Introduction

The transfer in Doha is quick and easy. In the early afternoon the airport is very quiet. It also helps that there’s a dedicated queue for security for First and Business Class passengers that is managed well.

Al Safwa First Class Lounge

Having just arrived in Doha in First Class from Dubai allows me to use the First Class lounge, even though my onward connection is in Business Class.

The lounge is very peaceful. Perhaps its imposing size has people in the lounge speaking in hushed, awed voices. Or perhaps it’s just that the sound disperses in the lounge’s wide, open space.

I take a seat in one of the loungers, which are screened off for privacy. I’m not staying for long, so when a server arrives, I only order a glass of sparkling water.

Boarding

At 14h20 I leave the lounge. I walk the short distance to the monorail that runs the full length of the C concourse right down to the end, where it forks in two. By the time I arrive at the gate at around 14h30, the flight is already in the final stages of boarding.

Behind the boarding pass checkpoint, I briefly stop at the window to take a few photos of my elegant chariot. A young French couple passes behind me. As they go, the female asks her companion what on earth I’m photographing because “il y’a que des avions à voir…” – you can only see airplanes anyway. I contemplate what it must feel like to be so cluelessly ignorant. But I quickly shrug off the thought, because I wouldn’t know, and excitedly hurry down the airbridge.

I mean, how can you not appreciate such an engineering masterpiece?

The Cabin & Seat

On this flight, I’m seated on 1K, which is a rear-facing window seat. The pitch on this seat is more generous than on the A 350.

Already at my seat when I arrive are

• the menu
• the winelist
• a nice, thick blanket
• a cushion
• a pillow
• a packaged cold towel by Diptyque
• the vanity kit, also by Diptyque

Thr vanity kit contains a thick pair of socks in a slightly psychedelic design, eye shades, and earplugs. Then there’s the usual useless array of creams and serums. Dental and shaving kits are available in the lavatories. As on the outbound, the crew pass through the cabin with pajamas and slippers.

We push off stand perfectly on time and are then regaled with an impressive demonstration of the mighty triple seven’s raw power as we go hurtling down the runway a few minutes later and then nimbly leap into the air. I just love the wailing howl of the engines as the spool up, and that gradually morphs into a fierce growl.

The Meal – Late Lunch

The meal service starts with drinks and a small bowl of nuts. I’m having sparkling water.

The table is then set for lunch. Again, the crew has five different types of olive oil available, and I decide to try the lemon infused spicy olive oil.

The bread rolls served on this flight are much better than the ones served ex Paris, which were stale and dry. These rolls have remained nice and soft.

For the amuse bouche, there is lobster tatar with caviar in olive oil. This is a nice opening to the meal, with a lot of delicate flavour.

For the starter, I have the caviar service which Qatar Airways only introduced a few months ago and which is only offered on a few routes outbound from Doha.

The dish is a lot more elaborate than I was expecting. The helping of caviar is quite generous, and it comes with all the traditional trimmings. There are also three slices of thickly cut salmon on the plate.

For the main course, I try the Fregula Sarda risotto, which, strictly speaking, is not a risotto. Fregula Sarda is a type of semolina based pearl sized pasta. I go for this dish mainly because we have something similar in Malta, which is referred to as kusksu and which I haven‘t had in years. In any case, the sauce is rich and creamy, but without being too heavy. It‘s a nice meal.

The cabin crew also brings me some Tobasco, just in case. The dish doesn’t need additional seasoning, but the mini sized bottle sure is cute!

To conclude the meal, I have the cheese with some port. The cheese is served with a selection of crackers, fruit, and a lovely sweet onion chutney. It’s just a shame that no information is provided about what cheese it is. The one on the far left is a fragrant blue cheese, followed by a slice of cheddar, then a rather creamy cheese with truffle in the centre, and, on the far right, a goat cheese.

The meal ends with an espresso and a hot towel.

About two hours out of Paris, I get a craving for something sweet. So I call for the cabin crew and ask them if they have anything that might hit the spot. “I know just the right thing”, the cabin crew announces. She walks off and returns a few minutes later with a gorgeous little mini Sundae. This lady obviously know her passengers well, because this is exactly the kind of thing I’d been craving.

About an hour out of Paris, the crew pass through the cabin checking if passengers would like anything else before they start preparing for arrival. As they go, they hand out towels and Läderach chocolates, which I don’t touch. Läderach may produce some of Switzerland’s best chocolate. But Läderach is owned by the Läderach family, I do not subscribe to their brand of conservative Christian politics. They can keep it and their chocolate.

Arrival

We land in Paris twenty minutes ahead of schedule. As we taxi in, the flying saucer known as Terminal 1 is decked out in the French Tricolor, which is something they introduced a while back and which looks kind of cool.

The airport is very quiet and easy to navigate through at this time of day. It’s just gone 20h30. Thirty minutes after touch down, I’m already on the Roissyval train to Roissypole.

Getting into Paris

When I arrive at Roissypole, there are signs everywhere informing me that the trains between Charles de Gaulle Airport and the city are interrupted due to scheduled maintenance works, which leaves me with two options. I can either take a shuttle to Mitry en Laye, and then catch an RER train from there. Or I can catch the Roissybus to Opera Garnier. In terms of journey time, my two options are pretty much the same, so eventually I settle on the Roissybus for EUR16.80.

Conclusion

So, about Qatar Airways. I rather enjoyed these four flights with them. The QSuite is a really lovely seat that offers a lot of privacy, space and comfort, whether you’re sitting on an aisle or a window seat. The food offerings are as good as I remember from my previous flights with them. I would say the quality of the food is extraordinary for a Business Class product. The caviar service on this last flight puts Lufthansa’s First Class caviar service to shame. And their hub in Doha is just brilliant, and much nicer than Dubai.

I guess my only gripe with Qatar Airways is that they continue to route their flights through Iraqi and Iranian airspace, which honestly made me feel uncomfortable. As the delay on the outbound also highlighted, it makes the airline vulnerable to flight irregularities and short notice delays which could easily be avoided by taking the slightly longer route via Egypt and the Sinai peninsula. For the time being, I think that alone would make me think twice about flying Qatar Airways again as long as the situation remains what it is in that part of the world.