I flew on Qatar Airways and saw why it’s one of the best airlines in the world even in economy

Qatar Airways is one of the world’s leading premium airlines, connecting the world through Doha in its namesake home country as an integral member of the Middle Eastern “big three” mega carriers.

Over the years, a carefully orchestrated effort to grow the airline into a leading global carrier has seen a steady stream of new aircraft arriving in the Qatar Airways fleet. Nearly every new Airbus and Boeing wide-body jet has found a home with Qatar Airways.

The new aircraft also come loaded with some of the latest innovations in aviation technology in both the cockpit and passenger cabin. Those innovations, as well as a heightened focus on customer service, have resulted in stellar onboard passenger experiences regardless of cabin class.

In its most recent award ceremony in 2019, Skytrax named Qatar Airways its “airline of the year.” Qatar Airways also won best airline in the Middle East awards from both Skytrax and Trip Advisor, a coveted title among the world’s glitziest carriers that also includes Emirates and Etihad.

On a recent trip to Qatar to see the new Gulfstream G700, I booked a flight on Qatar Airways from Madrid to Doha. Here’s what it was like.

Read More: Gulfstream just debuted its new $75 million ultra-long-range plane that’s also the world’s largest purpose-built private jet: Meet the G700

I caught the morning flight to Doha on Qatar Airways, operated by the newest aircraft type in its fleet, the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

Check-in was simple as I was able to get my boarding pass through American Airlines before my flight from New York to Madrid. Gate agents verified that I had all the required documentation, including my negative COVID-19 PCR test and the pandemic-era approvals to enter Qatar from the government.

Boarding was scheduled to begin at 8:25 a.m. but as there were only around 80 passengers on the flight, gate agents held off for a bit.

But soon enough, we boarded in groups and walked down the glass jetways onto our awaiting aircraft.

A total of 311 seats across two cabins comprise this aircraft with business class and economy class available for booking. First class cabins are only available on Qatar Airways’ Airbus A380 aircraft; though, they have been temporarily grounded during the pandemic.

Before heading back to economy, I was able to see the airline’s new business class suites, known as “Qsuites” onboard this aircraft.

A total of 30 Qsuites are arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration in an eight-row cabin situated entirely between the first two boarding doors.

The 787-9 Dreamliner is the smallest Qatar Airways aircraft to feature Qsuites but many of the product’s staples remain. The suite walls and closeable doors offer passengers impressive levels of privacy and the feeling of exclusivity, almost as if they’re the only passengers on the plane.

Each suite also offers direct aisle access and fully lie-flat seats that convert into a 79-inch bed.

After gawking at the business class in which I could only dream of spending the flight, I headed back to economy where I’d be spending the next seven hours.

A total of 281 seats comprise the economy cabin in a 3-3-3 layout that’s standard for the Dreamliner.

The cloth seats looked incredibly inviting and on top of each seat was a pillow and blanket kit.

I sat down and felt completely at home given the excess of legroom and seat pitch. There was plenty of room to stretch out and it was a great change compared to the American flight I had just taken.

The star of the seat is the massive 13-inch in-flight entertainment screen that nearly takes up the entire seat-back.

What impressed me the most about the in-flight entertainment system, dubbed “Oryx One,” wasn’t the size of the screen but the amount of content available.

More than 4,000 selections of movies, television shows, music, games, and more were on offer.

The movie selection featured a global selection of films from Hollywood to Bollywood and had a good selection of new releases and older classics.

The television show lineup wasn’t as impressive but one show called “Wellington Paranormal” was available and that had been on my list to watch for a while.

I was completely enthralled, however, by the music selection. I couldn’t believe how many artists and songs were available, as well as themed playlists.

From Taylor Swift to Bruce Springsteen and The Killers to Shania Twain, the system had it all. I didn’t even use the carefully curated music selection on my iPhone because I wanted to create a new playlist on the system.

Headphones were left at each seat to use the system. Regular 3.5-millimeter headphones also work just fine.

The seat had all of the other standard amenities including an adjustable headrest, 110v AC power outlet, and USB charging port.

For those that prefer to use their own devices for entertainment, these seats also come with a built-in device holder.

The flight kicked off with a lemon-scented tower passed around to each passenger. It was sorely needed after coming off an overnight flight from New York.

Gone, thankfully, are the days when Qatar Airways required face shields for economy passengers but health and safety are still very much at the forefront. Flight attendants distributed a hygiene kit containing a face mask, nitrile gloves, and hand sanitizer.

Qatar Airways also makes good use of its in-flight entertainment systems to spread the health and safety message. A brief video outlining proper hygiene played just after the safety announcement.

And while on the map screen, numerous on-screen messages promote mask-wearing and proper hygiene while prompting passengers to tell cabin crew if they’re feeling unwell.

We pushed back on time and headed towards the runway. The Dreamliner was so quiet and smooth that I didn’t even notice the engines starting up or that we had begun taxing.

We reached the runway soon enough and pilots advanced the throttles for takeoff. The Dreamliner’s two General Electric GEnx engines gracefully took us airborne into Spanish skies.

Flight attendants began the meal service shortly after takeoff on the six-hour and 29-minute flight to Doha.

Drinks were served first, accompanied by a bag of rice crackers.

Next came the meal service, with three choices including chicken biryani, lamb stew, and vegetable lasagna. I was surprised with how many choices were available and was glad to see it wasn’t just breakfast items being served on our 9:15 a.m. flight.

I went for the chicken biryani, accompanied by a chickpea salad, chocolate mousse, and a roll. Every item was bursting with flavor and I was impressed with how good the meal was for economy.

And last but not least, a small Manner Neopolitaner wafer capped off the meal service.

All in all, the meal service was through in just under an hour and a half, as we made our way across the Mediterranean. The chocolate mousse was a favorite and it was hard to put it down.

The business class menu for this flight was a little bit more extravagant than in economy, which is to be expected, and dining is on an on-demand basis where customers can order whatever they want, whenever they want.

After the meal, flight attendants dimmed all the windows for a darker and cooler atmosphere on the plane. The Dreamliner doesn’t have any window shades and has dimmers instead.

We climbed to a top altitude of 41,000 feet in a true testament to the Dreamliner’s capabilities. The curvature of the Earth is clearly visible from this height.

I used the downtime to sleep, having gotten fewer than five hours on my previous flight from New York to Madrid.

The comfortable seat and relaxing cabin thanks to onboard mood lighting made it easy to drift off. These seats also offer a deep recline for additional comfort.

I woke up around an hour and a half prior to landing in Doha. While I missed the pre-landing snack service, flight attendants had left me a small selection at my seat including chips, two types of popcorn, and KitKats.

The flight attendants provided incredible service on the flight and it’s one of the best aspects of flying on Qatar Airways. Lots of airlines offer either great service or a great seat product but this airline provided both.

Our journey to Doha was pretty straightforward as flew over Saudi Arabian and Bahraini airspace, which would have been impossible just nine months prior. The two countries, along with others in the Middle East, had blockaded Qatar from June 2017 to January 2021.

Qatar Airways aircraft, as a result, were forced to fly over other countries and some flights took markedly longer. But with the blockade over, our route to Doha was nearly a straight line.

We landed on time at Hamad International Airport, Qatar’s “gateway to the world” and Qatar Airways’ main base. I used the onboard camera to see the view from the front as we touched down on Runway 34L.

Despite numerous empty gates at the main terminal, our flight was assigned a remote gate and we disembarked by airstairs.

I stepped off the plane and was immediately welcomed by the Qatar heat and humidity. Though, it was nice to get some fresh outdoor air for the first time in 16 hours.

Overall, I enjoyed every second on the flight from Madrid to Doha. The new plane combined with fantastic service made for a perfect final leg on a long journey from New York.

There’s no question in my mind as to why Qatar Airways is among the best airlines in the world, even when flying in economy.