Qatar Airways Airbus A350 Business Class

To continue on our first round-the-world trip of 2024, we took yet another spontaneous flight, this time from Milan to Doha, in Qatar Airways Airbus A350 Business Class. Qatar Airways is renowned for its top-tier service and luxury, especially in their Business Class, which consistently ranks as the best business class in the world.

Pre-flight Experience:

After checking out of the Sheraton Milan San Siro hotel, we took advantage of the availability of public transport and took a train from Milano Cardona to the airport. With our luggage dropped off and boarding passes in hand, we headed straight to the Via Milano Lounge Sala Montale, which is the contracted lounge that Qatar Airways uses in Milan. 

It can be said that this is also the only lounge that most other airlines use at Milan International Airport (MXP). This is also a Priority Pass lounge, and while the lounge was nothing special, it was better than nothing.

Boarding:

Boarding for our flight QR0118 began about 45 minutes before the scheduled departure time, with business class passengers being boarded first from Gate B59.

The Qatar Airways Airbus A350-900 Business Class cabin is identical to the Qatar Airways Boeing 787 Business Class cabin, which I flew from Doha to Lagos a year ago. As we approached, we were greeted with smiles from the friendly flight attendants, who then ushered my wife and me to our seats, 3K and 4K, respectively.

Since I’ve already reviewed the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the business class cabin is identical to this Airbus A350, I won’t go into too many details here. Instead, I’ll cover the basics and the onboard experience.

The cabin is arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration, providing direct-aisle access to each business class passenger.

Onboard Amenities:

My seat, 4K, offered ample space with plenty of legroom and two electric windows, along with a pillow and blanket already in place. Qatar Airways is known for these thoughtful touches, and there was also a second AVGEEK-themed pillow with prints waiting on each seat.

Each seat came with a DIPTYQUE Paris amenity kit, of which I now have many of them. I hope to auction these kits, including some from Emirates First Class, to raise money for charity at some point.

As if the amenities weren’t enough, I was pleasantly surprised to see the flight attendants distributing pajamas on this 5-hour 20-minute red-eye flight. These pajamas are exclusively made for Qatar Airways by WHITE COMPANY London.

Unlike our flight from New York to Milan in Emirates Business Class on the Boeing 777 which we flew a few days prior, where no pajamas were offered, Qatar Airways truly went above and beyond. This, among many other things, are what makes Qatar Airways product the best business class in the world.

Pre-Departure Drinks & Snacks:

After settling in, the purser introduced herself, and then the flight attendant took our drinks and dinner orders. I quickly ordered “So Jennie,” a luxury non-alcoholic bubbly made from the finest grapes. This reminded me of my experience with Qatar Airways Qsuite Boeing 777-300 about ten months ago, which was a similarly spontaneous flight experience.

We began our pushback at exactly 10:00 PM, ten minutes behind schedule, and spent another 18 minutes taxiing on the runway. We were airborne by 10:23 PM.

Once we reached ten thousand feet and were still climbing, another glass of So Jennie arrived at my seat, this time accompanied by warm nuts.

Inflight Dining:

Another day, another bottle of “So Jennie”, this luxury bubbly just keeps coming. For someone like me who doesn’t drink alcohol, having this sweet, luxurious champagne on board has been a highlight of my Qatar Airways flights. The same goes for my visits to the Al Mourjan Lounge in Doha.

For dinner, I chose the Cream of Broccoli Soup with black pepper and nutmeg cream as the appetizer, and the Pan-Seared Sea Bass with Chive Beurre Blanc, accompanied by Anna potatoes and Tuscany vegetables, for the main course. Since the sea bass was in limited supply, I was asked to select a second option and went with the Arabic-style Chicken Kabsa with mint yogurt.

The meal began with an amuse-bouche of pimento with shrimp and lemon sauce, served with a bowl of assorted bread.

The second course, which was the appetizer, arrived about ten minutes later. I must say, the Cream of Broccoli Soup was a hearty and satisfying start to the meal.

The third course, the main course, was the Arabic-style Chicken Kabsa with mint yogurt, featuring crisp cashew nuts, onions, and raisins. It was a delicious and perfect choice.

The fourth course was supposed to be dessert, but by that point, I had no room left, so I decided to skip it.

Other Amenities:

The screen at my seat had some technical issues and would only display the Home Screen. It turned out that a passenger from the previous flight had set the Oryx system to parental control, and it hadn’t reset. The flight attendants quickly scrambled to fix it and managed to get it working after a reboot.

Two hours into the flight, after dinner, I put my seat into lie-flat mode and went to sleep. Despite the short duration, I managed to get some quality rest, thanks to the luxury bedding amenities from Qatar Airways.

The bar area, located between the main business class cabin and the mini business class cabin, is a space where passengers can socialize. Snacks and drinks are often on display, allowing guests to help themselves and enjoy a relaxed atmosphere.

With 45 minutes left before landing, as I began to wrap up this trip report and get ready to hit the streets of Doha, I noticed the flight attendants started taking drink orders. Wanting to stay warm despite the already comfortable cabin, I ordered the Karak Chai, which came with biscuits, chocolate, and a refreshing towel.

Looking through the window as we began our descent into Doha, the city lights twinkled below. Our flight landed at 5:38 AM, and we spent another 10 minutes taxiing to our gate.

Conclusion:

Our flight from Milan to Doha in Qatar Airways Airbus A350 Business Class was an exceptional experience. The airline offered the same high level of comfort and service as one would expect. From the warm welcome by the flight attendants, to the delicious meal and luxurious amenities, every detail was thoughtfully attended to. 

This was indeed a great way to redeem our 55,000 AA miles each, which also granted us access to the Al Safwa First Class Lounge in Doha upon arrival, as we were connecting to Dubai in Regional First Class. Capping off an already impressive journey.