Hello,

I have heard a lot of good and bad things about Qatar and as Qatar is cheaper than BA from EDI-HKG for October school holiday in the UK by 200GBP I decide to give it a try, however I want to ask the following questions:

1. Is QR's 787 that bad in Y? Is the IFE box a real or just an exaggerated issue?
2. I think I will have around 8 hours layover at DOH overnight... will I be able to use my status to get into the J lounge for all night and rest?
3. Is food in Y tastes nice?
4. How good is IFE comparing to BA?

Thanks guys :-) :-:

1. Well... it's not fitted with really roomy seats, but it's fine. The IFE box is OK, annoying, but not a deal breaker.

2. Yup. The rest areas might be crowded, YMMV.

3. It's alright. Better than BA, worse than IB.

4. Infinite better than BA, I think it's my favorite.

Thanks for your reply!

Can you tell me which lounge I can use at DOH? I am EXTREMELY worried that I may not have access to the premium lounge but another FF lounge...

I REALLY NEED A SHOWER AND FOOD AT DOH!

cysyuen In answer to 2.
If you are OWS you will be able to access the Business Class lounge.
If you are OWE you will be able to access the First Class lounge.
Travelling in Y you will NOT be admitted to the Al Mourjan lounge.
All lounges are open 24 hours a day.

As to lounge facilities I suggest you look at the "QR Lounges at HIA" thread. However be aware that the First and Business class lounges have been closed for use as temporary VIP lounges, reopened and then closed for "Maintenance" and is now in its third version. Most of the reports are from the first version.

Thank you for your reply.

Does this mean I will have no lounge access (OWS) if the business class lounge is closed?

NO NO NO THIS CAN NOT HAPPEN! Lounge plays a big part... if I have no lounge then I may just ask well book BA instead...

cysyuen the Business Class lounge is open 24/7. It appears very unlikely that the lounge will be closed again in the near future. The two previous times the lounge was closed for any length of time OWE's and OWS's were allowed into Al Mourjan as a temporary measure. You will not be without lounge access.

It would be worth noting that the "Premium Lounge" is Al Mourjan, to which you won't have access flying in Y. While opinion here has been mixed, it's certainly one of the nicer lounges I think I've been in.

The "First Class Lounge" and "Business Class Lounge" to which you will have access have had exclusively negative play on this board, as far as I can tell.

If you're flying QR for the "Premium Lounge", I don't think it'll be what you're expecting, unless you're in J.

Just flew DOH-EDI yesterday. Third time on the QR 787 and luckily again the flight was not full and a very kind Cabin attendant put me in a row of three myself.

You will definitely notice a difference on the 787 from BA Y on a 777/380 in terms of space. I probably noticed it more yesterday because I was very tired by the time I reached DOH and had just arrived from PEK on a 77W which to me (9 abreast version) seems to have more room than on BA.

The IFE box I found a bit more intrusive than on the 77W but I put that down to width of the seat (think a Cadbury Creme Egg looked massive when you were a kid compared to today's offerings) or in FT talk, different aircraft, one bigger than the other but same seating layout (3-3-3) you are bound to notice a difference. I did feel the 787 more cramped in width and leg room.

In short, if you are tall & broad like me, you will notice a big difference, the 787 layout I would imagine, is better suited to average height, average build pax but YMMV.

I only visited the Business Lounge for a short period and only used the smoking room so unfortunately cannot give you a concise and detailed report. It was busy but seemed to be a regular turnover of pax so people weren't left standing. I did see people getting food and I only had a couple of soft drinks so didn't explore the fully the food or drink offerings. I did see a couple of people in sleep mode although spending 8 hours there I could imagine being a bit of a push.

In all honesty, for the convenience of not having to do the LHR transit and having a local departure, QR wins but there is also the negative side of two (medium) long hauls as opposed to one domestic and one (long) long haul. Some people, they appreciate a break in the middle but I tend to sway towards getting the flight over with in doing a domestic and long haul connection.

The only advice I would give is, give it a try and see what you think yourself.

Safe & Happy Travels

S

I am a QR fan in general, but would have to say that in this instance I would definitely go BA. While on board QR are great, 8 hours at HIA, even with access to Al Mourjan, is horrid, especially as you would arrive around 23h00 and only leave around 07h30 the next morning. The "quiet" room at Al Mourjan is not designed with sleep in mind, so I can only imagine the Business Class lounge offers less chance of sleep. My personal opinion would be head down to LHR, and jump on a non-stop flight. YMMV.

go for BA, i would never fly with Qatar 787 in Y

If you really want proper undisturbed sleep during your 8hr layover, in your situation you will need to book a room at the transit hotel. hiahotel.com

However, it will wipe out anywhere between 70 and 85% of the 200GBP you save by choosing QR over BA.

BKK-LHR return with all 4 sectors on the A380 requires an 8 hour layover in HIA on the way out, and without the hotel would be a complete non-starter for me. You also get access to the gym and swimming pool, which is a nice way to break up a long journey.

1. Legroom on QR's 787 is the same as you can expect on BA's 777 or A380, however the seat is narrower. If you have flown on BA's 787 the comfort levels will be similar. On the 787 they both use similar IFE systems (Thales - QR has a few more options such as the touch screen controllers which i hate) and economy seats (Recaro) in Y.

2. You can book the QR codeshare (on CX) to HKG and only have a roughly 2 hour layover in Doha on the outbound. The return is all QR.

Zebrametalevel,

From the winter schedule you will be able to fly the A380 all the way BKK-LHR-BKK with minimal connections.

WHAT A NIGHTMARE! This is a really BAD start of a trip.

For some reason I booked the return light on 21 Oct instead of 25 Oct. Phoned QR offices and they say I need to pay $200 to change the flight, even within 24 hours of booking!

Oh I miss the CS from BA (never encounter this situation myself BTW).