Check in at London Heathrow T4 was super slick. There’s a separate screened off business class section with a seated lounge area if there’s a queue (there wasn’t).

Fast track security was swift and it was easy to get to the Qatar Airways business class lounge in all locations. Do be aware lounges such as in Bangkok, may temporarily close for cleaning/preparing new food etc. but they always reopen minimum four hours before their flights so should have limited impact unless you are arriving in on a non Qatar Airways connecting flight with a very long connection. The lounges have plenty of seats with charging pads or tables if you prefer more of a restaurant experience. The food selection was decent - but remember it’s a Middle Eastern carrier so chicken sausages and turkey bacon are the option if you’re after a full cooked breakfast. The serving staff were extremely attentive.

The lounges have great showers, offering a smart spacious cubicle/changing room with fluffy towels, fancy toiletries and a hair dryer.

All cabin crew delivered polished but friendly service, introducing themselves by name.

Now I’ve seen scores of in-flight safety videos in my time, but hands down, Qatar Airways’ is the best ever! Launched at the end of 2024, it features American comedian, Kevin Hart and a number of famous friends - it’s an entertaining mix of seriousness and fun. Qatar Airways’ main ambition for this project was to design an in-flight safety video ‘that passengers will not want to miss’. And I didn’t - watching it from start to finish on all my flights and chuckling to myself each time as I did so!

Qatar Airways’ business class cabin and seat offering depends on the type of aircraft you are flying on but as you’d expect, all are supremely comfortable. I was lucky to experience their Qsuites on two of my flights. This innovative product, with fully flat bed, privacy doors and the middle seats which can be converted into a double bed if travelling with a partner felt akin to First Class on some other airlines so are well worth selecting if you can. Qsuites are available on typically all their A350 and most Boeing 777 aircraft. When making your booking, your Trailfinders travel consultant will have all this info to hand so will happily talk you through seating/aircraft options for the route you are taking.

Doha’s Hamad International Airport is modern and vast but surprisingly navigable. Signage is brilliantly clear and there are plenty of airport staff to ask if you should get lost. It’s home to pretty much every high-end designer shop you can imagine and plenty more!

The ORCHARD, located near C gates, is a large new indoor garden, full of lush greenery, waterfalls and piped in birdsong. It’s not outside but with the high glass domed roof it feels like you are. It’s a really nice place to stretch your legs or sit and enjoy a coffee on a ‘park’ bench between flights. There’s even some patches of fake grass to lounge on and a few wooden tepees if the kids need a temporary nap room.

World of choice: Qatar Airways now are in joint business with British Airways, so this opens up a host of opportunities to mix and match airlines on multi centre holidays. For example, you could fly direct to Singapore on British Airways then back from Bali with Qatar Airways. Or fly to Sri Lanka with Qatar and then direct home from the Maldives with BA. Sounds complicated? Don’t worry, your Trailfinders travel consultant can easily find the best combinations for you. 

Longer layover: Instead of transiting through as quickly as permissible (and you can always trust TF to book you the recommended connection time), consider extending your Doha airport layover. Having a longer connection allows a more leisurely dining experience, plenty of time for some pampering, a slow wander through the ORCHARD, a spot of retail therapy or even the chance to leave the airport and uncover a new city destination on one of the airport city tours. Almost like having a twin centre holiday without needing to extend your holiday by a couple of nights!

Need your sleep: to maximize your snooze time, my advice is to eat in the Al Mourjan lounge before boarding and as hard as it is, forgo the food on the plane. As soon as the seatbelt signs are switched off, change into your Qatar pyjamas by the White Company, pop on your eye mask and head off to the land of nod in your comfortable flat bed. The crew will wake you shortly before landing and you’ll feel fresh and ready for the day.