shimps1

My wife and i have a significant flight coming up, ORD<>SEZ via DOH on QR in J. We have flown J before, however both of us felt we did not get the most out of the experience. I know for many J travelers (commuters) it is a regular thing for them, but for my wife and I we only go on 2 trips a year, so J is a special occasion. I'm sure it is not uncommon.

While I have read plenty of the "First time in First Class" threads here, one thing that is not addressed is behavior on the plane. I am curious about a few things.

I have always been very hesitant to use the call button, to the point that I have never used it in my life. Am I mistaken? If I need a refill, a snack, etc, should I be hitting the button?
How do I handle changing into the supplied pajamas? When do I change into, and also out of, them? I would think being barefoot is not only gross but also frowned upon, so do I keep my socks on?
My wife and I are both curious to try as much food as possible, is it odd to order multiple items?
What about drinks? Not to say I am looking to get drunk on the plane, but a few drinks doesn't hurt. What is the attitude towards drinking more than a couple?
How do you go about asking for the turn-down service?
Are there any other faux pas' that you see others make, that you can make a suggestion to avoid?

I guess I am used to the Economy attitude of flight attendants, "We're here for your safety." How do I get the most out of my J experience, where the attitude is much more focused on service? At least, on non-US airlines, it is.

Any other "First First" tips would be helpful as well.

obscure2k

Moving this thread to the QR Forum.
Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator

RSDoha

It’s always exciting to look forward to a trip in the pointy end!

Here are my thoughts on your questions, others may disagree:

if you need something from the flight attendants, use the call button. In QR J, a flight attendant will appear seconds after you call and will be totally happy to bring you what you would like.

Dining is on demand. Your flight attendant will give you a menu, usually before take-off for you to choose from. You can decide what you’d like and roughly when you’d like to dine. Popular items can run out, so I try to anticipate what I’ll want throughout the flight and put it my requests. If you decide mid-flight that you’d like something else, you can always ring the bell and ask.

The FAs will probably expect you to have a drink or two, so order what you want!

As for pajamas, I usually change after the seatbelt sign goes off after take-off. Some people change before take-off, but there’s always a tiny chance that you’ll have to de-plane to change equipment or something. I’d rather not be roaming around the terminal in my jammies.

Most QR pajama sets come with slippers, so I wear those as opposed to barefoot (shudder) or socks.

hphreak

Call button - I've used it to call for drinks refills, wanting to dine now, plates can be cleared, turndown, asking a question, asking for water...etc., although I do tend to try to flag one an attendent down if I see them. But if I don't see them within 1 minute or so I'll use the button with zero hesitation. (My use was developed on Cathay - where we are expected to use call buttons for services, some may only be comfortable with flagging FAs down, and that's ok too. On QR they appear a lot more frequently than CX).

PJs- change whenever! No one cares! No barefoot though! (But sometimes I do go barefoot but only under my blanket when I'm sleeping)

Food - order away! I sometimes do tastings on the flight if I'm really bored. I've asked for two mains before on a few airlines.

Drinking - as long as you are not actually drunk, and you can handle your alcohol, that's fine. Tipsy is also frowned upon. If you can act normal (and jovial) then all good.

Turn-down - I usually ask on the way to the bathroom when I'm changing into my PJs.

Faux-pas... - don't talk too loudly and respect other pax and their privacy as well. Some may not like having their photos taken. Also, respect for FAs are still expected, but don't be afraid of them, they are usually very friendly.

mr_botak

>I have always been very hesitant to use the call button.
I suspect you won't need to, but it's not a problem if you do. Can always walk to the galley if you prefer.
>How do I handle changing into the supplied pajamas? When do I change into, and also out of, them? I would think being barefoot is not only gross but also frowned upon, so do I keep my socks on?
There are (or at least were) slippers available. I get changed either on the ground before takeoff for short over nights or just before sleep otherwise.
>My wife and I are both curious to try as much food as possible, is it odd to order multiple items?
No, I don't think so. Ask nicely, only thing is there may be only a limited number of each item loaded.
>What about drinks? Not to say I am looking to get drunk on the plane, but a few drinks doesn't hurt. What is the attitude towards drinking more than a couple?
It's fine. Good luck with the current wine list though.
>How do you go about asking for the turn-down service?
I've never bothered, but I imagine just ask.
>Are there any other faux pas' that you see others make, that you can make a suggestion to avoid?
Turn off the sound on your mobile. Make sure all alarms are cancelled. Nothing quite like an alarm going off in a silent A380 cabin in the middle of the night. Then realising it's your own. Switch your screen off at night (and that of empty seats nearby. A good idea to move the remote away from your elbow as it's a touch sensitive, and will wake the screen if you knock it.

rberk

I also am rather reluctant to push that button. I think it might be the years when I lived in the US, and had to fly on United. The last thing you possibly want is to perform any action that will bring you to the attention of a United flight attendant. That is a highly volatile situation with the potential to go horribly wrong, with extremely negative consequences for you, over the most minor of issues.

That's really not a problem on Qatar, at least not that I've noticed, but I have acquired this extreme reluctance to push the button, as it just seems very aggressive to me. Unfortunately, I've been on Qatar flights in J where if you don't push that button, you're going to be completely ignored for hours, perhaps the entire flight. (Most of them are not like that, but some are.)

I pushed the button on my most recent J flight, and to my pleasant surprise, no one came screaming, threatening to have me thrown off the flight, or anything like that. I think I'm going to try pushing it more in the future. I need a few more positive experiences before I feel comfortable doing it though.

It's something of a novel experience for me, to be on flights where the passengers are not terrified of the crew.

Dr. HFH

Great!! You'll love it!!!!

In the U.S., it's true that using the call button is usually not the best idea. Cabin crew tend to view it as an interruption of their socializing/reading/YouTube/nap time. But it's very different in other cultures. First, cabin crew will expect you to use it when you need something. More importantly, though, you won't need it as much. Your glass will likely be refilled proactively, for example. They're trained to notice and remedy things like that.

While it's true that no one else cares when you change, you should care. Many people change as soon as they board. Remember that however unlikely, takeoff and landing are the two most dangerous parts of a flight statistically. In the event of a serious mishap, for example, do you really want to be sprinting away from a burning aircraft through a snowy, muddy field just west of Heathrow in your pajamas and slippers? I don't. Unlikely? Extremely. But do you want to take that chance? I change as soon as the seat belt sign goes off. And change in the lavatory, please. On my first international F flight, I was on a BA 744, MRU-LHR. An elderly couple changed standing up in the F cabin. Have people completely lost their sense of decorum? Cabin crew will give you a hanger when you go to change, and will hang up your clothes after you come out.

I usually start changing back into my clothes about an hour before landing. There may be a wait for the lavatory; and it also gives me time to get everything out of the various storage compartments and back into the appropriate pockets in my pants/jacket/shirt with plenty of time. Just ring the call button and ask for your clothes.

Yes, keep your socks on. This is addressed from time to time on FT in various threads. Take them off, and your feet may end up in a photograph on FT or one of the travel blogs, as others have. No matter how recently you showered, taking your socks off is just inappropriate, even rude. And don't put your feet up on the wall, either with or without socks. An aircraft cabin is a public place. You wouldn't rest your feet up on the wall in a nice hotel lobby; one shouldn't do it in a plane, either. Just bad manners.

Wear your slippers every time you go into the lavatory. You don't want any possibility of direct contact between your feet and the floor. Aircraft lavatory floors are among the grossest places I can imagine.

No, not odd at all. ORD-DOH will have two planned meals, dinner and breakfast. But think of the menu not as a menu for a specific meal, but rather as an inventory of what's been loaded. Eat anything, any time, as much as you want. Keep in mind, that if, for example, you ask for some soup, they won't just bring you a bowl and a spoon. You'll get the full setup, including cotton placemat and napkin, small basket of three bread items, butter, olive oil, candle thingy, etc. Meals are served in sequence, as in a nice restaurant.

No one cares how much you drink; there's no quota. You know how much alcohol your body can handle; you won't want to become drunk or even come close. That's inappropriate.

Use the call button. "Hi, would you set up my bed, please?"

It's not that different. Behave as you would in any respectable public place where most of the people are acting similarly. Remember, we have manners and behave in an appropriate manner not for others, but for ourselves.

jiaogulan

Do what makes you happy, ask for what you want. The worst you'll get is a no, the answer, or a please wait. Your requests are plenty reasonable and you're paying a lot of money to start with (whether it is cash or miles).

citytom

Nothing to add to the responses to your questions (others have answered well) - though a few more factors to consider.

1) If your flight is during Ramadan (assume not) it is worth reading the Ramadan thread on this forum (In short - not much difference, just don't demand a drink on the tarmac in Doha if the crew aren't offering).

2) If you like a tipple, you should read the thread on this forum on paying to upgrade to the First Class Lounge in Doha https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/qata...-access-3.html

3) You are likely flying QSuites on the ORD-Doh leg - I haven't flow them myself (envious) - though I've heard it can be harder to get the crew's attention in those seats, so the call button is the norm. Clearly for the full experience you want to book the central double-berth, and that may require calling QR. Regardless of plane-type, I agree with all the other comments on this thread, QR staff are exceptional and wont give you any grief for using the button.

In terms of drinking etiquette, I was worried the first time transiting through Doha, though in retrospect it feels more Western than other airports in the region, and apart from a few business-like staff at the security scanners, most of your other interactions will be welcoming QR staff. Assuming your destination is slightly more liberal, it is best to save any heavy drinking dedicated-drinks-sampling till you have departed Doha.

clubeurope

minz56

Call button - do use it if you want something. They will come with a smile.

Last year I had a flight where I dined at my chosen time, ie when no one else was dining. I received my starter and wine. Five + minutes after my plate and my glass were empty there was no sign of the FA. Eventually I had to use the call button. Same after the main course. She was quite inattentive so the call button was necessary. Not my idea of good service, but at least they come when you call them.

lamphs

While I am aware of most of these items, this was a nice refresher as I'll be boarding QR 708 IAD-DOH in a Qsuite in about 11 hours!

fotographer

I used to fly QR regularly in J for work (ATL to BOM) a few years back. (still waiting for the fares to be cheaper this year)
You will find some of the best FA I have in countered on OW.
The service is amazing, and if you like something on the menu, ask the FA to hold it for you, so that if you are going to sleep , you can have that choice when you wake up
Enjoy your flight, I know I did and hopefully will in the future

mr_botak

One more thing, if you have a longish transit in Doha, consider paying to enter Al Safwa. The 250 QAR per person seems a bit of a bargain...

shimps1

Care to expand? We do have a 10 hr layover both directions. What benefits will it give my wife and I over the Al Mourjan? We have a city tour booked for the first leg, and the Transit hotel booked on the return, but would switch to the Al Safwa if it is worth it.