On this Flight Evaluations collection, I’ll check out the onboard product provided by airways throughout quite a lot of plane sorts and routes. These first-person stories will overview a specific flight — a singular mixture of things together with working airline, plane sort, route and sophistication of service.
Many luxurious journey bloggers — and Qatar Airways itself — have referred to QSuites because the “world’s finest enterprise class.” Qatar’s enterprise class expertise is phenomenal, with scrumptious catering, top-quality wines and spirits, a improbable choice of onboard leisure and a brilliant snug seat — however accessibility was at finest an afterthought. Earlier than we dive into that, let’s begin with some primary flight particulars:
Airline/Flight: Qatar Airways, QR707
Route: DOH-IAD — Doha, Qatar to Washington Dulles
Flight Date: June 20, 2022
Plane: Boeing 777-300ER (77P)
Registration: A7-BEO
Seat: 09J
The QSuite debuted in 2017, however hasn’t been put in on each Qatar Airways long-haul jet. Checking the seat map in your flight ought to reveal whether or not it’s outfitted with the QSuites product, however it’s essential to notice that sudden plane swaps can happen. Right here is the newest replace on the variety of planes with QSuites by plane sort:
- Airbus A350-1000 — 19 of 19 plane
- Airbus A350-900 — 10 of 33 plane
- Boeing 787-9 — 7 of seven plane
- Boeing 777-300ER — 38 of 48 plane
- Boeing 777-200LR — 7 of 9 plane
This flight was my second time experiencing the QSuite — the primary was in 2019, on a fifth freedom flight from São Paulo, Brazil to Buenos Aires, Argentina. I wasn’t doing flight opinions again then, so didn’t write in regards to the expertise.
How I booked the flight
My full itinerary (Doha to Florida) was bought with American Airways frequent flyer miles — The full value was 70,000 AAdvantage miles plus $60.42 in taxes and charges.
This ticket was topic to redemption charges established as a part of American Airways’ Oneworld and Accomplice Award Chart, with the Center East to United States redemption (70,000 miles in enterprise class) being one of many “candy spots” on the chart.
Qatar Airways Boeing 777-300ER Seating Structure
Qatar Airways has two totally different seating configurations on its Boeing 777-300ER plane, with the 2 sorts being labeled “77P” and “77N.” On each this flight and my 2019 QSuites flight, the plane used was the “77P” configuration, which options 42 QSuites enterprise class seats and 312 economic system class seats organized 10-abreast in a 3-4-3 format.
The “77N” configuration is economic system class-heavy, having solely 24 QSuites and a whopping 388 economic system class seats. There isn’t a Premium Financial system cabin on both sort. Detailed seat maps and drawings can be found from aeroLOPA on the following hyperlinks: Sort 77P and Sort 77N.
“QSuite” Enterprise Class Seat
Regardless of now being 5 years outdated, Qatar’s QSuite continues to be acknowledged as one of many world’s premier enterprise class merchandise — it received the 2022 Skytrax Award for Finest Enterprise Class Airline Seat. The seat relies on the Collins Aerospace platform and encompasses a wall enclosure and sliding privateness door.
When the QSuite was first introduced in 2017, I raised considerations in regards to the potential accessibility limitations inherent in its design and later included it on an inventory of the least accessible enterprise class seats. I’ll dive into the seat’s accessibility within the subsequent part, however let’s first check out its options and design.
QSuite Options and Lay-Flat Mattress
QSuites are organized in a 1-2-1 configuration, with forward- and rear-facing seats in alternating rows. My seat, 9J, was a window seat on the best facet of the plane in a forward-facing row.
The suite is aesthetically pleasing and exceptionally snug — a improbable place to calm down and luxuriate in a long-haul journey. The 21.5″ HD touchscreen show is big for an airplane, and it connects vacationers to a powerful library of films and leisure, together with reside tv channels.
Vital observe: A few of the photographs taken on this flight had been misplaced; as such, I’m supplementing them with photographs taken on my earlier QSuites flight — that earlier flight used the identical plane sort, however I used to be seated in seat 9B — a forward-facing window seat on the left facet of the aircraft.
From take-off to landing, the flight was 13 hours, 20 minutes in size. That’s a very long time to be caught on an airplane watching films, so I used to be grateful to have a lay-flat mattress within the sky. Since I’m unable to face or stroll, the flexibility to put down and relieve stress throughout a protracted flight is crucial to my well being and security.
The seat is endlessly configurable — a management panel subsequent to the seat means that you can alter the recline, enter into lay-flat mattress mode, and even activate the seat’s built-in again therapeutic massage characteristic (no, I’m not kidding!).
When absolutely reclined into flat mattress mode, the seat measures 79 inches from head to toe — loads of area to stretch out! While you’d like to fall asleep, the cabin crew will present turndown service — getting ready your mattress with a mattress pad, pillows and a fluffy blanket that appears and feels swanky.
All enterprise class passengers are provided pajamas, which I alter into each time. There’s simply one thing about sleeping in PJs — in a mattress — at 40,000 ft!
360° Tour of the QSuite
The next video offers a 360-degree view of the QSuite cabin, capturing it in a method that I couldn’t match with conventional photographs:
You should definitely pay attention to the place of the partitions relative to the seat, as that may determine into to the dialogue round QSuite accessibility.
Wheelchair Accessibility of the Qatar Airways QSuite Seat
In its QSuite, Qatar Airways erected a barrier to disabled passenger entry that few carriers had accomplished earlier than. Immovable partitions block direct entry to the seat, stopping protected, lateral self-transfers and making it inconceivable for help workers to carry out a standard elevate and switch method.
The screenshot above, taken from the 360-degree video shared earlier, depicts the diploma to which the immovable wall restricts entry to the seat cushion of a forward-facing seat. A slim aisle chair can match by means of the QSuite’s door opening at a 90-degree angle relative to the seat, however it could actually solely partially enter the suite. In transferring into the forward-facing QSuite myself, I’ve discovered it best to first place the seat in lay flat mode earlier than mustering my interior acrobat to crawl onto the seat.
A second screenshot, embedded above, depicts the design of a rear-facing seat. Rear-facing seats usually are not absolutely blocked by the wall enclosure, however they’re set away from the aisle, with a small storage bin positioned between the seat and the door opening. For passengers who can self-transfer, rear-facing seats are probably simpler to navigate — I like to recommend first transferring onto the storage compartment, then into the seat itself.
For passengers who require a full elevate with the help of airline personnel, I can not suggest the QSuite as a viable seating choice. Help workers engaged on behalf of Qatar Airways in Doha and at different airports around the globe have admitted to me that they acquired no particular coaching on passenger transfers into or out of the QSuite. That’s alarming.
On Federal regulators and the qsuite’s Questionable approval
Previous to introducing QSuite within the U.S. market, Qatar Airways sought a particular waiver from the U.S. Division of Transportation because of the absence of a moveable aisle armrest. In its waiver software, the airline submitted a video depicting the means by which motionless passengers can be lifted into the QSuite. On the premise of that video, the DOT authorised an “equal various dedication,” successfully green-lighting the wall that forestalls disabled passengers from safely transferring into the seat. The video was granted confidential remedy, which means it can’t be accessed by the general public.
In September, I requested a replica of the video beneath the Freedom of Data Act. My request for expedited processing was denied regardless of my declare that “the protection of disabled passengers hinges on information of the demonstrated switch method.” Passengers (and help workers!) have to see that video, and I intend to pursue each authorized avenue to safe a replica.
Please contemplate making a donation to help my continued advocacy for equal entry in air journey.
Meals & Beverage Service
For those who’ve flown in enterprise class on a U.S. or European service earlier than, you’ll probably recall a reasonably standardized course of: after takeoff, a meal is served, passengers eat, then settle in, and are provided a second (lighter) meal about an hour previous to arrival.
Qatar Airways is nothing like that. There isn’t a schedule — you eat what you need, once you need. Eating is on demand. Each meal and snack is of top of the range and introduced to restaurant requirements. And, should you’d like a second serving — it’s inspired!
Given the morning departure from Doha, I began the flight with breakfast — a pleasant choice of fruit, pastries and bread, served alongside an omelette with greens and sausage.
After watching a film, catching-up on some electronic mail utilizing the inflight wi-fi and having fun with a much-needed sleep session, I ordered lunch: a scrumptious serving of hen with greens.
I handed on dessert, however loved two bowls of tomato soup over the courser of the flight — the final one shortly earlier than we entered U.S. airspace.
Qatar Airways gives a aggressive drink menu in enterprise class, with high-quality champagne, wine and spirits. A wide range of whiskey choices can be found, together with my favourite beverage, Woodford Reserve bourbon. I celebrated the flight with a glass of bourbon previous to arrival in Washington, D.C.
Wheelchair Accessible Toilet on Qatar Airways Boeing 777-300ER
The accessible toilet on the Qatar Airways Boeing 777-300ER (Sort 77P) is situated in entrance of enterprise class seat 8K and straight behind boarding door 2R on the best facet of the plane.
Through the course of the flight, I made three journeys to the rest room — twice to vary into and out of my pajamas, and a 3rd time to make use of the toilet mid-flight. Every time, I rang the decision bell and instructed the flight attendant that I wanted to make use of the rest room. Inside a couple of minutes, the cabin crew member returned with considered one of his/her colleagues and the onboard aisle wheelchair, which they used to push me into the accessible toilet.
Accessible toilets are available in a variety of sizes and styles, and a few are way more accessible than others. I’m comfortable to report that the Qatar Airways Boeing 777 options what I contemplate to be among the many finest accessible toilet kinds, with area to park the onboard aisle wheelchair straight alongside the bathroom. The design permits for protected, lateral transfers between the aisle chair and bathroom, with area for a journey companion or caregiver to offer help.
For extra info on attending to and utilizing the toilet on the airplane as a wheelchair consumer, learn the article on wheelchair accessible airplane toilets, which comprises photographs and descriptions of the assorted toilet kinds.
Backside Line
Qatar Airways’ QSuites Enterprise Class is an unimaginable product — the seat’s consolation and privateness, paired with the airline’s world-class catering and an unimaginable dedication to service make it top-of-the-line premium courses in business aviation. The large downside: it’s not accessible.
After disabled vacationers overcome the large hardship of transferring into the seat, it’s practically excellent. However in a world the place we will have suites with beds and doorways within the sky, certainly we will have accessibility too. Airways proceed to make pointless trade-offs on the expense of equal entry and it’s my hope that, by means of articles like this one and our collective advocacy, we’ll assist the business acknowledge that equal entry ought to by no means be up for debate. The reality is easy: the most effective product in any class is an accessible one — and this, I’m afraid, simply ain’t it.
Featured picture courtesy Qatar Airways.
