10 days in the Maldives via Qatar business class (QR J)
Dec 5, 2016, 9:37 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Vancouver
Programs: Aeroplan, BA, QR
Posts: 362
10 days in the Maldives via Qatar business class (QR J)
10 days in the Maldives via Qatar business class
Introduction
This year we decided to head off to the Maldives for a comfortable vacation filled with plenty of luxury and a lot of laziness. Though Etihad had recently started flying its B787-9 to Johannesburg which peaked our interest, Qatar had specials that couldn't be beaten, and we were once again back on our favourite flagship.
After a little research we settled on the Lux South Ari Atoll that seemed to have a good balance of comfy accommodation, good food and a whole other host of niceties essential for a good time.
Contents
1. Johannesburg to Doha on Qatar Airways B777-300ER in business class
2. Doha to Male on Qatar Airways Airbus A330-200 in business class
3. Seaplane adventures
4. Lux South Ari Atoll - part 1 (the hotel)
5. Lux South Ari Atoll - part 2 (food)
6. Lux South Ari Atoll - part 3 (things to do & views)
7. Male to Doha on Qatar Airways A330-200 in business class
8. Doha to Johannesburg on Qatar Airways B777-300ER in business class
Hope you enjoy!
Introduction
This year we decided to head off to the Maldives for a comfortable vacation filled with plenty of luxury and a lot of laziness. Though Etihad had recently started flying its B787-9 to Johannesburg which peaked our interest, Qatar had specials that couldn't be beaten, and we were once again back on our favourite flagship.
After a little research we settled on the Lux South Ari Atoll that seemed to have a good balance of comfy accommodation, good food and a whole other host of niceties essential for a good time.
Contents
1. Johannesburg to Doha on Qatar Airways B777-300ER in business class
2. Doha to Male on Qatar Airways Airbus A330-200 in business class
3. Seaplane adventures
4. Lux South Ari Atoll - part 1 (the hotel)
5. Lux South Ari Atoll - part 2 (food)
6. Lux South Ari Atoll - part 3 (things to do & views)
7. Male to Doha on Qatar Airways A330-200 in business class
8. Doha to Johannesburg on Qatar Airways B777-300ER in business class
Hope you enjoy!
Last edited by SAtraveller; Dec 15, 2016 at 5:54 am
Dec 5, 2016, 10:05 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Vancouver
Programs: Aeroplan, BA, QR
Posts: 362
1. Johannesburg to Doha on Qatar Airways B777-300ER in business class
After a quick check-in we were given lounge passes to the Bidvest Premier lounge. It's a really good lounge and a huge upgrade from the previous lounge that Qatar used to use: the Shongololo lounge. That said, we booked in rather late and decided to rather use our time for some planespotting. OR Tambo International is great for planespotting. The entire terminal is coated in huge walls of glass right next to the gates for great viewing. The cafés and restaurants are also alongside the runway.
Cathay Pacific B777-300ER almost ready for the 12h stint to Hong Kong.
Air Mauritius, SAA and our Qatar flight in the distance.
Close-up of our Qatar B777-300ER. Qatar has increased its capacity to SA dramatically. They fly at least twice a day to JNB alternating the 777 and 787, as well as to Durban and Cape Town.
Air Seychelles A330-200
Kenyan Airways B787-8
Some of the tails waiting for the evening rush. There have been some fleet changes with LH exchanging its A380 for the B747-8, and Virgin changing from the A340-600 to the B787-9.
TAM B767 having landed from Sao Paolo. TAM only started flying to JNB a few months ago.
Emirates B777-300ER and Ethiopian B777-200. Emirates flies 4x a day to JNB now and will start with an A380 switch on 1 February.
What's wrong with this picture? That's right - two BA A380's. One of them went technical and was cancelled. We saw guys scurrying around inside trying to 'fix the problem'.
Singapore A350-900, a new fleet switch on the JNB route from the B777-200. Such a stunning piece of equipment.
Some A350 porn.
We quickly headed upstairs to the lounge where I downed a whiskey and coke, before heading back to the gate. Eventually we boarded our flight. Qatar are very good with priority boarding, and it's one of the better perks to skip the big economy line.
I'll go and say it - I like the 2-2-2 configuration of the QR 777. I understand that this is considered to be an outdated product but personally I find it nice to sit next to one's partner. I guess it could be inconvenient to step over a stranger, though. Qatar promises to release a new 777 product soon though that was described as perfect enough to make 1st class obsolete... big words. That said, after returning home from our holiday I had to admit that the B787 product is superior for a number of reasons, and though we could have flown it later that day the connections and layovers were too inconvenient.
100% load in J today, and Y.
One of my favourite things to do in business class is to first enjoy all my windows and then look back and enjoy a great view of the engines.
The 'new' amenity kit. Lol, this was false advertising. Only the bag is different - all of the contents inside are the same. The kit is dramatically inferior to Emirates' in my opinion, though it has some uses.
After some introductions we were offered a welcome drink and a hot/cold towel. I went for the Brut which Qatar has now changed from the Lanson to the Billecart-Salmon Brut. They have retained their Lanson Rosé which you can also see in the picture.
With a projected time of just under 8 hours to Doha and generally good weather we started our punctual taxi for the purpose of a northerly take-off on good old 03L.
After the usually impressive spool-up of the 777 engines we were off. After some glancing views of Johannesburg suburbia and a fly over of our house, we made a small right turn and headed to Doha, eventually settling at 35,000 feet.
The meal service then kicked in, and as usual the orders had been taken on the ground. Most irritatingly, Qatar (and I suspect many airlines) do not have one meal per passenger and on all my flights I was told 'sorry I have no more cheese boards left' or 'sorry, someone just took the last chicken curry.' I understand the economics of it all, but for the price being paid I honestly don't have time for the policy of choosing my second or third choice.
Arabic lentil soup & bread basket
Smoked salmon, cream cheese, capers and pickled onions.
Grilled marinated prawns with coconut curry sauce.
Cheese plate
Gourmet icecream & Baileys
The other dessert not eaten by me: chocolate mousse cake with pistachio and strawberry coulis.
All of the food was delicious and of an extremely high quality. I found this to be true not only on our four flights this round, but historically too.
It was bumpy during lunch so I decided to make a turbulence series with my wooded Chardonnay. It's not that easy and congratulations to others who have succeeded.
I then settled back and browsed through the IFE a little. The B777 IFE is quite user friendly but inferior to the B787's, which also comes with WiFi and several other options. Both products are inferior to Emirates' in terms of scale and I found the movie selection (and selection in general) to be quite limited. For example when you choose to watch Big Bang Theory on Qatar there are four random episodes whereas on Emirates I could watch the entire season of Downton Abbey.
About two hours before landing I requested a snack and they brought me a platter with various savoury items of which were all delicious.
Right on time we touched down in Doha after another enjoyable flight with Qatar Airways.
After a quick check-in we were given lounge passes to the Bidvest Premier lounge. It's a really good lounge and a huge upgrade from the previous lounge that Qatar used to use: the Shongololo lounge. That said, we booked in rather late and decided to rather use our time for some planespotting. OR Tambo International is great for planespotting. The entire terminal is coated in huge walls of glass right next to the gates for great viewing. The cafés and restaurants are also alongside the runway.
Cathay Pacific B777-300ER almost ready for the 12h stint to Hong Kong.
Air Mauritius, SAA and our Qatar flight in the distance.
Close-up of our Qatar B777-300ER. Qatar has increased its capacity to SA dramatically. They fly at least twice a day to JNB alternating the 777 and 787, as well as to Durban and Cape Town.
Air Seychelles A330-200
Kenyan Airways B787-8
Some of the tails waiting for the evening rush. There have been some fleet changes with LH exchanging its A380 for the B747-8, and Virgin changing from the A340-600 to the B787-9.
TAM B767 having landed from Sao Paolo. TAM only started flying to JNB a few months ago.
Emirates B777-300ER and Ethiopian B777-200. Emirates flies 4x a day to JNB now and will start with an A380 switch on 1 February.
What's wrong with this picture? That's right - two BA A380's. One of them went technical and was cancelled. We saw guys scurrying around inside trying to 'fix the problem'.
Singapore A350-900, a new fleet switch on the JNB route from the B777-200. Such a stunning piece of equipment.
Some A350 porn.
We quickly headed upstairs to the lounge where I downed a whiskey and coke, before heading back to the gate. Eventually we boarded our flight. Qatar are very good with priority boarding, and it's one of the better perks to skip the big economy line.
I'll go and say it - I like the 2-2-2 configuration of the QR 777. I understand that this is considered to be an outdated product but personally I find it nice to sit next to one's partner. I guess it could be inconvenient to step over a stranger, though. Qatar promises to release a new 777 product soon though that was described as perfect enough to make 1st class obsolete... big words. That said, after returning home from our holiday I had to admit that the B787 product is superior for a number of reasons, and though we could have flown it later that day the connections and layovers were too inconvenient.
100% load in J today, and Y.
One of my favourite things to do in business class is to first enjoy all my windows and then look back and enjoy a great view of the engines.
The 'new' amenity kit. Lol, this was false advertising. Only the bag is different - all of the contents inside are the same. The kit is dramatically inferior to Emirates' in my opinion, though it has some uses.
After some introductions we were offered a welcome drink and a hot/cold towel. I went for the Brut which Qatar has now changed from the Lanson to the Billecart-Salmon Brut. They have retained their Lanson Rosé which you can also see in the picture.
With a projected time of just under 8 hours to Doha and generally good weather we started our punctual taxi for the purpose of a northerly take-off on good old 03L.
After the usually impressive spool-up of the 777 engines we were off. After some glancing views of Johannesburg suburbia and a fly over of our house, we made a small right turn and headed to Doha, eventually settling at 35,000 feet.
The meal service then kicked in, and as usual the orders had been taken on the ground. Most irritatingly, Qatar (and I suspect many airlines) do not have one meal per passenger and on all my flights I was told 'sorry I have no more cheese boards left' or 'sorry, someone just took the last chicken curry.' I understand the economics of it all, but for the price being paid I honestly don't have time for the policy of choosing my second or third choice.
Arabic lentil soup & bread basket
Smoked salmon, cream cheese, capers and pickled onions.
Grilled marinated prawns with coconut curry sauce.
Cheese plate
Gourmet icecream & Baileys
The other dessert not eaten by me: chocolate mousse cake with pistachio and strawberry coulis.
All of the food was delicious and of an extremely high quality. I found this to be true not only on our four flights this round, but historically too.
It was bumpy during lunch so I decided to make a turbulence series with my wooded Chardonnay. It's not that easy and congratulations to others who have succeeded.
I then settled back and browsed through the IFE a little. The B777 IFE is quite user friendly but inferior to the B787's, which also comes with WiFi and several other options. Both products are inferior to Emirates' in terms of scale and I found the movie selection (and selection in general) to be quite limited. For example when you choose to watch Big Bang Theory on Qatar there are four random episodes whereas on Emirates I could watch the entire season of Downton Abbey.
About two hours before landing I requested a snack and they brought me a platter with various savoury items of which were all delicious.
Right on time we touched down in Doha after another enjoyable flight with Qatar Airways.
Dec 6, 2016, 8:40 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Vancouver
Programs: Aeroplan, BA, QR
Posts: 362
2. Doha to Male on Qatar Airways Airbus A330-200 in business class
After leaving the plane we only had about an hour before we had to board our onward flight to Male. To this end we made our way to the business class lounge for a quick drink.
The lounge is often full to capacity, and this time was no different. We managed to find two wicker chairs and settled down for some rehydration. I browsed a flyertalk trip report and chilled for about 45 minutes.
The fountain is on a bit of a hiatus at the moment, though whether for maintenance or some other purpose... who knows.
After walking to our distant gate, they had already completed the process of preferential boarding, and we walked straight onto the plane. I was a bit irked to fly the A330 to Male as it is Qatar's least impressive member of their fleet in my opinion mainly due to their angled lie-flat seats. Imagine my surprise when I saw that I was on one of their upgraded fleet.
The seats are great - still in a 2-2-2 configuration, but full lie-flat and very comfortable. The foot area tapers in a way similar to Lufthansa's business class. It's basically the Qatar 787 seat but with two next to each other. I think they were aiming for a superior regional product rather than a long-haul one, and I think it's great.
After settling in I decided to try the Lanson Brut. Truth be told I was a little dry and poisoned from the first flight but it was more a question of degrees at this point so I plunged ahead.
The entire plane had boarded within a few minutes and the Captain got the go ahead to leave a little early. After a lengthy taxi we took off in a northerly direction before making a 180 to the right on our way down to Male. The weather was expected to be calm, and I don't think the plane jumped even once on this 4,5 hour flight.
The TV's are large and touchscreen, and with the same IFE. Unlike in the 777 it's easier to reach forward while you're eating and tap the TV to get the desired settings. At this time we were given a mini-amenity kit that was basically a small pouch that contained an eye mask and other small luxuries.
While watching some Modern Family I asked for some vegetarian lasagne which didn't fail to impress.
The flight was short and considering I hadn't slept and it was reaching daybreak I decided to sleep a bit in anticipation for the day ahead. I asked the attendant to wake me for breakfast.
Breakfast was soon served and I was surprised to see that although they offered a continental breakfast on all the relevant flights, they didn't have anything resembling standard bacon and eggs. In that case I went for the Arabic breakfast which was delicious.
During breakfast I noticed vapour trails in the distance and was chuffed to discover the daily Emirates A380 on its way to Mauritius. We flew side by side for quite some time until we slowly diverged. A nice treat for any plane enthusiast. Last year we raced an Etihad A330 while we were flying to Rome and this seemed equally enjoyable.
We soon started our descent into Male. I knew before the time that the weather would be bad but I really hoped to see some of the beautiful atolls at some stage, and I wasn't disappointed.
After touchdown we went to the end of the runway and did a 360 before going to the gate. Another major airport I know with this setup is Mauritius' airport.
Colourful tails from all over Asia and Europe.
After leaving the plane we only had about an hour before we had to board our onward flight to Male. To this end we made our way to the business class lounge for a quick drink.
The lounge is often full to capacity, and this time was no different. We managed to find two wicker chairs and settled down for some rehydration. I browsed a flyertalk trip report and chilled for about 45 minutes.
The fountain is on a bit of a hiatus at the moment, though whether for maintenance or some other purpose... who knows.
After walking to our distant gate, they had already completed the process of preferential boarding, and we walked straight onto the plane. I was a bit irked to fly the A330 to Male as it is Qatar's least impressive member of their fleet in my opinion mainly due to their angled lie-flat seats. Imagine my surprise when I saw that I was on one of their upgraded fleet.
The seats are great - still in a 2-2-2 configuration, but full lie-flat and very comfortable. The foot area tapers in a way similar to Lufthansa's business class. It's basically the Qatar 787 seat but with two next to each other. I think they were aiming for a superior regional product rather than a long-haul one, and I think it's great.
After settling in I decided to try the Lanson Brut. Truth be told I was a little dry and poisoned from the first flight but it was more a question of degrees at this point so I plunged ahead.
The entire plane had boarded within a few minutes and the Captain got the go ahead to leave a little early. After a lengthy taxi we took off in a northerly direction before making a 180 to the right on our way down to Male. The weather was expected to be calm, and I don't think the plane jumped even once on this 4,5 hour flight.
The TV's are large and touchscreen, and with the same IFE. Unlike in the 777 it's easier to reach forward while you're eating and tap the TV to get the desired settings. At this time we were given a mini-amenity kit that was basically a small pouch that contained an eye mask and other small luxuries.
While watching some Modern Family I asked for some vegetarian lasagne which didn't fail to impress.
The flight was short and considering I hadn't slept and it was reaching daybreak I decided to sleep a bit in anticipation for the day ahead. I asked the attendant to wake me for breakfast.
Breakfast was soon served and I was surprised to see that although they offered a continental breakfast on all the relevant flights, they didn't have anything resembling standard bacon and eggs. In that case I went for the Arabic breakfast which was delicious.
During breakfast I noticed vapour trails in the distance and was chuffed to discover the daily Emirates A380 on its way to Mauritius. We flew side by side for quite some time until we slowly diverged. A nice treat for any plane enthusiast. Last year we raced an Etihad A330 while we were flying to Rome and this seemed equally enjoyable.
We soon started our descent into Male. I knew before the time that the weather would be bad but I really hoped to see some of the beautiful atolls at some stage, and I wasn't disappointed.
After touchdown we went to the end of the runway and did a 360 before going to the gate. Another major airport I know with this setup is Mauritius' airport.
Colourful tails from all over Asia and Europe.
Last edited by SAtraveller; Dec 6, 2016 at 11:25 pm
Dec 6, 2016, 11:22 pm
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Vancouver
Programs: Aeroplan, BA, QR
Posts: 362
3. Seaplane Adventures
After arriving in Male we were quickly discovered by the Lux South Ari Atoll steward who told us that he was waiting for two other passengers. Ironically they were sitting in front of us on the plane and we actually became friends over the course of the holiday. The other hotels had various counters and they were all proactively looking for their various customers.
Due to the fact that the Maldives is a collection of thousands of islands it is compulsory for you to pay for transport to the respective hotel. If the hotel is relatively close you pay for a speedboat but when the distances become larger you must fork out for a seaplane transfer.
The transfer costs about $500 per person and they also added another $100 for us when we checked in due to us being overweight (ha! baggage not people). I thought that this was a potential disaster for some people as we packed lightly. Qatar airways allows huge amounts of baggage for free and we only packed one bag of 20kg each, and were still overweight for the seaplane. Others in our plane ended up paying more for their baggage than the tickets.
Soon we were off in our bus and after a short ten minute drive we arrived at the Lux lounge where you wait for your plane. We had a two hour wait for our outbound flight and settled in. The lounge is very comfortable with free WiFi and a large range of free drinks and snacks.
Various passengers starting arriving from their various flights and eventually we'd all arrived. Half of all of our bags were taken off the flight due to weight problems, but we were assured that they would come on the next flight, about 90 minutes later.
The airport. It lies adjacent to the main airport in Male in the lagoon.
Our impressive DHC Twin Otter.
After our 10-second 'safety demonstration' we were given ear plugs for the flight. Highly recommended as noise reduction is not a feature in these planes. It sounds like a lawnmower next to your ear for 30 minutes.
Ear plugs
The 'aircon'... now that's what I call bleed air. Remarkably effective though.
The weather was horrible and rainy but we soon started up and headed for the main water way. The taxi took all of one minute. The plane accelerates quite impressively and takes off far more gently than a commercial airliner. It handled bad weather extremely well with no signs of instability in thick clouds.
Flaps set to '1'.
V1
Rotate!
We turned right and had a fly past Male proper before heading off for our 30 minute journey to the hotel.
Arriving
What a great experience, and the smallest aircraft I've been in, except perhaps for my hot air balloon flight recently. During our time at the airport I took pics of the planes taking off and landing all day. They arrive and leave every 2 hours and are impressively punctual.
I also included the pictures of our return journey. This time I was more interested in the dynamics of the flight so I made sure we sat near to the cockpit so I could see what was going on.
The crew loading the luggage. Each crew had a captain, first officer and assistant crew member. They all look like the most relaxed guys ever and reminded me of a bunch of surfers who liked to fly.
LOL
The weather on the way was far better and instead of a morning flight we had a dusk one. Relatively clear skies and good weather, it was such a treat.
With a bit of spying I discovered that we ascended at about 100 knots and our maximum cruising speed was 140 knots. Our set height was 3,500 feet. Our landing speed was about 60 knots.
A much bigger plane that us taking off from Male.
On our last leg we flew right over Male. It is clearly impoverished and the government has experienced several coups over the decades. It's a country with several problems, most notably that it might not exist by 2100 due to rising sea levels. The government has been purchasing land in other countries for its citizens if their country decides to disappear.
After arriving in Male we were quickly discovered by the Lux South Ari Atoll steward who told us that he was waiting for two other passengers. Ironically they were sitting in front of us on the plane and we actually became friends over the course of the holiday. The other hotels had various counters and they were all proactively looking for their various customers.
Due to the fact that the Maldives is a collection of thousands of islands it is compulsory for you to pay for transport to the respective hotel. If the hotel is relatively close you pay for a speedboat but when the distances become larger you must fork out for a seaplane transfer.
The transfer costs about $500 per person and they also added another $100 for us when we checked in due to us being overweight (ha! baggage not people). I thought that this was a potential disaster for some people as we packed lightly. Qatar airways allows huge amounts of baggage for free and we only packed one bag of 20kg each, and were still overweight for the seaplane. Others in our plane ended up paying more for their baggage than the tickets.
Soon we were off in our bus and after a short ten minute drive we arrived at the Lux lounge where you wait for your plane. We had a two hour wait for our outbound flight and settled in. The lounge is very comfortable with free WiFi and a large range of free drinks and snacks.
Various passengers starting arriving from their various flights and eventually we'd all arrived. Half of all of our bags were taken off the flight due to weight problems, but we were assured that they would come on the next flight, about 90 minutes later.
The airport. It lies adjacent to the main airport in Male in the lagoon.
Our impressive DHC Twin Otter.
After our 10-second 'safety demonstration' we were given ear plugs for the flight. Highly recommended as noise reduction is not a feature in these planes. It sounds like a lawnmower next to your ear for 30 minutes.
Ear plugs
The 'aircon'... now that's what I call bleed air. Remarkably effective though.
The weather was horrible and rainy but we soon started up and headed for the main water way. The taxi took all of one minute. The plane accelerates quite impressively and takes off far more gently than a commercial airliner. It handled bad weather extremely well with no signs of instability in thick clouds.
Flaps set to '1'.
V1
Rotate!
We turned right and had a fly past Male proper before heading off for our 30 minute journey to the hotel.
Arriving
What a great experience, and the smallest aircraft I've been in, except perhaps for my hot air balloon flight recently. During our time at the airport I took pics of the planes taking off and landing all day. They arrive and leave every 2 hours and are impressively punctual.
I also included the pictures of our return journey. This time I was more interested in the dynamics of the flight so I made sure we sat near to the cockpit so I could see what was going on.
The crew loading the luggage. Each crew had a captain, first officer and assistant crew member. They all look like the most relaxed guys ever and reminded me of a bunch of surfers who liked to fly.
LOL
The weather on the way was far better and instead of a morning flight we had a dusk one. Relatively clear skies and good weather, it was such a treat.
With a bit of spying I discovered that we ascended at about 100 knots and our maximum cruising speed was 140 knots. Our set height was 3,500 feet. Our landing speed was about 60 knots.
A much bigger plane that us taking off from Male.
On our last leg we flew right over Male. It is clearly impoverished and the government has experienced several coups over the decades. It's a country with several problems, most notably that it might not exist by 2100 due to rising sea levels. The government has been purchasing land in other countries for its citizens if their country decides to disappear.
