Date: 09. February 2017
Departure: 10:45
Arrival: 18:30
Flight time: 5 hours 30 minutes
Seat: 2 K, starboard
Check-in
Terminal 1, hall C. Qatar Airways has its own dedicated check-in counters. There are two counters for Business Class passengers.
The Lounge
Location: Terminal 1.
Name of Lounge: Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge.
Access: There is a set of stairs and an escalator adjacent to gate B42 which take you one floor up. You see the lounge entrance as soon as you get off the escalator.
Toilets: Available in the lounge. The toilets are clean and look rather nice.
Showers: Available in the lounge. Contact reception for a slot.
Food & Beverages: There is a fairly large bar area but the selection of food and beverages is fairly limited. There are no hot dishes. But at least they have Lavazza coffee.
Connectivity: Complimentary wifi is available, no password required.
Newspapers & Magazines: There is also a good selection of English and French language magazines and newspapers.
Boarding
Business Class passengers are invited to board the aircraft first and have their own, dedicated gate. Boarding is through the L2 door.
The Cabin
Configuration: 1 + 2 + 1.
Cabin Layout:
Business Class – 22 seats.
Economy Class – 232 seats.
Pitch: 80 inches.
Width: 22 inches.
Length as a Bed: 80 inches.
AC Power: AC power plugs are available at all seats in Business and Economy Class.
Audio and Video: Audio and video on demand, handset controlled.
Earphones: No-name noise-cancelling earphones.
Connectivity: Onair wifi available.
Comment: A pillow and a blanket are already on the seat.
The Crew
The crew on today’s flight are all either from Thailand or the Indian subcontinent and they are all very friendly.
The service begins with a welcome drink and a choice of either a hot or cold towel. I choose a cold towel and have a lemon juice with mint with that.
Shortly after that the vanity kit and the menus are distributed.
Once the doors close, the crew pass through offering Arabic, English and German language newspapers.
Amenities
Armani branded vanity kit. There are obviously different kits for men and women. The kit contains earplugs, lip balm, perfume, after shave cream, socks and eye shades. Toothbrushes and toothpaste are available in the toilets.
The Meal
Welcome drink on the ground: Lemon juice with lime.
Pre-meal drink: Apple cooler – Apple juice, soda water, lemon juice, mint leaves and a slice of lemon. Served with a bowl of nuts served with the drink.
Menu: There are three choices for the starter, main course and dessert.
Delivery: À la carte service.
Type of meal: Lunch.
Amuse Bouche
Balik salmon with a horseradish sauce.
The Soup
Soup of roasted butternut squash with a lemon and herb crème fraîche.
First Course
Smoked salmon with pea and potato salad with confit tomatoes and a lemon dressing.
The Main Course
Paneer tikka masala with makhini sauce, servied with coriander and mint basmati rice, spiced asparagus and black-eyed beans.
The Cheese
A selection of cheese with crackers, red onion chutney and condiments.
Dessert
Chocolate ice cream with berries.
The meal concludes with a hot, rose scented towel and a mug of Karak Chai with cardamom. Before the lights go out, the crew pass through the cabin with small boxes of Godiva pralines.
Arrival
We arrive in Doha at 18:30, just slightly ahead of schedule, after a flight time of five hours and thirty minutes. I know have a bit more than two hours to make my onward connection.
knightofmalta 