Review of Qatar Airways - Business Class - BHX-BKK November 2023 - & Updated with Return December 2023

[davidge]

4 hours ago, Bonkabit said:

No need for you to spend ages going through airline web sites etc.

Let Skyscanner Flights do the comparisons and updates for you. You can schedule your travel plan - return from Birmingham to Bangkok, time period etc. - and receive regular updates to your email address.

Only if he’s happy to use any agent that shows up on Skyscanner. Although I use Kayak (prefer it to Skyscanner as it allows +/-3 days) to get a general idea the only way to really find the best rates direct with airlines is on their websites. I found the fare for this trip on Kayak but then spent time on the BA website to find the best options etc, which changed frequently.

[Bonkabit]

2 hours ago, davidge said:

Only if he’s happy to use any agent that shows up on Skyscanner. Although I use Kayak (prefer it to Skyscanner as it allows +/-3 days) to get a general idea the only way to really find the best rates direct with airlines is on their websites. 

I too am wary of using agents on Skyscanner apart from one or two whom I know to be substantial companies. Where Skyscanner is valuable is in providing 'inspiration', ideas one can cross-check directly with airlines' own sites.

Search flights || ITA Matrix by Google is another useful tool. No agent ads and permits search by month.

[simon6666]

29 minutes ago, Bonkabit said:

Search flights || ITA Matrix by Google is another useful tool. No agent ads and permits search by month.

That is what I've used for a long time now, although it appears the recently-added Hainan fares are very inaccurate when comparing to the airline's website. Unsure what's occurring there.

All the rest still seem fine.

[neilri2001]

I generally use Skyscanner to look at price trends. In an ideal world i will then book with the airline direct. This generally works well with the likes of BA, Finnair, Qatar, Eva,  Emirates and Etihad where prices don't differ much from agents but less well with with multi airline combinations or Airlines such as Gulf and Oman who often dump flights with agents at less than half the price that they sell on their website.

At a slight tangent Etihad have a Black Friday 20% discount which is broadly valid for the first half of 2024. Unfortunately for me the only dates blocked out are three weeks around Easter which is when i hope to travel!

[davidge]

Qatar Return BKK-BHX December 2023

Taxi arrived on time and we left Pratumnak at 9pm. Arrived at airport shortly before 10.30. Biz check-in on the inside of the row of desks so a bit of a scrum to reach it but no queue once there. I checked my Boarding Passes and noticed my seat had been changed on the first flight. I queried it and, as often happens with Qatar I think, there’s been a change of layout. No Q-Suites! They’d obviously just allocated seats randomly on the changed plane and I was in a window seat, which I absolutely don’t want in a 2-2-2 layout. I really need to get out easily when I need to stretch my back and I can’t clamber over a sleeping passenger. I politely, though fairly firmly, ask for a middle seat and am told the flight is full. I persist, politely, and the supervisor next to her gets on the phone and manages to move me.

I walk to Fasttrack Security 3 which is pretty quiet and it doesn’t take long. Staff very helpful and friendly. I go through to Passport Control to find quite a long queue. Only one desk open for all foreign passports. In a few minutes they open 2 more though, as pretty much everyone is faster than me nowadays, I end up behind a number of people who were further back in the queue. Still, it wasn’t too bad and I was through and in departures by 11pm.

The Qatar lounge is next to Gate D8. After leaving security and going right you go down a level just after the first moving walkway and you’re near the lounge. Almost had an accident on the way as the bloke in front of suddenly stopped after getting off the walkway. He very nearly had the unpleasant experience of my rather substantial frame going straight into the back of him.

The Lounge is excellent. Attentive staff, various seating options and a good choice of food. 

After a water to cool down I had a light supper of sea bass and grilled vegetables followed by a tea. I hoped to sleep for the first part of the flight and only eat nearer to landing. There is also a QR code for menus so I think you can order a la carte items as well, perhaps if you want to use the formal restaurant in the lounge.

Decent toilets, individual cubicles with their own washbasin and there are shower facilities. Although the flight was full the lounge was never busy.

I followed my usual routine of aiming to get to the gate an hour before departure. The flight was using Gate E7 so a bit of a trek from the lounge. I’d only just sat down when they started boarding, 20 minutes early.

We took off about 15 minutes behind schedule but, as usual, flights time was considerably shorter than timetabled.

I was in the front row, which isn’t the best as there’s no storage in front of you but better than being stuck by a window.

Menu for what is a night flight:

I just ordered soup and cheese plate for 2 hours before descent, found some classical music on the IFE, put eyeshades on and tried to get some sleep. I managed about two and a half hours of rest, with a little sleep, before I had to get up and move around. All but one passenger was asleep so an easy flight for the attendants. 

I went to the toilet at the back of the cabin, as I had on the flight over, but there were no toothbrushes/toothpastes so I asked the attendant. It turns out this aircraft had been reconfigured so only the front cabin was business to have more Economy seats. This explains the change of aircraft and the full Biz cabin. They’d obviously had high demand for Economy but less for Business so switched the plane.

I did try to get more rest but my back had reached the point where this wasn’t possible. I listened to more music and also found a wall near the galley that I could stretch against.

I didn’t really want the food tbh but it was fine. 

The flight wasn’t particularly enjoyable but was quiet. A few people ate but most slept through the flight. If I take this flight again I probably won’t bother with eating on board,

We landed about half an hour ahead of schedule and right near security. Staff helpful. They did ask me to take off my belt but I used my usual line saying my trousers would fall down if I did and they smiled and waved me through.. We arrived at a C gate and my next flight was also from a C gate. There a biz lounge in the C area - Al Mourjan ‘The Garden’. It’s on a terrace above the main area. You take a lift up to it. Much quieter than the main lounge, loads of available seating and no queue for showers. I showered and changed my clothes and then relaxed for an hour. I didn’t want food but there is a sit down restaurant and a less formal eating area in this lounge. There’s also a couple of coffee bar areas to help yourself to snacks, soft drinks, coffee etc and alcoholic drinks. They had cans of Stella and Leffe as well as Budweiser for those that don’t like beer. Also a selection of wine, champagne etc. I guess there were spirits somewhere as well but didn’t see them. If you either arrive or leave from a C gate then definitely better to use this lounge imo.

The gate for the next flight was a very short walk. Plenty of room to sit, all very calm and quiet. Smooth boarding flight basically on time. Maybe half a dozen empty seats in biz cabin. Excellent staff as always.

Menus:

It was mushroom soup (again!) so no thanks. I ordered the turbot for just after takeoff and the croque monsieur before landing.

The excellent bread once again and they brought an appetizer which I think was tuna.

The turbot was wonderful. I really enjoyed the dish.

I watched three movies and fell asleep during one of them. I got a good hour’s sleep which made a difference.

Light meal before landing:

It was a very good flight. As I’ve said before, I really like the Dreamliner. I find it easier to get comfortable in the seat and the area at the back of the cabin is great for stretching.

Arrived at Birmingham. Flight attendant told me they have to use the middle door for all passengers as there’s only ever one air bridge at Birmingham. It’s not a big airport so not far to walk to passport control but it did again involve having to walk down a steep and fairly long flight of steps. All the escalators at the airport appear to be out of order. Passport control very quiet - there was a choice of e-gates with no queue. Through to baggage area very quickly. Unbelievably you have to pay to use a trolley. Bags come through quite quickly. There were a few Customs staff and police having a chat at the exit but I didn’t see them stop anyone. I was out of the airport about 45 minutes after the 12.35 touchdown.

So, after using BHX for the first time this trip my opinion is that it is a shitty, shambolic airport with unhelpful and disinterested staff.

I phone my driver to come to pick up area and I’m home by 4.15.

[ZRHuser]

My last flight had "light night dining" too. But no meat, just 2 kinds of sea food. I made it clear to the purser that I am not happy about it. I never eat sea food on a plane. Very poor showing from Qatar. 

[davidge]

3 minutes ago, ZRHuser said:

My last flight had "light night dining" too. But no meat, just 2 kinds of sea food. I made it clear to the purser that I am not happy about it. I never eat sea food on a plane. Very poor showing from Qatar. 

I don’t think anybody ate after take off and probably only half of a dozen of us before landing. A more substantial menu would have been a complete waste - I guess Qatar have learned this from experience. If anyone wanted, they could have had a full 5 course meal with wine etc in the lounge before boarding. Remember, the flight took off from BKK at 2.05am. If I take the same flight again, I doubt very much I’d eat anything at all on board.

[mercmanrob]

Nice review, thanks for the effort

 

 

[kandra69]

Thanks for the review