Qatar Airways A350-900 Business Class Review (NOT Qsuites)

Wondering what it's like to fly business class on Qatar Airways? This post reviews my recent experience flying the A350-900. This plane did NOT feature the QSuites and is instead a more "typical" business class experience. I'll take you from takeoff to landing and everything in between!

While some links in this post may be affiliate links, this review is entirely my opinion. I paid for my flight (with points). I received no discount or compensation for writing this post. The purpose of writing this is to share my experience with you!

On my recent trip to South Africa, I flew two separate business-class flights with Qatar Airways.

The first flight was the A350-1000. This plane features the highly coveted QSuites. It lived up to and exceeded expectations. I detail the entire experience in my Qatar Airways Business Class QSuites review.

The second flight was the Airbus 350-900. While amazing, it was a very different experience from the QSuites.

This post will review the business class experience on the A350-900 (NOT QSuites) from takeoff to landing and everything in between!

Will your Qatar Airways A350-900 plane come with Qsuites?

Before we begin with the review, I want to mention that some Qatar Airways A350-900 planes are equipped with the QSuites in business class. If that's the case, you'll want to read my review of Qatar Airways QSuites.

How do you know if your plane has the QSuites? It's by the seat setup. 

If the seat layout is 1-2-1, with rows facing alternate directions (row 1 facing backward, row 2 facing forward), then it's QSuites.

If the seat layout is 1-2-1 with all rows facing forward, then it's NOT QSuites. This is the plane I'll be reviewing in this post.

Qatar Airways A350-900 Business Class Review (NOT Qsuites) - Setup and Seats

While the QSuites allows a partition to be lowered where you can effectively make a double bed for you and your travel partner, this plane does not allow that. 

There isn’t nearly as much privacy on the (non-QSuite) A350-900.

As you can see in the photo above, you don’t have partitions or walls separating you from the aisle. In fact, you feel completely open and can be easily viewed by other passengers and flight attendants. No changing under the blanket (like I did in the QSuite), on this plane!

Because we could not make our seats into a double bed, the seat felt smaller.

Comfort-wise, the A350-900 surpassed airlines like American, United, Iberia, British Airways, etc. The cushioning and seat material were a notch better. Space-wise, it felt on par with other business-class seats. Maybe a tad more spacious, but not by much, if any.

As expected, seats in business class are lie-flat seats.

Pre-departure

Upon entering the business class area I immediately noticed that the cabin was immaculately clean with thoughtful touches like bouquets of fresh roses.

The Qatar color scheme is very cozy and posh. Dark grays and deep maroons. The A350-900 plane felt more open and bright since the seats were not surrounded by the high walls/partitions the QSuites come with.

We were immediately offered pre-takeoff drinks. Jake and I both opted for the alcohol-free champagne.

We got settled into our seats and took a look at our amenities.

Qatar Airways Business Class - Amenities

Before takeoff, we changed into the provided loungewear and slippers by The White Company. While very large and baggy for me, they were actually quite comfortable.

The blanket was large and made of a luxurious thick velvet. By far the best blanket a plane has provided.

There were two pillows for the flight; a larger one for sleeping and a smaller one for sitting.

The amenity kit was by Diptyque, a luxury French brand. It included hand lotion, face cream, a scented spray that smelled divine, eye mask, socks, and ear plugs. My kit was in a white leather Diptyque bag while Jake’s was in black leather.

The bathrooms had a supply of toothbrushes and toothpaste, and Diptyque facial spray and lotion.

Qatar Airways Business Class - Meal Service

The food, while excellent and better than any other business class experience, didn’t quite hold up to the QSuites quality. I would say it was one notch lower.

Our table was made up, complete with a (fake) candle.

I started with leek and potato soup which was served with a warm bread basket, butter, and olive oil. I had several dipping oils to choose from like spicy or with balsamic. I opted for plain olive oil.

Next up was the main; Norwegian salmon with beurre blanc, garlic crushed potatoes, zucchini, and cherry tomatoes. Dessert was a chocolate cake. We finished with a cheese plate accompanied by fruit,

Throughout the flight Jake and I ordered iced americanos, rooibos tea, and alcohol-free champagne.

Everything was delicious.

Unlike the QSuites flight, there was no “any time” dining menu outside of chips and cookies.

After snoozing for a good 6 hours and then getting some work done, it was time for breakfast prior to landing. 

We both started with the green detox juice and yogurt with granola.

Jake ordered the chia seed pudding bowl (which was just OK as it was quite runny). I chose the hand-rolled omelet with spinach and cream cheese accompanied with chicken sausage, potato rosti, and creamy mushrooms.

Mine was much better than Jake’s.

Our mains were served with a warm pastry basket: a butter croissant, ciabatta, and a hazelnut praline Danish.

Overall, dinner was wonderful and better than any other business-class meal I've had (outside of the Qatar QSuites flight). Breakfast was mediocre and not much better than other airlines I've flown.

Qatar Airways Business Class Review - Overall Service

The service outshone what I typically experience on other airlines (American, United, British Airways, Delta, etc.). The Qatar flight attendants were considerably more attentive than most airlines but not as attentive as what we experienced on the QSuites flight.

Both Jake and I felt like Qatar puts the best of the best on the QSuites and the flight attendants on this flight were a notch lower in overall service.

While there was nothing wrong with the service on the A350-900 flight, it just wasn’t as above and beyond as the QSuites. A few examples would be: not making your "bed" when you were ready to sleep, not as consistent in bathroom cleanings between uses, and fewer check-ins to see if you needed anything.

Final Thoughts on Qatar Airways A350-900 Business Class

If I hadn’t flown the Qatar Airways QSuites, I would have said the Qatar Airways Business Class on the A350-900 was the best flight I’ve ever flown.

The seats were extremely comfortable and easy to get a good snooze in. Amenities like the thick velvet blankets, 2 separate pillows, and Diptyque kits were ultra-luxe.

The service was wonderful. It was leaps and bounds above what US airline companies provide.

The food was delicious (though, breakfast was mediocre), and again, miles above anything I’ve had on a US airline.

The seats, service, food, amenities, and overall comfort of Qatar Airways business class were so superior that I would choose this airline above most others.

Would I add hours or a long layover to my trip to fly Qatar (like I said I would with the QSuites)? No. The QSuites were beyond luxurious and comfortable. So much so that I didn’t want to get off the plane and would anticipate my next 15.5-hour flight.

While the Qatar Airways A350-900 business class was enjoyable and made a 10-hour flight easy, it didn’t hold the same level of luxury or anticipation as the QSuites.

Hopefully, this post gave you some insight into the Qatar Airways business class and whether it’s worth paying up money/points wise to fly over other airlines. After my experience, Qatar Airways will be my first choice and I can’t wait to fly them again!

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Business Class Review | QATAR AIRWAYS A350-900 (NOT QSuites)

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