Originally Posted by
Stratoliner777
Interesting comparison of BR vs SQ vs QR in J. In my experience, all are usually excellent choices.
Hard product (seat): Q-Suite > BR 787 > BR 777 > SQ A350/777 long haul J
- Clearly QR wins on privacy, seat design, the works — provided that you are on a flight that has Q-Suite.
- BR, no surprises as to the seat, more consistent. The bed is more comfortable on BR than the others.
- SQ bulkhead seat avoids the foot cubby issue that the rest of their J seats have.
Service: BR / SQ > QR
- BR and SQ have remarkably consistent excellent service.
- QR service can be great too, but more inconsistent. Possibly the constant work of dine on demand keeps them too busy.
Amenities: BR / QR > SQ
- Very nice amenity kits on BR, QR; SQ just brought back kits but mainly on request.
- Very nice pajamas on BR, QR; none on SQ
Cuisine: QR / BR > SQ
- Yes, SQ has Book the Cook (so does BR; QR does not). But BR / QR have multi course meals from amuse bouche to soups and so on.
- QR has dine on demand and caviar on some routes
Lounges: QR > SQ >> BR
- QR’s Doha lounges are spectacular.
- SQ’s Changi lounge is lovely, luxurious.
- BR’s lounges at TPE, while serviceable, are not competitive.
Objectively I’d say QR and BR are better, but SQ has a consistency and route network that I like, so I fly them quite often. And they’re still quite excellent and reliable. But QR is clearly better on hard product, features, and so is BR. The key difference I think being that SQ has two higher levels of service: First and Suites whereas QR has only a rare F cabin on few aircraft.
Very interesting and organized comparisons! I love how you organized the four important factors of the business class for an airline.
I have never flown Qatar before but I fly on EVA and SIA very frequently. I would like to offer some of my experiences as well on the comparison of EVA Air vs Singapore Airlines, as someone who has been an EVA Air Gold Card member for many years, and also just recently become a QPPS of Singapore Airlines.
Hard product (seat).
- I personally prefer the 2013 business class seat for Singapore Airlines. They are super wide. I'm a short person so the seat/bed length doesn't bother me at all. The comfort will increase dramatically if you can get a bulkhead seat during check-in. It will make you feel like you are in a mini first class seat. I really like the bed for those seats as well. I normally get about 8+ hours of sleep on SQ33/SQ34, but maybe that's because again, I'm short and I'm a side sleeper.
- EVA Air's business class seats on the 777-300ER planes are pretty out of date imo, especially the ones on the 77M planes. I live in the Bay Area so unfortunately I rarely get a chance to experience the new 787 seats in long haul flights. The 777 business class seat legroom is decent but the seats feel a bit squish for me. I do however like the somewhat thick blanket.
Service.
- I think your status with the airline matters a lot in either of these two airlines. The crew (especially the purser) will definitely have more interactions with you and show more care on you if you have higher status.
- Otherwise, I think the service quality honestly is neck and neck for me. I really can't decide who is better. I would say the service quality will heavily depend on the crew and the attendant serving your aisle for that day, but my experience has been consistent throughout for both of the airlines.
- Personally, I don't care what kind of service I get during my flight. I prefer to be left alone most of the time so I can enjoy the whole experience myself.
Amenities.
- EVA Air wins for sure on the amenities, hands down. They give you nice pajamas and amenity kits, while you can only get a somewhat useful kit and a pajama if you fly first class in Singapore Airlines.
Cuisine.
- This one has ups and downs for me in each airline.
- I think the food on EVA Air tastes better for me, but I always feel bloated when I finish eating. EVA Air offers much greater portion in the meals, and the chefs use very aggressive seasonings in the ingredients. An example would be the Beef Cheek made by Paul Lee (ex-TPE). That dish tasted extremely salty at least for my taste last time I flew.
- The food on Singapore Airlines are less portion, less courses than EVA Air, and they are much lighter in terms of seasoning (might be bland for some people), I don't feel bloated at all after eating. I enjoy the noodle soup dishes on SIA. I would say if you are someone who likes noodle soup dishes, SIA will be your choice.
Lounges.
- I don't think there's any contests here. SilverKris Lounge wins. But I have said in a previous post before, I do like the very comfy sofa chairs in the back corner of the Star Lounge in TPE
I normally use those comfy chairs to nap before I board BR28.