Usually, when I book a long haul flight overseas my first instinct is to go with an Australian airline. This generally means I’ll end up booking with Qantas – to frequent flyer points if nothing else.
However, this time I flew to Europe with Qatar Airways. My experience was so good I felt the need to share it. Here’s why I would now recommend choosing Qatar Airways over Qantas if you’re headed to Europe.
Comfort
While every flight varies, I’ve found it impossible to not notice that the comfort of Qantas’ planes is a bit behind the eight ball. Qatar Airways, on the other hand, uses modern planes, including state-of-the-art A380s on the second leg from Doha to Europe.
Its planes are clean, with comfortable seats and more leg room than I have experienced with Qantas. The Qatar Airways planes on both legs were well equipped with power points to charge your devices, thick warm blankets – unlike the thin ones you often get on Qantas – and the bathrooms even had a small range of toiletries for freshening up.
Service
There is something very comforting about being attended to by a fellow Australian. However, in saying that, it was impossible to fault the Qatar Airways staff. Right from the get-go at the airport, the staff were polite and nothing was too much trouble. I had some excess baggage and rather than make a fuss they turned a blind eye.
The service onboard was no different. The crew were always available and willing to help in anyway they could. While looking after a flight full of passengers must be very stressful at times, it never showed through their constant care and politeness.
Clearly, service is entirely dependent on the individual. However, Qantas staff can often have a more laid-back approach to customer service and sometimes even be downright rude. Qatar Airways service was up there with some of the best I’ve experienced across a range of airlines.
Stress-free
If you’re anything like me, you’ll find flying stressful even when nothing is wrong. Qatar Airways stopover in Doha, is an extremely new and state-of-the-art airport. While we had less than an hour and a half in transit, a situation that could have been very stressful, it was a breeze thanks to how well-organised the airport and Qatar Airways are.
Personnel were available throughout the airport, which was also well signed. The gates are divided into zones based on where you’re seated on the plane – to make boarding as simple as possible. Qatar Airways metaphorically holds your hand throughout the entire transit process –a process which can sometimes be extremely daunting, even for experienced travellers.
Food
Ok this is where Qantas, and probably any other airline, comes out on top. The food on Qatar Airways was nothing to write home about and, honestly, rather difficult to swallow.
While there are many meal options you can pre-book for various dietary requirements, I had been warned not to expect big things when it came to the food. Accurate advice. The food was dry and tasteless, and I ended up feeling quite hungry a number of times during the flight.
Qantas’ food, on the other hand, is consistently of a very high standard, with well-thought options and snacks.
So there you have it. If you’re concerned about comfort and service, I cannot recommend Qatar Airways highly enough. However, if food is an integral part of flying for you, perhaps you should still call Qantas home?
