made me feel like my brain was leaking out of my ears.
However, morning had broken, rather like my spirit for staying awake. Even though the rest of the cabin was just getting ready for breakfast.
So it was time to raise that vast privacy divider again, lower the window blinds, and get some sleep.
No mattress provider on this flight, and it is much less private than Emirates or Singapore first class, but needs must, and it does the job.
First Class Breakfast Service
For more hours later, and I awoke to hear the crew running around serving breakfast to the cabin. The crew asked if I'd like to try the scrambled eggs and chicken sausage. But I'd had it before, and I certainly didn't. If there one thing I like, it's keeping my tummy unglued and not running to the bathroom with the collywobbles.
Instead I went for afternoon tea, starting with a pot of English Breakfast, in a property tea pot.
Qatar First Class tea Copyright lux-travellerFar better than breakfast for getting your body clock in order, the Afternoon tea on Qatar could come straight from an English country house in the Cotswolds. The afternoon tea has three finger sandwiches, all with the crust cut off, as they should, and includes cucumber sandwiches, egg and cress, and smoked salmon. There are two warm scones, with Cornish clotted cream and strawberry jam.
Qatar First Class Afternoon Tea Copyright lux-travellerPlus two lovely pastries, a chocolate puff filled with cream, and a sponge cake topped with cherry jam.
Qatar First Class puffs and cake Copyright lux-travellerOn Qatar I particularly love having the flexibility to dine on demand. But the crew just were not geared up for this: they wanted to serve all the meals in one go, at their set times, and it was quite clear that it was a massive imposition for them to have to cater for those in First who order a meal out of sequence.
However every well-versed flyers in premium cabins will actively avoid eating breakfast on a plane, as it can be a letdown -- especially when it comes to eggs. So I wanted to try something different - I just didn't image it would take so long.
Finally a couple of hours before landing I went for a second dinner course. However the galley had pretty much run out of food.
The only options left was the healthy metabolism booster salad with kale or Chicken coconut curry with tadka rice and mixed vegetables.
Qatar First Class chicken curry Copyright lux-travellerIt was passable, but not the best, and it took another hour to arrive... and we were running perilously close to the time were the crew would close the cabin.
Finally, at long last, the crew began a slow tidy up of the first class cabin with just 20 minutes until we landed at Sydney Airport.
Finally my plate was cleared, and chocolates were served.
Qatar First Class chocolates Copyright lux-travellerThe purser came around to my seat, and apologised for the length of time it took to remove the debris.
However, she tried to justify this by saying they were flying with two less crew than normal, so they had had to operate the first class cabin as a kind of add on to the Business cabin.
The crew's way to deal with the A380 was to do meal servings in two batches, which is how come they had been so busy in the last two hours of the flight - dealing with breakfast in Business - and that was why they were so busy when I woke up - trying to get breakfast out of the way in First.
Qatar First Class A380 Doha to Sydney
So how did I find the Qatar A380 in First Class?
This was a rare opportunity to try out this experience. In fact, Qatar Airways A380 First Class is an aspirational airline product that I had believed I would never get to fly again.
That's because Qatar Airways had seemingly retired their fleet of Airbus A380s during the pandemic, but they recently brought them back to accommodate the sheer number of passengers they need to fly. And since it has first class, the airline sort of offered it as well.
Qatar A380 First Class Copyright lux-travellerTo put First class into perspective, the cash price of my ticket totalled north of $10,000 dollars one-way. Well, if I was going to be paying for it. Instead I redeemed a load of Avios to upgrade to First with a paid Business Class ticket. I'm glad I did, as most parts of the experience are truly amazing.
Qatar A380 First Class seat Copyright lux-travellerI had access to the Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge, which ranks among one of the world's best First Class lounges. Even if it's a museum crossed with a mausoleum.
The A380 first seat isn't first in class, but it does the job. I was able to go to sleep immediately after takeoff and then begin adjusting to the new time zone by eating upon waking up a few hours later.
Qatar A380 Business Class onboard lounge Copyright lux-travellerThe onboard food is amazing, and the wines are top notch, the kind of wines you may end up paying thousands for in a top restaurant.
However, I do wish Qatar would treat First Class as something other than a temporary pop up First Class that will be gone in a year or two - and so there is no point in staffing it properly.
Qatar A380 Business Class onboard lounge Copyright lux-travellerFinally, the A380 landed on time in Sydney, and I was out of the airport in 15 minutes.
All in all, it was a fantastic trip.
See the full Trip Report: Qatar First Class A380 Doha to Sydney video:
Trip Report: Qatar First Class A380 Doha to Sydney video Click to play
Lux-traveller paid its own way for this Trip Report: Qatar First Class A380 Doha to Sydney, and travelled incognito.Trip Report: Qatar First Class A380 Doha to Sydney Lux-traveller.com rating:7 out of10 
Seats: 8 - Not first in class, but still very good Food: 9 - Really very good indeed, unsurprisingly Service: 7 - Decent, not exceptional IFE: 7 - Large TV, not HD, so so film selection
Recommended
Qatar opens new Doha Al Mourjan Business Class LoungeQatar Airway's The freshly-opened and enormous new Al Mourjan business class lounge.
Qatar Airways opens Paris LoungeQatar Airways has opened a new lounge with two dining areas at CDG.
Qatar open 3 frequent flyer Doha loungesQatar Airways has unveiled three lounges at Doha, open to its Privilege Club members and Oneworld frequent flyer members.
Trip Report: London to Doha Qatar Business Class A380Qatar A380 from London to Doha has great food and drinks, plus a brilliant onboard bar.